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In the second of three pieces on St Kilda heading into Thursday's NAB AFL Draft, Ashley Browne examines the path and the process undertaken by the Saints to get down to their choice of two for pick No.1 – Christian Petracca and Paddy McCartin.
THE ACT of calling out the ID number, name and original clubs of the No.1 selection at Thursday's national draft will take St Kilda recruiting manager Tony Elshaug barely a few seconds.
The journey to get there? Three years and tens of thousands of kilometres travelled.
Either Christian Petracca or Paddy McCartin will become a Saint, bringing to an end an exhaustive process in which the football club has come to know its new draftee in the most intricate detail.
Save perhaps for the player's parents, nobody will have a better understanding of this newly-minted Saint than Elshaug and St Kilda list manager Ameet Bains.
What makes him tick? How does he handle success or failure? What are his quirks and foibles? Can he lead? What character traits come to the fore during times of triumph and stress? Can he play through pain? Will he listen? Can he be taught?
These are the sorts of questions Elshaug, Bains and the St Kilda recruiting team have used the past three years to answer.
Pretty much every game of consequence played by both draftees in 2013 and 2014 has been watched by someone on the St Kilda payroll, not just within Australia but also on the AIS trip to Europe earlier this season.
The scouting went far beyond their ability to play the game. That much was a given long ago. In addition to all that, their bodies have been poked and prodded, their minds probed and their reflexes tested.
Is there such a thing as too much information? The Saints don't think so.
"It is very, very complex," Elshaug told AFL.com.au. "That's why you need a whole team of people to do this."
The Saints would have had about half-a-dozen decent chats with Petracca and McCartin in the past 12 months. Key discussions would have taken place on the AIS trip to Europe earlier this year and in the respective lounge rooms of the pair in early October.
Bains was the senior St Kilda representative on the AIS trip but the interview sessions last month were crucial because it gave St Kilda coach Alan Richardson the first chance to meet the players properly.
Whereas the St Kilda recruiters have watched the pair constantly, Richardson twice snuck away from his coaching duties this year to watch them during the national under-18 championships.
Click here to check out Christian Petracca's draft profile and watch his 2014 highlights
Richardson and Petracca share some history. Petracca attended Whitefriars College and played his junior footy at the Park Orchards and Warrandyte clubs, as did Richardson's two sons. Petracca's mother Elvira and Richardson’s wife Jo are reasonably friendly.
The visit to the Petracca family included some shared stories and a few good laughs.
"They're a fantastic family and impressive sports people," Richardson noted. "They're a typically passionate and loving Italian family and he’s a good kid."
Will Christian Petracca end up a Saint or Demon after Thursday's draft? Picture: AFL Media
Compared to the evening with the Petraccas, the McCartin home visit was more of a get-to-know-you session.
“(They are) just terrific people and they are obviously very close knit," Richardson observed.
"Paddy's a mature young fellow and because (of his diabetic condition) he needs to be organised, so he’s more mature in some ways.
"He needs some real structure into his preparation to play elite sport, which he has done."
The scouting of McCartin has proved to be more of a challenge for the Saints. Because he was in his final year of school this year (Petracca completed his VCE in 2013) he played for four different teams – Geelong Grammar, Geelong Falcons, Vic Country and the AIS – and the necessary due diligence by the Saints included watching him play for all four teams, as well as in depth discussions with coaches and officials from all teams, as well as teachers from school.
Once the games are over, that's what the grunt work of recruiting becomes. Bains, Elshaug and their team check, cross-check and re-check as required.
"We take the view that the character assessment is critical," Bains explained. "They have to be able to play but once you cross that, the character part of it is critical.
"And with pick one you go to deeper lengths in terms of the people you speak to, in terms of ensuring cross references as you see it, psychologist's reports, personality reports, interviews, speaking to whoever you think might be relevant."
A few days out from the draft, the Saints are pretty much all interviewed out after all the dialogue.
"With every conversation you get to know them a bit better and feel more and more comfortable with the character side of things. You then tie that up with the playing side," Elshaug explained.
