Paddy McCartin’s impressive movement on the training track this week forced St Kilda’s match committee to seriously contemplate bringing him straight back into the senior side, rather than via the VFL this weekend.

But after missing the last three games due to concussion – his third in eight games – the Saints resisted the urge, electing to play the 20-year-old in Sandringham’s clash against Williamstown at Trevor Barker Beach Oval on Sunday.

With St Kilda’s forward line functionally productively across the last fortnight, Richardson said the Saints weren’t forced to usher McCartin back in at this stage. Although he expects to see the 2014 No. 1 pick in the not too distant future.

“We’d expect Paddy to be back in the seniors reasonably soon,” Richardson told reporters at a press conference at Moorabbin on Friday.

“He’s physically in really good nick. He trained really positively on Thursday, so much so that it had us really questioning whether he could come (straight) back in.

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“It depends how Paddy goes on his form and how we go as a team. I’m not big on change; I like to reward the performance of the team and the individuals that play in positive results.

“But on the back of the way the forward line functioned last week and the last two weeks really, we’ve decided not to make a change. We’d expect him to go back and not make a positive impact.”

With Nick Riewoldt booting four goals against the Western Bulldogs last week, Tim Membrey amid a breakout season and Josh Bruce a critical component inside 50, there is still room for McCartin according to Richardson.

In fact, the third-year coach believes the presence of McCartin will undoubtedly improve the Saints at the business end of the season.

“Paddy makes us a better footy team, there’s no doubt about that. So when he’s right he’ll come back in,” Richardson said.

“He’s not unlike Membrey, they’re just natural footballers that happen to be forwards, that happen to be big blokes.

“It probably wouldn’t matter what position they play they just get the game, they make really good decisions without the ball, with the ball.”