AFL news 2024: Nathan Murphy concussion retirement, set to follow Paddy McCartin suit

Concussion has forced popular Collingwood defender Nathan Murphy out of the game he loves. Now, his next steps can be revealed.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 30: Nathan Murphy of the Magpies leaves the ground in the hands of a trainer during the 2023 AFL Grand Final match between the Collingwood Magpies and the Brisbane Lions at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on September 30, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Russell Freeman/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Collingwood’s Nathan Murphy will attempt to follow Paddy McCartin’s lead and secure a six-figure concussion payout under the league’s insurance cover.

This masthead can reveal McCartin, who was forced to medically retire last year due to repeated head knocks, recently secured a concussion payout worth hundreds of thousands of dollars after a long battle to recover some of his lost earnings due to concussion.

McCartin, 27, has joined the increasing number of players who have been paid out through the AFL’s insurance policy although there remain major concerns over its ability to adequately cover the stars of the game who are forced to bow out due to brain injuries.

Nathan Murphy celebrates the 2023 premiership with teammate Oleg Markov. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Concerns with the AFL’s current AMP insurance policy has seen multiple players including Geelong’s Jake Kolodjashnij and Sydney’s Tom McCartin take out additional cover.

Kolodjashnij said the league’s AMP policy was not satisfactory as more players consider taking out extra cover to protect them from potential brain injuries in footy.

The additional policy is considered better suited to the inherent risks of the game and offers bolstered coverage for players who have suffered head knocks.

“It was a no-brainer to sort my own insurance cover out as the one we are under isn’t quite adequate,” Kolodjashnij said.

Specialist insurance adviser Adriana Oreskov, from OSE Insurance, has also helped Brisbane’s Marcus Adams, Melbourne’s Guy Walker and ex-Demon and Sun Kade Kolodjashnij receive insurance payments in recent times due to their severe symptoms.

Oreskov has also been engaged to help Murphy after the popular Collingwood defender announced his medical retirement on Tuesday after 10 head knocks including a game-ending blow in last year’s Grand Final.

Nathan Murphy retired after an estimated 10 head knocks. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

He is known to have privately battled debilitating ongoing symptoms, although he was hopeful of playing on until as recently as last week.

Murphy said he wanted to continue to try to pull the boots on but some of the most concerning symptoms continued to affect him daily despite his positive outlook.

McCartin in 2019 said he suffered from sleeplessness, a loss of confidence and was “a shell of a man” after repeated head knocks, but returned to the game briefly in 2022-23 to play another 28 games for the Swans.

He retired after another head knock in an innocuous incident for the Swans early last year, raising serious fears about his long-term health.

Oreskov has been credited for providing expert guidance to Murphy and other AFL players including McCartin, Walker and Adams, who are among those who have suffered the most from concussion in recent years.

AFL. Collingwood pre-season training at AIA Vitality Centre. Nathan Murphy in the foreground. Picture: Ian Currie

Adams said: “I am so thankful for the support Adriana provided me throughout the process, at times when my morale would drop she was always there to listen and help keep me positive,” Adams said.

Oreskov has pressed ahead with the fight for better cover for the AFL’s players in talks with AFL chiefs.

Melbourne’s Angus Brayshaw also medically retired this year after a brutal concussion in last year’s finals series after colliding heavily with Collingwood’s Brayden Maynard.

Scans confirmed tiny changes in Brayshaw’s brain after scans.