Player Watch #30 Tom McCartin

[Kennedy Parker]

Tom McCartin

Player Profile
In an indication of Tom McCartin

30

Tom Mccartin

Age

24

Ht

194cm

Wt

99kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.3

2star

K

5.6

2star

HB

3.7

3star

M

3.7

4star

T

1.6

4star

MG

129.5

2star

D

7.2

2star

K

4.4

2star

HB

2.8

2star

M

3.2

3star

T

0.8

1star

MG

87.4

2star

D

9.0

3star

K

5.0

2star

HB

4.0

3star

M

2.8

3star

T

2.0

4star

MG

168.0

3star

’s rapid rise, the young Sydney Swans forward had played 34 AFL games by the end of his teenage years – and that was despite being the youngest player in the league in his debut 2018 season. The Geelong Falcons product has a brilliant marking ability and presents a tall target inside 50, although coach John Longmire has also used him as a key defender. McCartin is the younger brother of number one 2014 AFL Draft pick Paddy, who played 35 AFL games with St Kilda.

Tom McCartin

30

Tom Mccartin

Age

24

Ht

194cm

Wt

99kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.3

2star

K

5.6

2star

HB

3.7

3star

M

3.7

4star

T

1.6

4star

MG

129.5

2star

D

7.2

2star

K

4.4

2star

HB

2.8

2star

M

3.2

3star

T

0.8

1star

MG

87.4

2star

D

9.0

3star

K

5.0

2star

HB

4.0

3star

M

2.8

3star

T

2.0

4star

MG

168.0

3star

DOB: 30 December 1999
DRAFT: 2017
RECRUITED FROM: St Joseph's (Vic)/St Joseph's, Geel (Vic)/Geel Gram (Vic)/Geel U18

Tom McCartin | AFL

Follow Tom McCartin's progress through AFL

www.sydneyswans.com.au

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

In my view they offer different strengths. Both would benefit from having the other in the side (as well as Buddy). My preference is to have TM as the 3rd tall in preference to Sinkers or Naismith playing forward.

 

[caesar88]

I just wish we never re-signed Reid and then we wouldn't have this problem lol

 

[MC Bad Genius]

I just wish we never re-signed Reid and then we wouldn't have this problem lol

What problem?

 

[caesar88]

What problem?

The problem of having this key forward who is more experienced than anyone else who can play that role but who is not a great contributor and injury-prone. I believe we should've traded Reid when he still had currency and who knows, the situation may have been between McCartin and an option that's better than Reid.

But coulda shoulda woulda and all that.

 

[robbieando]

The problem of having this key forward who is more experienced than anyone else who can play that role but who is not a great contributor and injury-prone. I believe we should've traded Reid when he still had currency and who knows, the situation may have been between McCartin and an option that's better than Reid.

But coulda shoulda woulda and all that.

So a better option that never existed when he re-signed in 2017. The only forwards traded to new clubs after that season were Josh Schache (who wanted to go back to Victoria), Jackson Trengove (a forward/ruck) and Jack Watts (who rejected us when he went to Port). So hardly "better" options than Reid that you seem to think were available.

 

[caesar88]

So a better option that never existed when he re-signed in 2017. The only forwards traded to new clubs after that season were Josh Schache (who wanted to go back to Victoria), Jackson Trengove (a forward/ruck) and Jack Watts (who rejected us when he went to Port). So hardly "better" options than Reid that you seem to think were available.

It's not always about having the right replacements, but about not carrying dead weight on your list, which we've done Reid's whole career IMO. I would've preferred us do what we did with Hanners and just cut ties when we had the chance. I'd rather have no flexible swingman or a young and inexperienced one than be relying on someone like Reid to help improve us.

 

[robbieando]

It's not always about having the right replacements, but about not carrying dead weight on your list, which we've done Reid's whole career IMO. I would've preferred us do what we did with Hanners and just cut ties when we had the chance. I'd rather have no flexible swingman or a young and inexperienced one than be relying on someone like Reid to help improve us.

That reasoning is using hindsight and double standards. I suppose you would be happy to cut Melican (missed same amount of time as Reid in 2018 and has prior injury history before senior debut) and Naismith (missed all of 2018 with ACL and has been injury prone since he joined the club) then? Would you also of been happy to cut AJ well before we ended up doing so? Its all well and good to make statements saying "dead weight", its another to give substance in how we'll replace said player which you keep failing to do and keep thinking the same failed forward line of 2018 would work into the future.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

That reasoning is using hindsight and double standards. I suppose you would be happy to cut Melican (missed same amount of time as Reid in 2018 and has prior injury history before senior debut) and Naismith (missed all of 2018 with ACL and has been injury prone since he joined the club) then? Would you also of been happy to cut AJ well before we ended up doing so? Its all well and good to make statements saying "dead weight", its another to give substance in how we'll replace said player which you keep failing to do and keep thinking the same failed forward line of 2018 would work into the future.

