The Fremantle Dockers and Sydney Swans have paid tribute to former AFL footballer Cameron McCarthy who died on Thursday at the age of 29.
McCarthy was found unresponsive at a home in Perth’s south. His death is being treated as non-suspicious by police.
Both sides donned black armbands for their round nine clash at Optus Stadium on Friday night before coming together to honour McCarthy ahead of the first bounce.
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McCarthy was particularly close with several senior members of the Dockers’ squad having played 49 games for the club between 2017 and 2020.
In emotional scenes, Fremantle players Nat Fyfe and Alex Pearce held back tears before embracing their teammates and preparing to play.
Following a moment’s silence, the Perth crowd got to their feet and gave a round of applause.
“It’s probably been on their minds all day how they actually deal with this situation emotionally — how they get around one another and the family and friends of Cam,” Matthew Pavlich said in commentary for Fox Footy.
“And now having to compartmentalise and focus on playing two hours of tough footy against the best team in the competition.
“A challenging day for Nat Fyfe, Alex Pearce and a lot of the senior players that spent time with [Cam] but a job now to do.”
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Fyfe shared his own tribute to his mate on his Instagram story earlier on Friday.
The dual Brownlow Medallist re-shared the Fremantle Dockers’ death announcement, adding the words: “Hope you’re free”.
Speaking pre-game Fremantle CEO Simon Garlick announced that both sides wanted to recognise McCarthy.
”He was fun-loving, he was notably kind. He had an infectious personality and he left a trail of smiles and laughter wherever he went and with whom he interacted with,” he said.
“Cam was incredibly popular with his teammates, his coaches, football club staff and our fans loved him.
“There’s going to be plenty of people within the Fremantle family and the broader football community that will be mourning today.”
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