Fremantle skipper Alex Pearce and his predecessor Nat Fyfe have left one final tribute for their former AFL teammate Cam McCarthy, who sadly died on Thursday at the age of just 29.
Paramedics found the former Fremantle and GWS forward unresponsive at a house, believed to belong to his parents, at Lake Coogee in Perth’s south on Thursday night. His death is not being treated as suspicious by police.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Nat Fyfe and Alex Pearce lay flowers for Cam McCarthy.
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Before Fremantle’s game with Sydney on Friday night, players from each team linked arms while the crowd stood in unison to observe a moment’s silence in remembrance of McCarthy, who played 49 games for the Dockers and 21 for the Giants.
Almost certainly affected by the emotion of the tragedy, the Dockers weren’t able to continue their early season form, going down to the ladder-leading Swans by 48 points at Perth Stadium.
Fyfe and Pearce were both in tears during the pre-game tribute and, while they couldn’t get the win for their mate, they still took a moment after the game to leave a memento for McCarthy.
Flowers were supposed to be handed out by Fremantle players to mothers around the ground, given Mother’s Day is on Sunday if the Dockers had won.
It didn’t happen after the loss, but the two Dockers veterans found another use for them.
The pair walked down together to the goal square, out of which McCarthy led so many times, to lay some flowers in his honour.
“Touching tribute from the former skipper and the current skipper, Nat Fyfe and Alex Pearce,” former Fremantle captain Matthew Pavlich said.
“(They) played a lot of footy and had lots of time with Cam McCarthy, both during his playing career and post.
“You can see what an emotional night it was for the players who played, but everyone in the stadium, and everyone a part of both the GWS Giants and Fremantle football clubs.”
Adam Papalia said the awful news would have been heavy baggage for the Dockers players to take into the game.
“Tough night for the Fremantle Football Club, to have to go to work after something like that,” he said.
“It would have been really shocking news for all the players this morning.”
Pavlich said there was a core group of senior Fremantle players who were still quite close with McCarthy, despite his departure from the club in 2020.
“I think it would have been incredibly challenging, particularly for those who were close with Cam. I know Alex in particular stayed in touch and only recently was with him.,” Pavlich said.
“For those players, it would have been very hard. For some others, it would have been quite simple, just because they don’t know him.
“But when your leaders of the club are emotional or have that toll on them, that can permeate through the group.
“In terms of effort, their effort was pretty strong all night, the Dockers. It may have dropped away in the last quarter when the game was certainly done.
“But it comes down to being able to handle that emotion and execute their skills, and they weren’t able to do that tonight; Sydney showed them a clean pair of heels in terms of ball use, in terms of spread from stoppage, and that’s why they’re a happy team tonight.”
Swans midfielder Chad Warner said after the game that the pre-game observance was “very special”.
“Obviously such a tragedy, and all (our) thoughts and prayers (are) with their family,” he said.
“I think to have that stadium fully pitch-black and everyone clapping for him was just such a special moment.”
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