Fair points. I thought he was a solid contributor in 2017 and not a dead weight. He has been unlucky with injury but who knows he may play the next three seasons without missing a game.

I hope the off season provided an opportunity to check over our medical and fitness staff to ensure they are performing at optimal levels.

 

[caesar88]

That reasoning is using hindsight and double standards. I suppose you would be happy to cut Melican (missed same amount of time as Reid in 2018 and has prior injury history before senior debut) and Naismith (missed all of 2018 with ACL and has been injury prone since he joined the club) then? Would you also of been happy to cut AJ well before we ended up doing so? Its all well and good to make statements saying "dead weight", its another to give substance in how we'll replace said player which you keep failing to do and keep thinking the same failed forward line of 2018 would work into the future.

You've misunderstood my point. He is dead weight because he's not that good, not because he's injured. If he was a quality player, you'd cop the injuries and extended lay-offs because he'd more than make up for it when he is fit (example: AJ, who was on track to becoming a star before his injuries, so he earned the good faith and patience.) Reid, on the other hand, we're carrying on the list, injuries and all, and then when he does play, he doesn't contribute up to standard (IMO). That is dead weight to me. He's been a Swan for, what, nearly ten years now? And in that time his career can be summarised by two terms: injury-prone, and mediocrity.

Now you may rate Reid, so you may disagree that he's mediocre, or you may agree that he's mediocre and may attribute that to his injuries. Either way, that's just what I think hence my perspective on the subject.

As for our failed forward line of 2018, I will give you what you want and explain myself. I think our forward line in 2018 was good. I was happy with it. The smalls (Hayward, Papley, Ronke) are all capable of kicking 30+ goals in a season. Buddy is self-explanatory. Parker and Heeney looked dangerous every time they rotated through there. And McCartin, while young and struggled at times, was not the issue. So the personnel itself is actually fine. It was the delivery inside 50 (midfielders) and the nature of our game that means all players get sucked up to one part of the ground in order to squeeze the pace out of the game (coaching staff) that really killed us and hurt our ability to score. All the pieces for a quality forward line were there, they just weren't used to their capacity. So I'm happy with our forward line and don't see the need for Reid tbh.

 

[swansfan51]

Reid is a great example of absence making the heart grow fonder. If he had played last year and equalled his career-best season, he would have been the 29th leading goalscorer in the league (behind Jake Melksham).

He's not rubbish but he's 27, yet to perform at a level beyond 'average', a handy inclusion in the side when fit but nothing to get overly concerned about.

Is he better than McCartin's 2018 season? Yes.

 

[connolly]

That reasoning is using hindsight and double standards. I suppose you would be happy to cut Melican (missed same amount of time as Reid in 2018 and has prior injury history before senior debut) and Naismith (missed all of 2018 with ACL and has been injury prone since he joined the club) then? Would you also of been happy to cut AJ well before we ended up doing so? Its all well and good to make statements saying "dead weight", its another to give substance in how we'll replace said player which you keep failing to do and keep thinking the same failed forward line of 2018 would work into the future.

You would hardly need to be Nostradamus to calculate he is a player with a poor physical and medical prognosis. In contractual planning and developing lists you do actually need both hindsight and foresight. Its called judgement. It pays very well apparently.

 

[Tedeski]

As for our failed forward line of 2018,

It sounds very much like you agree we missed Reid with those few words.

 

[caesar88]

It sounds very much like you agree we missed Reid with those few words.

Nope? I miss the old Kennedy and Hannebery combination in the middle. I miss Parker dominating out of the centre. I long for a forward 50 that actually has forwards in it. They are reasons our forward line failed. But I do not miss Reid.

 

[Tedeski]

The club obviously believe Reid is important to our structures when fit & becomes an automatic selection into the team. Does this mean he is one of the best in the competition when out there? No, but that’s not what we want him to be. The club wants him to carry out his role in order for our system to function & we saw that in round 1 against West Coast, the eventual premiers, over on their home turf. Now I liken him to Darking who can be putrid at times like he was in that first half of the GF but he pretty much got them over the line with his contested marking in the second half though he dropped that sitter to be able to seal the match. We don’t need Reid to be in the top 50 forwards in the competition. We just need Reid to be the Sam Reid that bobs up & clunks a contested mark down back & one or two in the wing & one or two up forward for a goal or two or to get in the opposition defender’s space to allow his fellow forwards to do their thing if he can’t get to the ball. The club believe he understands his role well & it is for this reason that he is highly regarded in our system.
Now is he worth being on our list in hindsight? How in the hell can anyone seriously argue things in hindsight with a straight face? You sign him or someone else will. He is happy as a Swan & he can play to a capacity that can contribute to p’ship success. Now that is a fact & we like stats & facts on here.

