Injury Paddy McCartin - Should the AFL step in?

[L_W_P]

MODS - Feel free to move/merge if there's another thread about this but I couldn't find one.

Swans rule McCartin out for the season despite making some progress

The Swans confirmed the news via a statement.

www.sen.com.au

The Swans have ruled McCartin out for the year as he is still showing concussion symptoms two months after his most recent incident.

I'm not a doctor but surely if Paddy is still having issues after what was a rather innocuous incident then the risk of injury on a bigger hit must be too high to allow him to come back. I'd hate to think what would happen if it was McCartin under Mitch Lewis in this marking contest -

Spoiler: Mitch Lewis mark

Given the AFL's mantra of 'protecting the head' and their hard stance on players having a 'duty of care' for each other on the field, is there now a duty of care aspect that the AFL itself must follow?

 

[MisterMarcus]

Pretty sure there is an existing thread on this - was created (or bumped at least) at the time.

 

[Power Raid]

Ruling him out for the year doesn’t mean he returns next year

I’d suspect a lot of counselling and medical import will be planning for life after footy and perhaps a job at the club

 

[The Cryptkeeper]

Poor bugger. I think we all hope his health is ok longer term. It's such a shame about his footy career but how much more can he take?

 

[marcus1232]

Ruling him out for the year doesn’t mean he returns next year

I’d suspect a lot of counselling and medical import will be planning for life after footy and perhaps a job at the club

So exactly what we tried to do.

I just hope for his sake he does the right thing this time

 

[demondavey]

Not sure how they aren’t wide open for a major lawsuit.

Knowing the AFL, they’d have covered all their legal bases and would have a watertight case with absolutely no concern whatsoever for McCartin other than peddling the feel good story of him moving to Sydney and starting over.

P McCartin need look no further than many ex players with serious concussive injuries, the guy is pretty much stuffed.

 

[Engimal v3]

Bloke's brain is going to resemble mashed potatoes by the time he's 40

 

[piesaregreat]

Clubs rely on medical advice and especially specialists
McCartin will have been given medical advice but its his decision to continue playimg

Does anyone really trust the AFL to make a decision based on integrity?
How confident of the AFL would you be two days before a GF and the AFL/media were talking about one of your players

 

[Jatz]

At the very least, surely there should be a waiver for the AFL. I don't think the AFL should ever ban a player in this instance but it should be made clear that it's absolutely his choice to continue.

 

[daird]

At the very least, surely there should be a waiver for the AFL. I don't think the AFL should ever ban a player in this instance but it should be made clear that it's absolutely his choice to continue.

I agree with this, he should need to sign some sort of waiver acknowledging the risks that rules out the possibility of future lawsuits.

 

[momentbymoment]

I would have thought the AFL have enough to worry about. Sydney and the McCartin family will focus on what’s right for Paddy.

 

[GWT6]

AFL have a duty of care for the players they have under contract. It can not always be left up to the player to make the right decision. The AFL needs to ban him from all levels of contact football for life.

Could you imagine if boxing took the "it's the fighter's choice, let them sign a waiver" excuse - bokes would be dying every week.

 

[Ceehook]

out of the eye of the media I would like to think the AFL had an informal chat with the Swans on this

the fact we have a thread shows its not a good look for the game (apart from the legal ramifications)
its good we want to protect our players

If the AFL come in asking , what are the doctors saying ? What is Paddy saying ?
Are there things we can be learning from this ?

If the Swans responses are below par then the AFL can get more heavy handed

I do think if its not played out in the media its better for the player

 

[TwiggleyFanClub]

I would have thought the AFL have enough to worry about. Sydney and the McCartin family will focus on what’s right for Paddy.

Given past issues he has publicly recounted, the fact he's still playing AFL suggests this may not be entirely true.

 

[LordLucifer]

There is no shame in walking away from the game, in fact many fans across the code would highly respect him for doing so.

It is in his longterm interests to retire from footy and go into coaching or development etc so he still stays conencted to the game.

 

[My Tilly]

When Sydney signed him up, I don't think there was a single person out there who thought he would never sustain another concussion in his career.

Was remarkable a team took a gamble considering the direction the game has headed in protecting the head at all costs.

 

[demondavey]

I would have thought the AFL have enough to worry about. Sydney and the McCartin family will focus on what’s right for Paddy.

What’s right for him is to retire.

 

[momentbymoment]

What’s right for him is to retire.

Im extremely happy you got your medical degree. Let the McCartins know and I’m sure they will do exactly what you tell them to do.

 

[bzparkes]

The bloke probably gets concussed putting his head on his pillow at night.

It's a shame but time to pull the pin. Having meaningful quality of life is far more important than playing footy.

Just ask Daniel Venables.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

I would have thought the AFL have enough to worry about. Sydney and the McCartin family will focus on what’s right for Paddy.

If so he’d never have played for the Swans.

Can’t believe he’s still want to play, if he does, you probably have to step in.

 

[Jatz]

If so he’d never have played for the Swans.

Can’t believe he’s still want to play, if he does, you probably have to step in.

Never understood this line of thinking. Although goes back to my waiver concern for the AFL.

If he agrees not to pursue legal action further down the line, the only one who should be ruling himself out is him. He's the only one that's going to have to live through the consequences. If he decides he's ok to do that, I don't see why he shouldn't be allowed to.

If they do stop him from playing, what's then stopping him playing at a lower level? Where the medical care is unlikely to be as good.

 

[momentbymoment]

If so he’d never have played for the Swans.

Can’t believe he’s still want to play, if he does, you probably have to step in.

One thing for sure, he is probably not that interested in the advice from a Bf message board.

 

[demondavey]

Im extremely happy you got your medical degree. Let the McCartins know and I’m sure they will do exactly what you tell them to do.

It’s gross how you’re defending it because you’re a swans fan. Have a look at Williams, Barnes, Smith etc. Tell me that McCartin is going to be any better given what we know re concussions and health etc.

 

[demondavey]

One thing for sure, he is probably not that interested in the advice from a Bf message board.

So you’d have different views if he was playing for St Kilda?

 

[momentbymoment]

So you’d have different views if he was playing for St Kilda?

Omg are you kidding?
My view would be exactly the same. The last thing Paddy needs is to listen to Bf posters with Dunning-Kruger.