AFL 2023: The latest on Paddy McCartin as he battles another concussion

A footy great believes Paddy McCartin may have to sign a legal waiver to indemnify the league against legal action, as the Swan prepares for a decision on his playing future.

Paddy McCartin will be guided by the same AFL concussion experts who managed his methodical return to football as he prepares for a decision on his future that is weeks or even months away.

McCartin reported to Sydney headquarters on Monday with concussion symptoms, including headaches after a confronting incident that saw him unable to walk off the field, following the lightest of head knocks.

Sydney and former No. 1 pick McCartin will consult those experts as they review his case to assess whether it is safe for him to return to the game or retire at the age of 26.

Those experts include AFL medical officer, and world-renowned expert, Michael Makdissi and Victorian neurologist Owen White.

They told McCartin ahead of his return to AFL at the start of 2022 he was at no greater threat of suffering subsequent concussions in the future, despite eight concussions at St Kilda.

But many concussion experts, including former AFL concussion researcher and neurologist Alan Pearce, strongly disagree with that assessment.

A recent Oxford University Study citing 15,000 participants showed more than three concussions was definitively linked to worse brain function.

Under that study, the more concussions suffered, the more damage was caused.

Paddy McCartin in the hands of the Sydney training on Saturday night. Picture: Brendon Thorne/AFL Photos

Pearce told the Herald Sun on Monday his own research and multiple international concussion studies proved the cumulative effect of repeated concussions.

“We have good evidence the history of concussion gives you more susceptibility to sustaining concussions and those concussions don’t require much force,” Pearce said.

“We have known that for over ten years.”

The league will carefully monitor McCartin’s situation and is not ruling out at some stage putting together the same concussion panel that unanimously ruled West Coast player Daniel Venables could not play contact sport.

The league believed, given McCartin’s expert guidance, it would have been restraint of trade to prevent him from kickstarting his career at Sydney.

Sydney and McCartin are keen to avoid the continuing speculation about his retirement, but he is a former No. 1 overall pick suffering the kind of head knocks that could threaten the game, given concussion law suits.

AFL champion Jimmy Bartel said on Sunday, McCartin might have to sign a legal waiver indemnifying the league against any potential legal action.

It is understood he has not previously signed a waiver against future damage.

McCartin after suffering a head knock playing for the Saints in 2019. Picture: Scott Barbour/Getty Images

McCartin said last year the advice that he was not at further risk of damage was a key factor in him deciding to play again.

“That gave me a lot of comfort and was a real driving factor in me wanting to get back and give it another go,” McCartin said.

Sydney’s view is that it was highly encouraging he could play 24 games including the grand final last year, with his removal from a Tasmanian game after a head knock not categorised as concussion.

They have been guided by those AFL experts through his graduated return to AFL, which took over two years and saw him subjected to repeated testing.

Sydney is optimistic McCartin’s symptoms will resolve relatively quickly, with the key defender and brother Tom set to miss Friday’s clash against Sydney.

Under the AFL concussion protocol, he will miss a minimum of 11 days but his path through that process will likely be more gradual, giving him and the club plenty of time for an informed and mature decision.

McCartin is contracted with Sydney through to the end of 2024.

Originally published as AFL 2023: The latest on Paddy McCartin as he battles another concussion