Collingwood and Dayne Beams’ management to work out settlement for midfielder’s exit
Despite having three years to run on a four-year deal, Collingwood and Dayne Beams’ management will now work towards reaching a settlement in relation to the estimated $1.5 million remaining on his contract.
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Dayne Beams has played his last game for Collingwood.
Despite having three years to run on a four-year deal worth about $2 million, all parties are resigned to the fact Beams’ 177-game career is over.
Beams, who turned 30 on Wednesday, has barely stepped foot inside the club for months as he deals with mental health issues.
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The 2010 premiership player, All-Australian and two-time best and fairest winner was involved in a car accident in the Melbourne suburb of Donvale on Thursday afternoon and stayed in hospital overnight with minor injuries.
Collingwood and Beams’ management will now work towards reaching a settlement in relation to the estimated $1.5 million remaining on his contract.
The Pies gave up two first round picks during the 2018 trade period as part of the deal to bring the midfielder back to the club, but Beams managed only nine games last season and none after Round 11.
He had hip and shoulder surgery and was admitted to hospital in September after an adverse reaction to pain medication.
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Beams twice took a leave of absence from the club last year to deal with mental health issues.
His recruitment was the subject of strong internal debate at Collingwood, with club chiefs split on whether it was the right call to bring him back.
The Beams exit will be a test case for the AFL as an increasing number of players step away from the game to deal with mental health issues.
Tom Boyd retired last year because of a back injury and a mental health condition, but walked away from the $1.5 million owed to him by the Bulldogs in the last two years of his deal.
In one scenario, Beams could argue he is entitled to the entirety of the $1.5 million left on his contract, likening his mental health problems to a physical injury such as a career-ending knee problem.
The Magpies, who have star trio Jordan De Goey, Darcy Moore and Scott Pendlebury out of contract at seasons end, face a delicate negotiation.
Beams in December put his AFL career on hold for the second time in six months, saying he was seeking “a brighter future”.
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“Trying to improve my quality of life and meet the demands of playing and training for football at the elite level continues to be a struggle,” Beams said two months ago.
“My health and football have come to feel like competing priorities, which is not a position that is helping or enabling me to meet my responsibilities.
“I have been trying to meet this challenge for a number of years but, with a series of debilitating recent injuries and my mental health a work in progress, I have reached a point where I know that stepping away from football is necessary.
“I want to thank all who have supported me and my family. I look forward to a brighter future.”
Beams surprised many by organising a trip to the Kokoda Track in October and has started painting as a form of therapy.
He last month put his 2010 premiership medal up for auction to raise money for bushfire victims, with Collingwood president Eddie McGuire registering the highest bid and purchasing it for $27,500.