AFL legend Kevin Bartlett has urged injury prone St Kilda forward Paddy McCartin to start wearing a helmet if he wants to prolong his career.
McCartin is currently sidelined after suffering another knock to the head against Melbourne in round 7.
The former number one draft pick has struggled for continuity during his stop-start career, and wearing a helmet would be beneficial in protecting the 22-year-old’s head.
“My advice to Paddy McCartin would be to wear a helmet,” Bartlett told SEN’s KB and The Doc.
“I don’t care when people say helmets don’t do any good. If you talk to people like Paul Callery and Gary Wilson, these types of players got knocked out a number of times and then they decided to wear a helmet.
“They will swear by the fact that by wearing that helmet they never got concussion again or knocked out again.
“If I’m Paddy McCartin I’m going to come back and start wearing a helmet because he has nothing to lose.
“Seven times now they’ve talked about him having concussion. I see young Angus Brayshaw was wearing a helmet on the weekend.
“Just get yourself a helmet and see if by playing in a helmet can help because the kid has a long career in front of him but he won’t have a long career if keeps getting concussed.
“It might even change his luck.”