Eagles defender Jeremy McGovern’s meeting with AFL Concussion Panel is more important for his life than career

Meeting with the AFL Concussion Panel rarely leads to a return to playing. By the time a player has experienced enough concussions to warrant concerns, or his recovery from a specific blow to the head hasn’t progressed well, meeting with the Concussion Panel usually tells a player what he already fears - that it is too risky to continue playing. McGovern has watched teammates Daniel Venables and Brad Sheppard retire after meeting the Concussion Panel. Venables spent more than two years working trying to both get his off-field life on track while hoping he could play again. But the Panel knew playing was way too risky. Sheppard didn’t need that long. His retirement came four months after a set of concussions and a meeting with the Concussion Panel. Another Eagle, Luke Edwards knew he needed to quit footy just three months after he added another concussion to his short career. The reality for all athletes is that footy is only a short part of their lives. McGovern has been a star. He’s been a leader. He’s an All-Australian, a best and fairest and a premiership player. But he’s also a father, a husband, a son and a brother who is 33-years-old. The concussion panel has multiple options. They can recommend a specific rehab program, more tests, delaying any return to action or to not play footy again. Melbourne’s Angus Brayshaw, Sydney’s Paddy McCartin, Collingwood’s Nathan Murphy and young Western Bulldog Aiden O’Driscoll are recent examples of players who have retired on medical grounds. Will Pucovski walked away from cricket too. McGovern was concussed on May 3 and hasn’t advanced through the league protocols. He’s had multiple concussions throughout his career. Eagles fans will fear for his footy career but once a player starts consulting the AFL Concussion Panel, the decision is about way more than footy - and that’s the way it should be.