Sheedy wanted to rest Patton for Demons

In a sign of just how much Kevin Sheedy is targeting a win against Melbourne, the Greater Western Sydney coach was poised to end No.1 draft pick Jonathon Patton’s AFL debut at three-quarter time.

With Saturday’s match against Richmond still in the balance at the final break, Sheedy planned to substitute Patton out of the Showground Stadium contest – which the Giants eventually lost by 12 points.

“I was going to take him off at three-quarter time … we’ve got a big game coming up the following week,” Sheedy said.

“But everybody said ‘No, leave him on’.

“Every now and then, you like to get out-voted and this is one of them.”

Sheedy admitted the fact his charges next face the Demons – a side that’s also posted one victory for the season – had a bearing on his Patton ploy.

“That’s one of the reasons – I wanted to keep him for next week,” he said.

The four-time premiership coach watched Melbourne recently upset his old side Essendon and suggested they were in “pretty good form”.

But he couldn’t resist a quip ahead of next Sunday’s MCG encounter – which pits Tom Scully against his old team for the first time.

“Just don’t go to the snow this week,” Sheedy wisecracked, referring to Melbourne fans’ fair-weather reputation.

“Come and watch the Giants – and come and watch Tom Scully play. He’s been a very good player for us.

“I don’t think Melbourne will like to be dancing with us.

“We’ve already taken Scully off them – so it’s not going to be the loveliest day down at the MCG.

“It will be a pretty good game – two pretty evenly-matched sides.”

Patton, who Sheedy tipped would play every remaining game this year after his delayed start due to knee surgery, had a solid debut against the Tigers – clutching three contested marks.

The 19-year-old outmarked Tiger Matt Dea on the wing with great poise in the first term then, a minute later, had his first goal when he snaffled another contested mark – judging the fall of a slippery ball better than a handful of others.

Patton lavished forward partner and fellow teenager Jeremy Cameron with praise.

“Jeremy’s a great forward and he’s done things that I’ve never seen a kid his age do,” Patton said.

“In the future hopefully, me and him can be a pretty good attack.”

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