"Talking counts for a lot. You can come away with good feelings based on interviews and moments where you think to yourself 'OK, I need to follow up on this and that.'
"It's good to talk to them and that's the Denis Pagan influence (Elshaug spent 13 years as an understudy to the former North Melbourne and Carlton coach). You make sure you get into their home and understand their upbringing. You learn what they stand for and what's important to them by speaking to the people in their circle."
People involved in the talent pathway know their phones will be buzzing from September through to November. Well-intentioned family members and friends will try to lobby clubs on behalf of players while player-managers, of course, are forever hawking their clients' wares.
But it also goes the other way. Once players commit to the draft they also sign away their right to play for the club of their choice. But the clubs are also keen to make the right impression from the get go.
"You want them to ask questions and they do, but it's also an opportunity to talk about the club and when 'Richo' is there they take that opportunity," Bains said.
"Ultimately, they have no choice initially, but as we saw during the trade period, you want them to buy into the club for their entire career, not just the initial contract."
The choice faced by the Saints on Thursday is quite simple - Petracca, the midfielder/forward with the X-factor, or McCartin who could become St Kilda's key forward anchor for the next decade.
Petracca is the consensus best player in the draft, but the argument to take McCartin remains compelling for the Saints. The Lance Franklin and Tom Boyd deals in the past 12 months demonstrate how inflationary the market for key forwards has become.
And while the recently re-signed Nick Riewoldt has indicated he would like to play for the next two seasons, what happens after that? Can Tom Lee, Spencer White and Tim Membrey become St Kilda's forward line of the future?
"We have that conversation all the time. What are the plans?" Richardson said.
"While ‘Rooey’ is still playing outstanding footy, he needs support and whether it happens this draft, the next draft, or through a trade, it is going to happen."
Richardson said a club in St Kilda's position could not ignore the magnitude of the Franklin and Boyd deals.
"If we go for the best player and we think Petracca is in front, we’re going to have to pay a million plus to get the forward we need. The market is saying that now. So let's get one in now and get him to fall in love with our footy club.
"We’re going to get a fantastic footballer into our organisation either way. It is a tough one.”
Compared to the evening with the Petraccas, the McCartin home visit was more of a get-to-know-you session.
“(They are) just terrific people and they are obviously very close knit," Richardson observed.
"Paddy's a mature young fellow and because (of his diabetic condition) he needs to be organised, so he’s more mature in some ways.
"He needs some real structure into his preparation to play elite sport, which he has done."
The scouting of McCartin has proved to be more of a challenge for the Saints. Because he was in his final year of school this year (Petracca completed his VCE in 2013) he played for four different teams – Geelong Grammar, Geelong Falcons, Vic Country and the AIS – and the necessary due diligence by the Saints included watching him play for all four teams, as well as in depth discussions with coaches and officials from all teams, as well as teachers from school.
Once the games are over, that's what the grunt work of recruiting becomes. Bains, Elshaug and their team check, cross-check and re-check as required.
"We take the view that the character assessment is critical," Bains explained. "They have to be able to play but once you cross that, the character part of it is critical.
"And with pick one you go to deeper lengths in terms of the people you speak to, in terms of ensuring cross references as you see it, psychologist's reports, personality reports, interviews, speaking to whoever you think might be relevant."
A few days out from the draft, the Saints are pretty much all interviewed out after all the dialogue.
"With every conversation you get to know them a bit better and feel more and more comfortable with the character side of things. You then tie that up with the playing side," Elshaug explained.
"Talking counts for a lot. You can come away with good feelings based on interviews and moments where you think to yourself 'OK, I need to follow up on this and that.'
"It's good to talk to them and that's the Denis Pagan influence (Elshaug spent 13 years as an understudy to the former North Melbourne and Carlton coach). You make sure you get into their home and understand their upbringing. You learn what they stand for and what's important to them by speaking to the people in their circle."
People involved in the talent pathway know their phones will be buzzing from September through to November. Well-intentioned family members and friends will try to lobby clubs on behalf of players while player-managers, of course, are forever hawking their clients' wares.
