| Cam McCarthy | |||
|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) McCarthy playing in 2015 | |||
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Cameron Alex McCarthy[1] | ||
| Nickname(s) | Dardy McCrafty[2] | ||
| Date of birth | (1995-04-01)1 April 1995 | ||
| Place of birth | Western Australia[3] | ||
| Date of death | 9 May 2024(2024-05-09) (aged 29) | ||
| Place of death | Lake Coogee, Western Australia | ||
| Original team(s) | South Fremantle (WAFL) | ||
| Draft | No. 14,2013 national draft | ||
| Height | 192 cm (6 ft 4 in) | ||
| Weight | 92 kg (203 lb) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 2014–2016 | Greater Western Sydney | 21 (36) | |
| 2017–2020 | Fremantle | 49 (63) | |
| Total | 70 (99) | ||
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2020. | |||
| Career highlights | |||
| |||
| Sources:AFL Tables,AustralianFootball.com | |||
Cameron Alex McCarthy (1 April 1995 − 9 May 2024) was anAustralian rules footballer who played for theGreater Western Sydney Giants andFremantle Football Club in theAustralian Football League (AFL).
McCarthy came from acricket background and focused on becoming a footballer after being the last player chosen in the Western Australia under-18 team in 2013; this was due to his talents in both cricket and football. He chose the AFL pathway after some inspiration from aSouth Fremantle colts coach. He had previously played junior football for South Coogee.[4] He came to prominence with an impressiveAFL Under-18 Championships, with the highlight being when he kicked the winning after-the-siren goal forWestern Australia againstVic Country in Round 4 of the Championships before suffering a broken leg in the final round againstSouth Australia.[5]
McCarthy was drafted by theGreater Western Sydney Giants with pick 14 in the2013 AFL draft. He made his debut in Round 23,2014, against theWestern Bulldogs atEtihad Stadium; McCarthy started the game as the substitute but kicked a long goal from the boundary line with hisfirst kick in AFL football.[6]
On 10 September 2015, news broke that McCarthy was requesting a trade to his home state ofWestern Australia;[7] the next day, Greater Western Sydney "categorically rejected" his trade request due to him being contracted until the end of the 2017 season.[8] Despite persistent efforts byFremantle during the trade period,[9] he remained at Greater Western Sydney.[10] After the failed bid to move to Fremantle during the home period, McCarthy decided to return to Western Australia due tohomesickness and did not play for the entirety of the2016 AFL season.[citation needed] He was officially traded to Fremantle during the2016 trade period.[citation needed]
In 2017, McCarthy kicked 25 goals from 19 games. He finished first inFremantle's leading goalkicking. He was suspended for two weeks in round 15 for careless contact with St Kilda's Sam Gilbert. He was also surprisingly omitted from the Round 23 team who took on Essendon. His most notable performance came in Round 4, where he kicked a late goal with atoe-poke deep in the goal square, with two minutes remaining, to lead Fremantle to a two-point victory over Melbourne, in Melbourne. Another impressive performance was a four-goal haul, with 18 disposals, against Gold Coast in Round 20 atDomain Stadium.[11]
In 2019, ahead of the Round 1 clash with North Melbourne, McCarthy was called up to the senior team, seemingly as a replacement for new recruitJesse Hogan, despite not playing in either pre-season match. He was arguably Fremantle's best player in the demolition of North Melbourne in a career-best performance, kicking five goals and collecting 20 disposals.[citation needed]
In August 2020, McCarthy was notified by the Fremantle Football Club that he would not be receiving a contract for the2021 AFL season; McCarthy and Fremantle mutually parted ways.[12]
McCarthy returned toSouth Fremantle Football Club in the WAFL for two seasons, but he walked away from the sport after managing just 10 games in that time.[13]
McCarthy was educated atEmmanuel Catholic College inSuccess.[14] He left school at 16 to take up a plumbing apprenticeship prior to being drafted.[15]
After collapsing during a training session in 2020, McCarthy was diagnosed withepilepsy.[16]
On 9 May 2024, McCarthy was found dead at a property inLake Coogee, a suburb ofPerth. He was 29.[3][17][18]
G | Goals | K | Kicks | D | Disposals | T | Tackles |
B | Behinds | H | Handballs | M | Marks |
| Season | Team | No. | Games | Totals | Averages (per game) | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | B | K | H | D | M | T | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | ||||
| 2014 | Greater Western Sydney | 25 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 5.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| 2015 | Greater Western Sydney | 25 | 20 | 35 | 14 | 132 | 48 | 180 | 73 | 24 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 6.6 | 2.4 | 9.0 | 3.6 | 1.2 |
| 2016 | Greater Western Sydney | 25 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2017 | Fremantle | 23 | 19 | 25 | 19 | 150 | 65 | 215 | 65 | 45 | 1.3 | 1 | 7.9 | 3.4 | 11.3 | 3.4 | 2.4 |
| 2018 | Fremantle | 23 | 17 | 19 | 17 | 107 | 62 | 169 | 65 | 30 | 1.1 | 1 | 6.3 | 3.6 | 9.9 | 3.8 | 1.8 |
| 2019 | Fremantle | 23 | 12 | 19 | 7 | 94 | 42 | 136 | 49 | 15 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 7.8 | 3.5 | 11.3 | 4.1 | 1.3 |
| 2020 | Fremantle | 23 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 3 | 1 |
| Career | 70 | 99 | 58 | 494 | 222 | 716 | 257 | 117 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 7.1 | 3.2 | 10.2 | 3.7 | 1.7 | ||
