Luckless Saint Paddy McCartin is willing to play anywhere in order to resurrect his AFL career after he stepped away from the game due to ongoing concussion issues.
The former number one draft pick hasn't played a game since 2018 and is no longer on the Saints list.
He was permitted to train with the club in 2020 (before the COVID-19 pandemic) and still harbours hope of a return to the Saints list.
โI would absolutely love to be playing footy. As you guys know, thereโs no guarantees in footy and thereโs probably now more than ever a little more uncertainty in terms of trying to get back onto a list, but Iโm really hoping someone anywhere would want to potentially take a chance,โ McCartin toldย SEN Breakfast.
โThe fire is burning pretty deep and I want to play, itโs just about getting that opportunity and I think the Saints, theyโve been incredible and theyโve been an amazing support, this year people have been saying Iโve been going in once a week, but Iโve been going in more than that.
โIโve been going in just as much (as I would) if I was on the list and theyโve been really, really good and theyโve let me use the facilities and setting up training programs for me and stuff like that.
โTheyโve been amazing and Iโd love to keep playing at the Saints, but as I said before thereโs no guarantees in footy and weโll just have to wait and see, but fingers crossed.โ
However, McCartin is open to the possibility of playing for a different club in order to return to the highest level of the game.
โIโd love to keep playing for the Saints, but technically Iโm not on the list and there might be things that happen where it doesnโt get done,โ he said.
โIโm open to anything and I think the Saints are too.
โEveryone is open to whatever, but in terms of this year, if there was a draft or a re-draft and the season gets pushed back a bit, as annoying as this situation has been, for me it has probably been not a bad thing because Iโm making up a lot of this ground that I would have been making up at the club while everyone is playing games, but no one is playing at the moment so it is sort of like an off-season.
โRealistically, Iโm good to go now in terms of playing. Iโve got to make up fitness and things like that, but in terms of there being this big concussion cloud hanging over my head and I might not be able to play again, thatโs gone.
โIโm basically the same as any other player who is outside a list and looking to get drafted, so hopefully it does happen.
โIf itโs the Saints or somebody else, I just want to play again.โ
McCartin played 34 games in his four seasons at St Kilda.
