ST KILDA coach Alan Richardson says Sunday's debut pairing of Nick Riewoldt and Paddy McCartin won't be the only one for the season, with plans for the first-year forward to continue to learn from the club champion.
It was McCartin's third senior game for the Saints, after he ran out in rounds three and four when Riewoldt was sidelined with a calf injury.
While Sunday's 16-point loss to Richmond wasn't a great day for the Saints' trio of tall forwards, including Josh Bruce, Richardson forecast more chances for the No.1 draft pick to line up next to Riewoldt this season.
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"Absolutely," Richardson said.
"That's been our want all the way through; the last thing we wanted though was to play Paddy when he wasn't ready, he needed to be ready."
He also said defender Hugh Goddard would learn from his first exposure to AFL football, with Sunday's lessons to be solidified this week at training.
"I thought today was good, I think for both boys, they played their role, they weren't overly significant, but that's the life of the young player," he said.
"They just need to come in and play their role and learn and there'll be a lot of learning this week out of that performance and more on the training track, and they'll be better for the game."
WATCH: Alan Richardson's full post-match media conference
The Saints reaffirmed their reputation as the competition's comeback kings with a six-goal-to-none final term that cut a three-quarter time deficit of 52 points to 15.
They ended up going down by 16, but not before typifying what the game's theme of "Maddie's Match" emphasised.
Madeleine Riewoldt, Nick's younger sister, died in February from aplastic anemia, and the game was a fundraiser for Maddie Riewoldt's Vision; the organisation established in her name to raise awareness for Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes.
Played in front of Etihad Stadium's biggest AFL crowd this season – 45,772 – the organisation's catchcry of "Fight like Maddie" rang true for the Saints as they clawed their way back into the contest.
"It was fitting that the boys continued to fight," Richardson said.
"The message, particularly to the newer members of the team after the game was that last year we might have hung on and had a nil-all draw or a couple of goals apiece (in the last quarter) but consistently this year they really are fighting strong.
"We spoke about it at three-quarter time we could either just roll over or we could do something about it.
"It was a pretty important day for our club, it was an important day for our skipper and his family and we couldn't have been prouder, really, of the way they finished off."
It was an emotional day for Riewoldt, and one that left his teammates once again in awe of his courage and strength.
"I don't know how many people could have played, and how early he came back and did play when it was closer to that day [in February]," midfielder David Armitage told AFL.com.au.
"He's been tremendous with the way he's still led.
"He still gets around the boys and at the club his demeanor is really good.
"He couldn't train all week because of his calf but was never going to miss today. He's just so courageous and we all love him."
