Why the saints passed on Petracca. Inside story

[Harves Man]

Speculative but interesting comments from the article:

In the trade period they knocked back Greater Western Sydney’s offer of picks four and seven for No. 1, with Petracca in pole position.

If true....
Very likely we would have secured Paddy with #4 and had #7 as well.
Also showed how strongly GWS rated Petracca
They did similar to secure Kelly with Dom Tyson & #11 for #2 to Melbourne to secure Kelly.

The McCartin story is a sad one. An unquestionable talent who was cut down by endless concussions and has now been delisted.
But some of McCartin’s St Kilda teammates believe alarm bells were ringing before those head knocks interfered.
Did McCartin apply himself in a similar manner to Nick Riewoldt when he was drafted at No. 1 pick in 2000?
Was McCartin strict on his diet and diabetes management? Or was he too lackadaisical in football and in life?

Extremely speculative with no names mentioned, but if true explains a bit about his fitness and lack of endurance. Perhaps he was more hindered by physical condition than lazy when it came to training.

Certainly alarm bells at the time and they did not stop ringing. Obviously a story with two parts. Sadly a story we will keep hearing each year for some time.

I actually think in part it adds extra pressure on Billings from fans. No McCartin to critique, no Petracca so Billings cops it (rightly / wrongly) for not being that AA class midfielder St Kilda has lacked for nearly a decade. Every draft from 2012 we've been screaming out for one.

Jack is a half forward / winger, someone who would be infinitely better with Petracca at St Kilda. Now Billings cops it for not being Petracca, Bontempelli or Cripps.

Maybe??? I don't know. I do know we desperately need that AA midfielder who has pace, goal sense and class. I have my fingers crossed for Clark & Bytel as well as a FA or RFA.

That's a fair comment. I know the moment I saw Jack I was slightly underwhelmed. I mean he looked small. How was he ever going to consistently dominate like we needed him to? And so it has come to pass. An AFL standard player who can have some very good games but sadly not the match winner we hoped and needed him to be. Certainly doesn't have the body to drag the team across the line like a Dangerfield, Fyffe, Cripps, Martin type. Petracca was always potentially going to be that player.

I guess we need him to be a Nathan Brown type (before he broke his leg)

As for Paddy. In some respects the concussions have saved him from a more brutal critique in my opinion. The view is that 'he's always been injured with concussion' therefore we can't give an accurate assessment. I have always suspected that if he had a good run at it, he would have had a solid 150-200 game career but be considered no better than his brother up in Sydney. Good game sense, doesn't lack for courage. Probably once he gets continuity a fair set of hands and a reasonable kick for goal. We never saw much of any of those things but I suspect he has them.

Unfortunately I believe he always was going to be too small for what we hoped he was going to be and way too slow and immobile. Remember he's smaller than Roo, except Roo was an elite athlete of the highest kind in our sport. He was gifted aerobically and anaerobically. He was also fast, mobile, and could jump. He also had naturally long arms, or appeared to anyway. He also had a great footy brain and was courageous beyond belief. In short I believe that Paddy would become a reasonable 3rd tall option or a great back up if Membery good injured. Was a ridiculous decision to go for him and what has saved the club from embarrassment is the fact that we never actually got to see him play regularly.

Very intelligent post - wholeheartedly agree.