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Jonathon Patton

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Oct 8, 2009
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AFL Club
Carlton
Reading the criticism of McCartin by many on this board this year and even before that, you'd think he's been in the league 5 years.

Jonathon Patton on the other hand has been in the league for that long now. Now he certainly hasn't been terrible since coming in and obviously dealt with knee issues, but why is there seemingly so little analysis and criticism of him as a pick one while McCartin bashers won't even allow the bloke to play 5 straight games without saying what a failure he is?

He kicked 38 goals last year which was his career best and is on track for about the same amount this season. In a team stacked so much and so great at getting the ball into the forward 50 surely that's not that amazing for a bloke that went pick one?

Again, he's a good footballer but as a pick one I don't feel like his performances really live up to the tag and he hasn't got half as much criticism as the likes of Jack Watts, Paddy McCartin have.

I find the double standards amusing, particularly when it comes to McCartin who has spent a lot of time dealing with injury issues.

There's a number of players from the 2011 draft that are better than him too.
 
Goes under the media radar not playing for a Victorian team.
Early in his career was hampered by 2 ACLs that curtailed his development. Is capable of dominating games but can have quiet ones. Has been very ordinary the past month despite a promising start to the season.
 
Patton isn't the main forward in the Giants forward line though, Jeremy Cameron is.

Having your secondary forward regularly contributing in the 40-50 goals a season range is amongst the best in the league so he's not doing much wrong in that regard.
 
The General is a very good player even after serious injuries, clubs would be lining up to try and get him if he was ever on the move.

McCartin has done nothing yet and doesn't look even close to being fit enough for a league footballer after 3 AFL preseasons.
 

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Patton isn't the main forward in the Giants forward line though, Jeremy Cameron is.

Having your secondary forward regularly contributing in the 40-50 goals a season range is amongst the best in the league so he's not doing much wrong in that regard.
Obviously yeah. Like I said he's a good footballer, but judging him as a pick one I reckon he goes very under the radar when it comes to criticism.

You draft a key forward at pick one you expect him to be kicking goals as much as Cameron does, rather than what Patton does.
 
Obviously yeah. Like I said he's a good footballer, but judging him as a pick one I reckon he goes very under the radar when it comes to criticism.
He missed most his first year with knee issues, then tore his acl
then he tore his acl again

He came back and he's played some good football. I understand people getting Pissy with McCartin but he hasn't had a huge run at it with a decent saints rotation of forwards. Plus he's 21

Patton is fine. If you take a Tall KPP and he looks to be a 200 gamer your happy, its the best you can hope for
 
Obviously yeah. Like I said he's a good footballer, but judging him as a pick one I reckon he goes very under the radar when it comes to criticism.

It's a harder scenario for him though as he isn't going to be the main man as long as Cameron is there.
If he went elsewhere and was kicking 38 a year as the number one target then he would rightfully be copping more heat, but as long as he stays at the Giants his ability to shine is always going to be neutered by sharing space with Cameron.

End of the day it probably comes down to the Giants being overstocked on quality talls and not enough ball to go around. The scenario would have been worse if the likes of Boyd, McCarthy and Stewart were still around also.
 
He missed most his first year with knee issues, then tore his acl
then he tore his acl again

He came back and he's played some good football. I understand people getting Pissy with McCartin but he hasn't had a huge run at it with a decent saints rotation of forwards. Plus he's 21

Patton is fine. If you take a Tall KPP and he looks to be a 200 gamer your happy, its the best you can hope for
Both of them are tacking fine IMO. If St. Kilda were winning no one would be talking about him, nor would they if he played for a non victorian side like Patton does. The media need someone to blame and ridicule when clubs aren't playing well, and unfortunately McCartin is easy pickings. #1 draft pick in and out of a side (mostly because of injury although more recently, form) with Nick Riewoldt coming towards the end of his career, it's the perfect storm.
 
The difference with Patton is that he shows signs of potential dominance that McCartin and Watts (in his early years) never really have. Spending so long out with injury (has played just 65 of a possible 124 games in 5 1/2 seasons) does buy him more time as well.

If he takes 130-140 marks and kicks 40-50 goals per year for the next five years, playing second fiddle to Cameron, you'd have to give him a pass mark.
 
The difference with Patton is that he shows signs of potential dominance that McCartin and Watts (in his early years) never really have. Spending so long out with injury (has played just 65 of a possible 124 games in 5 1/2 seasons) does buy him more time as well.

If he takes 130-140 marks and kicks 40-50 goals per year for the next five years, playing second fiddle to Cameron, you'd have to give him a pass mark.
A lot of the criticism with Watts and McCartin though is just rubbish. Nothing more than tall poppy syndrome.