 

[caesar88]

The club obviously believe Reid is important to our structures when fit & becomes an automatic selection into the team. Does this mean he is one of the best in the competition when out there? No, but that’s not what we want him to be. The club wants him to carry out his role in order for our system to function & we saw that in round 1 against West Coast, the eventual premiers, over on their home turf. Now I liken him to Darking who can be putrid at times like he was in that first half of the GF but he pretty much got them over the line with his contested marking in the second half though he dropped that sitter to be able to seal the match. We don’t need Reid to be in the top 50 forwards in the competition. We just need Reid to be the Sam Reid that bobs up & clunks a contested mark down back & one or two in the wing & one or two up forward for a goal or two or to get in the opposition defender’s space to allow his fellow forwards to do their thing if he can’t get to the ball. The club believe he understands his role well & it is for this reason that he is highly regarded in our system.
Now is he worth being on our list in hindsight? How in the hell can anyone seriously argue things in hindsight with a straight face? You sign him or someone else will. He is happy as a Swan & he can play to a capacity that can contribute to p’ship success. Now that is a fact & we like stats & facts on here.

He has never been and never will consistently be the Sam Reid that bobs up and clunks contested marks down back, on the wing and up forward. He has one good game and then five poor to average ones.

Sorry but I don't see any correlation whatsoever between 'Sam Reid' and 'functioning system'.

PS. He didn't play round one against West Coast, the eventual premiers, over on their home turf.

PPS. He didn't play at all in 2016 the year we last made the grand final.

 

[Tedeski]

Yes I got that wrong. Oh well looks like we’ll delist him prior to round one. Have you told the club?

 

[caesar88]

Yes I got that wrong. Oh well looks like we’ll delist him prior to round one. Have you told the club?

Lol nothing like a good spin. He shouldn't be delisted, he just shouldn't be an automatic selection. If he can't consistently perform someone else should be given a go.

 

[Tedeski]

If that’s what you think then that’s what you think. Club will select him if fit though so they say you are wrong.

 

[TheMase]

He has never been and never will consistently be the Sam Reid that bobs up and clunks contested marks down back, on the wing and up forward. He has one good game and then five poor to average ones.

Sorry but I don't see any correlation whatsoever between 'Sam Reid' and 'functioning system'.

PS. He didn't play round one against West Coast, the eventual premiers, over on their home turf.

PPS. He didn't play at all in 2016 the year we last made the grand final.

In 2017 if you remove the two games he got injured, and therefore didn’t see much gametime, he averaged 13.7 disposals at 73%, 6.6 Marks per game. He only had 4 games out of the remaining 20 under 12 disposals. So it was more like 4/5 average-good games and one poor game...

To compare with Franklin, who is clearly light years ahead of Reid as a player, in 2018 he averaged just over 15 disposals per game @ 60%. That means that Reid actually had more effective disposals in 2017 than Franklin did in 2018. He also averaged around 6.7 Marks per game.

Franklin is clearly by a universe of separation the better player, so I am not comparing their abilities.

Based on the players currently on our list he is clearly best 22, when fit, everyday of the week.

Based on the players currently on our list, and at their stage of development, he is clearly our second best tall forward.

The type of player he is, that type of player is important to our structures. Unfortunately Reid is the only developed player of that type we have, and therefore he is the best one selected. Nobody else, in the short to mid term, is going to make a bigger contribution.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

In 2017 if you remove the two games he got injured, and therefore didn’t see much gametime, he averaged 13.7 disposals at 73%, 6.6 Marks per game. He only had 4 games out of the remaining 20 under 12 disposals. So it was more like 4/5 average-good games and one poor game...

To compare with Franklin, who is clearly light years ahead of Reid as a player, in 2018 he averaged just over 15 disposals per game @ 60%. That means that Reid actually had more effective disposals in 2017 than Franklin did in 2018. He also averaged around 6.7 Marks per game.

Franklin is clearly by a universe of separation the better player, so I am not comparing their abilities.

Based on the players currently on our list he is clearly best 22, when fit, everyday of the week.

Based on the players currently on our list, and at their stage of development, he is clearly our second best tall forward.

The type of player he is, that type of player is important to our structures. Unfortunately Reid is the only developed player of that type we have, and therefore he is the best one selected. Nobody else, in the short to mid term, is going to make a bigger contribution.

Pretty much agree with you and disagree with Caesar. I think a fit and in form Reid is an automatic selection as his role and output is vital to our structure.

He is a classic 2nd KPF with the mobility, height and reach to get to and win marking contests or provide a target. I believe he is a smart footy player and works well with Buddy and the smalls.

