Hack of the week
Last week my Hack of the Week was a new player. Seems only fair that this week's Hack should be a (dearly) departed player.
Jason Saddington come on down (or rather don't, because you are Carlton scum).
Saddo arrived at our club in courtesy of the 1997 National AFL Draft. He was a 1st round selection, No. 11 overall and justifiably the club and its supporters had great hopes. Immediate impressions were of a tall (194cm) key position player who hadn't had a decent feed for a while (technical term is ?rangy?). Indeed, when he arrived, some people likened him to a toothbrush or thermometer. Every year we watched and waited for Jason to put on some weight, but every pre season he shaped up looking pretty much the same skinny kid who had a lot in common with a lamp post.
Saddo played his first game in round 1, 1998 and picked up a useful 15 disposals. Our hopes were high, especially when he received a Rising Star nomination. As the season progressed, some were talking about him as future captaincy material and 250 game player for the club.
However, unusually, Saddo's career peaked within the first three years of his career starting. To be exact, he had a career high 27 possessions in April 2000. Since then it has been an inexorable decline culminating in Saddo doing his knee in 2004. However, don't make the mistake of thinking this screwed up his career because it was definitely going down hill before that as can be seen below
games disposals (ave)
1998 23 12.0
1999 22 16.0
2000 21 16.0
2001 23 12.5
2002 22 14.1
2003 14 11.6
2004 10 12.4
2005 7 9.1
For those who think that disposals are not an accurate reflection of a player?s worth, my memory is not exactly littered with wonderful memories of Saddo pulling down screamers, dashing down the wing, laying strong tackles or kicking swags of goals. He was only ever, even at his best, a good average player who could have been anything, but never was. He was not a goal kicker (41 in his career, ave 5 per year), not a greater stopper (they thankfully don?t keep stats on ?goals against?), never a great mark (career high 9 in a game, average 4.1 a game) and perhaps most shameful for a defender, averaged less than one tackle a game over his career. So a guy who looks a bit like a lamp-post, played a bit like one too.
Saddo ended up playing 142 games for the Swans over 8 years, and ultimately disappointed a lot of people. On the positive side, he provided RWO pundits plenty of entertainment as a favoured whipping boy. At the end of his time with Sydney, all we could get for him was a lousy pick 52. Maybe Carlton think he is a bit of a hack as well.
So congratulations to Saddo, Hack of the week.
P.S. - For those who wish to see this Hack in the Navy Blue, check this out...
Hack in Navy Blue
Carlton think they have drafted a "a tall, mobile defender." Sorry blue boys, what you have recruited is a skinny 194cm hasbeen hack masquarading 'utility' (read bench warmer).
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