Paddy McCartin suspended for five matches after striking incident during Sydney VFL match

Kieran Francis

Paddy McCartin suspended for five matches after striking incident during Sydney VFL match image

Former No.1 draft pick Paddy McCartin has been suspended for five matches after being caught on vision punching Geelong captain Aaron Black during a Sydney VFL match on Saturday.

The VFL Tribunal delivered the verdict to McCartin on Tuesday evening, after the incident was graded as intentional conduct with severe impact and high contact.

A camera behind the goals captured McCartin's skirmish with Black, with the ex-St Kilda player swinging two punches as the second connected with Black's jaw and sent the Cats defender to the ground.

Sydney's legal team argued that the impact of the conduct should be downgraded from severe to low, and that diabetes sufferer McCartin was extra-agitated because of his low blood sugar.

A six-week suspension was proposed by the VFL, with Sydney arguing for a three-to-four week ban, before the five-week penalty was eventually decided.

Prior to the tribunal hearing, McCartin apologised to Black, Sydney and the wider football community for his actions in a video posted on the Swans official website.

"I'd just like to apologise to everyone really about what happened on the weekend," McCartin said.

"Obviously I'm really disappointed in what happened - I'm gutted, honestly.

"I just feel terrible about what happened and really want to apologise to everyone, firstly to Aaron. I'm just really glad that he's okay.

"I spoke to him yesterday and he let me know that he's alright which I'm really, really happy about and I just wanted to apologise to him and his family for what happened and as I said I'm really, really sorry and deeply regretful for what happened and hopefully next time I see him I can shake his hand and we can move past it."

McCartin was selected by St Kilda as the number one draft pick in 2014 but struggled to get his career going after suffering eight concussions during match action.

He was eventually delisted by the Saints at the end of the 2019 season but remained training with the club for periods of last season.

After being medically cleared to continue his career in 2021, McCartin is attempting to reignite his AFL dream by playing with Sydney's VFL team, alongside brother Tom, who is a senior-listed player at the Swans.

Kieran Francis

Kieran Francis Photo

Kieran Francis is a senior editor at The Sporting News based in Melbourne, Australia. He started at Sportal.com.au before being a part of the transition to Sporting News in 2015. Just prior to the 2018 World Cup, he was appointed chief editor of Goal.com in Australia. He has now returned to The Sporting News where his passions lay in football, AFL, poker and cricket - when he is not on holiday.