PRIZED St Kilda forward Paddy McCartin might not have been ready for his debut on Friday night and wouldn't have played in an ideal world, according to coach Alan Richardson. 

The No.1 pick from the 2014 NAB AFL Draft was told one hour before Friday night's match that he would be making his debut after captain Nick Riewoldt was withdrawn with a calf issue.

His late call-up resulted in a scrambled effort for his parents to get to the MCG, where he escaped both the green and red substitute's vests, and played a full game.

The young forward, who turns 19 on Sunday, had a quiet first half but worked into the match thereafter to finish with nine disposals and three marks. 

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"He got a little bit of it in the last quarter, but he struggled," Richardson said. 

"It's an awkward way to prepare for a game when you get told an hour before we play that you're going to play your first game of footy. 

"He dropped a couple of pretty easy marks, but it's good he was able to get split.

"In an ideal world he wouldn't have played and 'Rooey' would have played. He's probably not quite ready." 

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St Kilda's forwards were well held by their opponents and didn't have many opportunities, with the Magpies winning the inside 50s 77-42. 

It was the Saints' inability to win contested ball and their lack of defensive pressure that most frustrated Richardson.

"What do we do? We make sure we train it," the coach said.  

"We've had a couple of weeks where we haven't been able to do a lot of training because of the draw. 

"We'll make sure we get in amongst it from a training point of view and make sure we can trust each other." 

Richardson said the Saints had planned defensive roles to counter star Collingwood midfielders Dane Swan (39 possessions) and Scott Pendlebury (29) but the par was able to "just waltz around".

The Saints now travel to New Zealand to face Carlton in Wellington on Anzac Day.  

No.1 draft pick Paddy McCartin attempts a mark during his AFL debut. Picture: AFL Media