AFL Draft 2014: St Kilda says Paddy McCartin, Hugh Goddard are long-term prospects

ST KILDA believes it has snared its premiership bookends but coach Alan Richardson has warned Patrick McCartin won’t win next year’s Rising Star Award.

St Kilda draftees Hugh Goddard and Paddy McCartin show off their new jumpers at the Kurrawa Beach Surf Life Saving Club on the Gold Coast

ST KILDA believes it has snared its premiership bookends but coach Alan Richardson has warned Patrick McCartin won’t be winning next year’s Rising Star Award.

The Saints made the common-sense decision to take McCartin as Nick Riewoldt’s successor with swing man Hugh Goddard (pick 21) rated a chance to be taken by GWS at pick 7.

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It means the Saints can sell hope to their supporter base, but Richardson pleaded caution with Geelong Falcon McCartin, citing the example of last year’s No. 1 pick Tom Boyd.

St Kilda draftees Hugh Goddard and Paddy McCartin show off their new jumpers at the Kurrawa Beach Surf Life Saving Club on the Gold Coast.

“You only have to look at what Boyd did last year with his nine games. We all rate him and have seen what the Dogs have done to get to their footy club but (Josh) Kelly and (Marcus) Bontempelli and (Jack) Billings all had more influential years.

“The decision is long-term with Patty and Hugh. They are potential bookends for 10 years so we have found ourselves some players.

“Hugh is a really impressive guy, too. They are both very good people with real leadership potential and people that get the best out of themselves.”

All of a sudden St Kilda has a welter of forward options, with Spencer White showcasing his potential with four goals in the season’s last two games.

Richardson believes the gangly third-year tall with hints of Lance Franklin can build the tank that he so desperately needs.

“Spencer is doing all the work. It is the first time in his career he has been able do this amount of work and that’s his greatest challenge because of his body.

“He has had pretty bad asthma for a while but he is on top of that and he has to have a pretty strong pre-season to be near what’s required and he is aware and having a real go.”

Hugh Goddard (left), Paddy McCartin and Nick Dixon were teammates in the Vic Country under-16 team.

There have been calls for Nick Riewoldt to play on the ball or on a wing as Matthew Richardson did in his final years to allow the kids to flourish.

But Richardson believes he can blood the kids and play Riewoldt forward at the same time.

“He played pretty high for most of the year. He took 30 more marks than any forward in the competition and he didn’t get as much ball as other teams.

“So that was a reflection of where he plays. That suits him and us and that means we can give other people opportunities in front of the ball.

“Paddy is no certainty to play a lot of footy (in 2015). We will wait and see how he goes physically.

“If he trains well and performs strongly in the trial games he is a chance but if not that’s OK.

“He is here for the long term, not to win the Norwich (sic) Rising Star.”