He is not a robust pack buster and never will be. His body type is just not suitable to that role. This is why I think McCartin as a smaller but more robust 3rd tall forward will augment the roles played by Buddy and Reid.

 

[caesar88]

In 2017 if you remove the two games he got injured, and therefore didn’t see much gametime, he averaged 13.7 disposals at 73%, 6.6 Marks per game. He only had 4 games out of the remaining 20 under 12 disposals. So it was more like 4/5 average-good games and one poor game...

To compare with Franklin, who is clearly light years ahead of Reid as a player, in 2018 he averaged just over 15 disposals per game @ 60%. That means that Reid actually had more effective disposals in 2017 than Franklin did in 2018. He also averaged around 6.7 Marks per game.

Franklin is clearly by a universe of separation the better player, so I am not comparing their abilities.

Based on the players currently on our list he is clearly best 22, when fit, everyday of the week.

Based on the players currently on our list, and at their stage of development, he is clearly our second best tall forward.

The type of player he is, that type of player is important to our structures. Unfortunately Reid is the only developed player of that type we have, and therefore he is the best one selected. Nobody else, in the short to mid term, is going to make a bigger contribution.

You can produce all the stats you like. I think he’s too often a passenger out there and I think he’s very poor at the physical side of the game. These are traits that have been there from the very beginning. Forgive me for not believing they’ll change now. I’d rather be flexible with our structures. Lower our eyes and use short direct passes around the ground like we did against the Dees at the G. This year our forward line could have been great if they had better delivery, instead of aimless bombs into the abyss. The “structures” that Reid provides is really just providing an excuse for our mids to continue to launch rocket balls that benefit nobody.

 

[TheMase]

You can produce all the stats you like. I think he’s too often a passenger out there and I think he’s very poor at the physical side of the game. These are traits that have been there from the very beginning. Forgive me for not believing they’ll change now. I’d rather be flexible with our structures. Lower our eyes and use short direct passes around the ground like we did against the Dees at the G. This year our forward line could have been great if they had better delivery, instead of aimless bombs into the abyss. The “structures” that Reid provides is really just providing an excuse for our mids to continue to launch rocket balls that benefit nobody.

You keep bringing up the Dees game. A game we lost inside 50 as if it was some example of a great game we played. We lost inside 50 43 to 60. Our defence and their ineptness clearly won us the game.

In fact it presents a clear example of why we need contested markers on the wings to be able to convert to rather than concede inside 50s.

Football teams need structures mate, and two tall forwards have been it for a long time. Have you ever coached at all??

 

[caesar88]

You keep bringing up the Dees game. A game we lost inside 50 as if it was some example of a great game we played. We lost inside 50 43 to 60. Our defence and their ineptness clearly won us the game.

In fact it presents a clear example of why we need contested markers on the wings to be able to convert to rather than concede inside 50s.

Football teams need structures mate, and two tall forwards have been it for a long time. Have you ever coached at all??

I refer to the two middle quarters, in which we dominated the game. Only reason we didn’t maintain it is because we tired with two blokes down. I agree they need structures, preferably two talls, but I think if one of those talls isn’t worth it, then find a different structure. What else do you want me to say? I don’t rate Reid, never have and never will until he proves me wrong. So I can’t get on board with him being so important to our team if it means we’re fielding an average player (IMO) every week.

 

[TheMase]

I refer to the two middle quarters, in which we dominated the game. Only reason we didn’t maintain it is because we tired with two blokes down. I agree they need structures, preferably two talls, but I think if one of those talls isn’t worth it, then find a different structure. What else do you want me to say? I don’t rate Reid, never have and never will until he proves me wrong. So I can’t get on board with him being so important to our team if it means we’re fielding an average player (IMO) every week.

Find another guy who can take 6-7 marks a game on average and I (and likely the coaching staff) will consider them as a possible replacement. Until then, it is what it is.

He may be average, but if he is the best person we have available for the role, which he is, then he will be selected to play.

He straightens us up and we play better when he and Bud play together, regardless of how average as an individual player that Reid may or may not be.

The coaching staff will pick him if he is fit, and you’re going to spend the season disappointed about that if/when he doesn’t meet your expectations.

 

[caesar88]

Find another guy who can take 6-7 marks a game on average and I (and likely the coaching staff) will consider them as a possible replacement. Until then, it is what it is.

He may be average, but if he is the best person we have available for the role, which he is, then he will be selected to play.

He straightens us up and we play better when he and Bud play together, regardless of how average as an individual player that Reid may or may not be.

The coaching staff will pick him if he is fit, and you’re going to spend the season disappointed about that if/when he doesn’t meet your expectations.

Correct. I will, so I guess the board buckle up for further complaints!