Watts was thrown into an awful situation as a young footballer.
 
A lot of the criticism with Watts and McCartin though is just rubbish. Nothing more than tall poppy syndrome.

Watts was thrown into an awful situation as a young footballer.

People forget Watts was an underage draftee (back when you could still draft 17 year olds) still completing high school. Realistically, Melbourne should have just stayed firm and kept him in the VFL (or VFL Reserves) during his entire first year (as they later did with Jesse Hogan). He had the potential to be the next Nick Reiwoldt when drafted, and he's a very good player now, but will never really reach the heights expected of him.
 
Haven't seen much of him this year but the delivery he got yesterday was putrid. Time after time it was bombed over his head.
 

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Haven't seen much of him this year but the delivery he got yesterday was putrid. Time after time it was bombed over his head.

Must suck to have Kelly, Shiel, Scully etc. putting the ball inside 50.

Josh Kennedy has kicked 80 two years in a row. Must be the silver service from Priddis and Masten.:cool:
 
People forget Watts was an underage draftee (back when you could still draft 17 year olds) still completing high school. Realistically, Melbourne should have just stayed firm and kept him in the VFL (or VFL Reserves) during his entire first year (as they later did with Jesse Hogan). He had the potential to be the next Nick Reiwoldt when drafted, and he's a very good player now, but will never really reach the heights expected of him.

Agree with your post but we had no choice with Hogan in 2013 anyway as he was too young. We've also been much more patient with Weideman who will take another couple years.
 
McCartin is always going to cop it - everyone is expecting some sort of Riewoldt like output from him. While he will never be that I personally don't think he will be any good at all
 
It's a harder scenario for him though as he isn't going to be the main man as long as Cameron is there.
If he went elsewhere and was kicking 38 a year as the number one target then he would rightfully be copping more heat, but as long as he stays at the Giants his ability to shine is always going to be neutered by sharing space with Cameron.

End of the day it probably comes down to the Giants being overstocked on quality talls and not enough ball to go around. The scenario would have been worse if the likes of Boyd, McCarthy and Stewart were still around also.
Interesting Point Boyd left very early and after the playing group asked for him to be traded, doubt he was ever going to stick. Stewart didn't develop quickly and was traded as part of our list reduction. Think he would have been cost effective deoth at least if he wanted to stay.
Macarthy would have made a real diffetence though I think. If he'd stayed then I've no doubt Patton would have had a lot more time at NEAFL level when he finally returned last year, and for a spot ongoing. I think his return was all about confidence and Leon seemed to be publicly pushing him to start playing at one point.
Maybe building confidence at AFL level with less competition for his spot was good thing, he clearly belongs there at his best, not sure.
 

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Patton isn't the main forward in the Giants forward line though, Jeremy Cameron is.

Having your secondary forward regularly contributing in the 40-50 goals a season range is amongst the best in the league so he's not doing much wrong in that regard.
Cameron has been playing further up the ground this season with him having the tank to do so, leaving Patton as the main focal point in the 50 (and got lost yesterday BTW on the smaller Etihad).
 
Interesting Point Boyd left very early and after the playing group asked for him to be traded

Sure.

Anyway Patton > McCarthy. GWS let McCarthy go with picks 34 and 72 for an upgrade from pick 7 to pick 3. No way they'd let Patton go for that, sob story or otherwise.

I'd be surprised if Patton wasn't a 50 goal a year forward at least once in his career.
 
Both of them are tacking fine IMO. If St. Kilda were winning no one would be talking about him, nor would they if he played for a non victorian side like Patton does. The media need someone to blame and ridicule when clubs aren't playing well, and unfortunately McCartin is easy pickings. #1 draft pick in and out of a side (mostly because of injury although more recently, form) with Nick Riewoldt coming towards the end of his career, it's the perfect storm.
Pretty much Tim as well has really broken out in the past 12 months and Bruce untill recently was on fire. So you have 4 forward KPP and 3 wouls get games in any team bar 2 one is a star. Its not the worst thing to have
 
I don't get the comparison. Patton has received heaps of criticism over the journey. Too slow. Turning circle of the Queen Mary. Not worth #1 doesn't kick enough goals etc. etc.

Some of it warranted some of it not.
Apart from early patella problems and 2 acls when he has played (except for last year when Lobb stepped up) he also played a lot of second ruck, taking him away from goal scoring opportunities.

Never really watched mccartin but I'm pretty sure the knocks on him this early in his career are unwarrented.

Some players take longer to develop and it's not his fault he was picked at #1.

The unrealistic expectations put on number one picks is just stupid.
 

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Jonathon Patton

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