Paddy McCartin says concussion bad luck won’t reduce his appetite for the contest

A RESOLUTE Paddy McCartin is confident his concussion nightmare is in the past and is relishing the pre-season after embarking on a fitness regimen that delivered a personal best time-trial result.

Paddy McCartin has had his fair share of concussions and says it’s been tough having to sit on the sidelines. Picture: Michael Klein

A RESOLUTE Paddy McCartin is confident his concussion nightmare is in the past as he sets his sights on a new season.

The St Kilda forward endured a horror 2017, with head knocks and inconsistent form restricting him to just five appearances — none after Round 12.

McCartin has been concussed six times since 2014, when he was taken with the first pick in that year’s national draft.

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But speaking at the Saints’ one-to-four-year camp on a remote farming property in Ghin Ghin, outside Yea, McCartin was relishing a new campaign.

“I’m feeling really confident and so are the doctors and everyone I’ve spoken to that I’m going to be fine and I’m really looking forward to next year,” McCartin said.

Paddy McCartin throws the frisbee at St Kilda’s one-to-four-year camp. Picture: Michael Klein

“It’s just case by case, it’s not like I’m more prone to them now. I just put my head in the wrong spot a couple of times and copped my whack.

“The club has been really diligent and I’ve got the best people in Australia looking after me. They wouldn’t put me at risk and I know that.”

McCartin, 21, suffered his last head knock playing for Sandringham in the VFL on June 24 in a collision that ended his season and prompted some drastic predictions from outside the club.

But away from the spotlight he embarked on a fitness regimen that prompted this week’s personal best time-trial result.

“It was tough. But you take in what you want really,” he said.

“I had a lot of consultation with specialists, which was tough, but it’s a tough industry and things like this happen so you cop it on the chin and move on.

“It was a long 12 weeks where I didn’t play, but with that I got pretty fit ... built a good base and that’s given me a good platform to go into the next season. With the negatives a few positives have come out of it as well.”

McCartin leads his teammates on their cross country ride. Picture: Michael Klein

McCartin dismissed any suggestions the concussions could weaken his appetite for the ball, but he admitted his technique was being refined.

“I’ve spoken to ‘Richo’ (Alan Richardson) and ‘Sammy’ (Aaron) Hamill about a few things because the last one I put my head in a spot where my bum could have gone, as they say,” he said.

“But in terms of the way I attack the footy in the air and on the ground isn’t going to change. That’s second nature and I’ll play the same way.

“I’ve never thought about concussion once while I’ve been playing. I’ve never actually gone into a game thinking: ‘I can’t put my head there’ or ‘I can’t do this or that’.

“The day that starts happening will be the day I have to maybe look at what I’m doing.”

The Saints players interrupt their ride to complete some push-ups. Picture: Michael Klein

McCartin is out of contract at the end of 2018, but said an extension would be a formality.

“The club has invested a lot in me and I feel like they’ve looked after me really well with all the stuff with my head. The contract will get worked out,” he said.

“I love the footy club. It’s been good bonding up here with the younger boys. We’re a pretty tight knit group.

“We looked back on last year and the one-to-four-year boys came back two weeks before the older boys and we sort of went into our shells a bit.

“So we’re trying to break the shackles early on, come out here for a couple of nights and spend some time together.”