Cam McCarthy’s family have paid heartbreaking tribute to the Fremantle and GWS football star following his death last week aged just 29.
McCarthy, who began his AFL career with the Giants before switching to his hometown team the Dockers from 2017 to 2020, was found by police and paramedics when they were called to a property in South Perth on the 9th. of May.
His loved ones posted the tribute on Thursday, writing: ‘Our beautiful son and brother, Cameron. It is with great regret that we have had to say goodbye for now.
‘There is now a huge void in our lives. It will never be the same without you.
‘Through the ups and downs, we all traveled with you and you knew we loved you very much.
The family of Cam McCarthy (pictured playing for Fremantle) have written an emotional tribute to him following his tragic death last Thursday.
The 29-year-old (pictured with then-girlfriend Grace Collopy) played a total of 70 AFL games in a six-year career that also saw him run for the GWS Giants.
‘You lit up every room with that beautiful smile and we will cherish our memories with you forever.
‘Until we meet again. Rest in peace. I will always love you, dad, mom, Jessica, Hannah, Drew, Ryan, Poppy.’
The gesture comes after McCarthy’s childhood friend and fellow football star Tom Barrass paid an emotional tribute to him on Wednesday.
‘Last week, this land lost a beautiful man named Cameron McCarthy. A man who didn’t care about money or power, but rather creativity and experience,” wrote West Coast Eagles star Barrass.
“A man who approached everything with energy and enthusiasm, as if he were seeing them for the first time,” he posted.
‘A man whose presence we will miss deeply, but whose perspective and opinion can be heard any time we want to listen.
Fremantle players including Nat Fyfe (left) and Alex Pearce (right) fought back tears as they paid tribute to their teammate the day after his death.
“Enjoy the journey and lean into it. Trust your intuition and have conviction, as that’s all you really have in the end.”
McCarthy’s death left his Dockers teammates fighting back tears as they remembered his passing in emotional scenes just before their game against the Swans last Friday night.
The Fremantle-born star’s battle with mental health issues was well documented throughout his AFL career, which spanned from 2014 to 2020.
McCarthy was selected by the Giants with the 14th pick in 2013 and coached one game in his debut season.
He played a total of 49 games for the Fremantle Dockers and 21 games for GWS, having been selected from South Fremantle.
McCarthy (right) is pictured with his childhood friend and fellow AFL star Tom Barrass, who remembered him in an emotional Instagram post.
The talented forward endured mental health issues throughout his career.
The headlines followed when he left the Giants at the end of the 2015 season, choosing not to play the final year of his contract before being transferred to Fremantle.
The Giants granted McCarthy an indefinite leave of absence in January 2016 so he could be closer to his family while battling a mental health condition.
That came after he requested a trade to Fremantle during the 2015 trade period, which was denied by the Giants.
He had a great season that year, scoring 35 goals, but he didn’t play a single game in 2016.
In 2020, he gave the Dockers team a scare when he collapsed in training and was taken to hospital.
The Fremantle-born star was later diagnosed with epilepsy and, although he was medically cleared to play, the club did not renew his contract at the end of the 2020 season.
He returned to South Fremantle in the WAFL for two seasons, but only played 10 more games in that time and was unable to continue when he attempted to restart his stalled WAFL career in the South Fremantle reserves in 2021.
