- The five-time premiership was McCarthy’s former coach.
- He was left shocked by the tragic death of the 29-year-old.
- If you or someone you know needs help, you can contact Lifeline on 131 114 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.
Hawthorn great Dermott Brereton has questioned whether the AFL as a community did enough to help former Fremantle star Cam McCarthy, who was found dead in Perth on Friday.
Emergency services discovered the former Fremantle and GWS Giants AFL player near Lake Coogee in Perth after being called there about 6.15pm on Thursday.
Throughout his AFL career from 2014 to 2020, McCarthy struggled with mental health issues, which attracted public attention.
He left the Giants at the end of 2015, a year before his contract was up, and was then transferred to Fremantle after initially being denied a trade request during the 2015 trade period.
In 2016, the Giants granted him an indefinite leave of absence to address his mental health closer to his family.
McCarthy’s career faced further challenges when he collapsed during training in 2020 due to epilepsy and, despite being medically cleared to play, Fremantle did not renew his contract at the end of the season.
Five-time premiership winner Hawthorn star Dermott Brereton has questioned whether enough was done to help former Fremantle star Cam McCarthy.
The former Hawks star and AFL commentator was moved by the tears of Nat Fyfe and other former McCarthy teammates.
Brereton used to work with McCarthy at GWS and wondered if he could have done more to get closer to the troubled star.
The Dockers and Sydney Swans paid tribute to McCarthy ahead of their clash at Perth Stadium on Friday night with his former teammates.
Brereton was devastated by the death of his former protégé whom he mentored during his early years at GWS Giants.
The five-time premiership winner helped develop young forwards at the Giants, had a particular fondness for McCarthy and questioned whether he was given enough support.
“I was moved (on Friday night) to see Alex Pearce and Nat Fyfe breaking up,” Brereton said on SEN.
“It was tremendously sad.”
‘He was just a really beautiful young man who got lost… (he) had some internal problems. To the McCarthy family, please accept mine and our deepest and most heartfelt condolences.”
Brereton remained in contact with McCarthy after he left the Giants and returned to Western Australia to play for the Dockers.
“I haven’t spoken to him for probably two or three years and obviously a lot has happened in that time,” he said.
‘His (phone) number is still in (my) phone… I looked at him this morning (Saturday) and I looked at him and thought, knowing what had happened, ‘have we done enough… I’ve talked to him enough.’ enough?’
“It’s not that I was very involved in his life, but he would call me after leaving the Giants and ask me things, when I was in Fremantle.”
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