Melbourne football performance manager Alan Richardson has explained why the Demons chose Majak Daw to train with the club over someone like Paddy McCartin.
Daw will begin training with the Dees tomorrow, once his COVID-19 test has returned, in the hopes of earning a list spot via the supplemental selection period.
Richardson, who coached and drafted McCartin at St Kilda, said Melbourne determined that delisted Kangaroos utility Daw was more likely to be ready for Round 1.
“Timing’s a bit of an issue for us. We really needed someone that we think was a chance to play for us early,” Richardson told SEN Breakfast.
“Majak, we think he has the attributes to be able to support us in a couple of areas, one of those being where we’ve lost a few players as a key forward.
“Last year post his return to play where he played predominantly ruck, in fact his form was so good at centre bounces in particular that Todd Goldstein would start forward and slip up to the centre bounce.
“That gives us a bit of flexibility if we need him. Our hope would be that (Tom McDonald and Luke Jackson) stay injury free, but if we do get injuries we think that he’s probably the person that would be most ready to be AFL fit at the start of the year.
“You mentioned someone like Paddy (McCartin), who would clearly be the most talented out of that group, but it’s very unlikely that Paddy is going to be ready to go in the timeframe that works for us.”
McCartin is currently training with Sydney’s VFL side ahead of the 2021 season.