There were distressing scenes in Tasmania on Anzac Day as concussion-plagued star Paddy McCartin was forced from the field following a head knock.
McCartin was a superstar at St Kilda early in his career, but ongoing battles with concussion cruelled him and he essentially had to retire from the game.
The 26-year-old announced a splendid return to the AFL this year with the Swans, where he has been playing in their backline.
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But on Monday against Hawthorn, McCartin was subbed out of the game after failing a concussion test.
He had been involved in a heavy collision earlier when backing into a marking contest, but it’s believed the more serious knock was an accidental knee in the back of the head from an opponent.
The Fox Footy broadcast showed a distraught McCartin in the dressing sheds being told he was not allowed to go back onto the field.
He was then seen slumping over the lockers, then sitting with his head in his hands.
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“You just don’t know what that means long-term for Paddy,” David King said on Fox Footy.
“He’s found a home at centre-halfback for the Swans, playing some great football. But it has a way of ripping your heart out, this game.”
The Swans won the game 16.13 (109) to 10.8 (68)
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