But it also goes the other way. Once players commit to the draft they also sign away their right to play for the club of their choice. But the clubs are also keen to make the right impression from the get go.
"You want them to ask questions and they do, but it's also an opportunity to talk about the club and when 'Richo' is there they take that opportunity," Bains said.
"Ultimately, they have no choice initially, but as we saw during the trade period, you want them to buy into the club for their entire career, not just the initial contract."
The choice faced by the Saints on Thursday is quite simple - Petracca, the midfielder/forward with the X-factor, or McCartin who could become St Kilda's key forward anchor for the next decade.
Petracca is the consensus best player in the draft, but the argument to take McCartin remains compelling for the Saints. The Lance Franklin and Tom Boyd deals in the past 12 months demonstrate how inflationary the market for key forwards has become.
And while the recently re-signed Nick Riewoldt has indicated he would like to play for the next two seasons, what happens after that? Can Tom Lee, Spencer White and Tim Membrey become St Kilda's forward line of the future?
"We have that conversation all the time. What are the plans?" Richardson said.
"While ‘Rooey’ is still playing outstanding footy, he needs support and whether it happens this draft, the next draft, or through a trade, it is going to happen."
Richardson said a club in St Kilda's position could not ignore the magnitude of the Franklin and Boyd deals.
"If we go for the best player and we think Petracca is in front, we’re going to have to pay a million plus to get the forward we need. The market is saying that now. So let's get one in now and get him to fall in love with our footy club.
"We’re going to get a fantastic footballer into our organisation either way. It is a tough one.”
Paddy McCartin talks to the media during this year's draft combine. Picture: AFL Media
Richardson's voice will be one of a few that will be heard on Thursday. Bains and Elshaug head the list management committee, but what the coach is not after is a quick fix.
First-round picks Jack Billings and Luke Dunstan both played in round one this year, but by default than design. Billings, according to the coach was "not really ready".
But the hope is that Petracca or McCartin won't need to play in the 2015 season-opener against Greater Western Sydney at Etihad Stadium.
"As a group, we should be more advanced and if we're heading in the direction I hope we are, then it should be harder to come in and play from the start," Richardson said.
"It is totally unrealistic for people to come and expect these blokes to have a major impact on a game of footy. They won’t be our best players or our saviours."
So there will be no messiah complex around either Petracca or McCartin. The Saints won't fall into the same trap, as did Melbourne in the days of Tom Scully, Jack Trengove and Jack Watts. But there will be cause for excitement all the same.
As Finnis, whose only instruction to the list management committee is to pick players with the next 10 years in mind, says, having the No.1 pick can be a spark for the entire organisation.
"When you have conversations with people in the industry you understand what it means to have the no.1 pick, so coming out of the trade period and keeping the first pick, what is not lost on us is the impact it will have and the fillip it will be for what we are trying to create here,” he said.
Richardson's voice will be one of a few that will be heard on Thursday. Bains and Elshaug head the list management committee, but what the coach is not after is a quick fix.
First-round picks Jack Billings and Luke Dunstan both played in round one this year, but by default than design. Billings, according to the coach was "not really ready".
But the hope is that Petracca or McCartin won't need to play in the 2015 season-opener against Greater Western Sydney at Etihad Stadium.
"As a group, we should be more advanced and if we're heading in the direction I hope we are, then it should be harder to come in and play from the start," Richardson said.
"It is totally unrealistic for people to come and expect these blokes to have a major impact on a game of footy. They won’t be our best players or our saviours."
So there will be no messiah complex around either Petracca or McCartin. The Saints won't fall into the same trap, as did Melbourne in the days of Tom Scully, Jack Trengove and Jack Watts. But there will be cause for excitement all the same.
As Finnis, whose only instruction to the list management committee is to pick players with the next 10 years in mind, says, having the No.1 pick can be a spark for the entire organisation.
"When you have conversations with people in the industry you understand what it means to have the no.1 pick, so coming out of the trade period and keeping the first pick, what is not lost on us is the impact it will have and the fillip it will be for what we are trying to create here,” he said.
