John Longmire hits out over 'unhealthy' speculation on Paddy McCartin

Sydney Swans coach John Longmire has called for calm amid widespread concern around the health of AFL star, Paddy McCartin. The Swans defender was forced from the field in 'distressing' scenes after suffering a concussion in the heartbreaking loss to Port Adelaide on Saturday night.

A groggy McCartin needed assistance to come from the field after brushing his head on the SCG turf in a fairly innocuous incident . He'd been chasing a loose ball alongside Port's Todd Marshall, crashing into the turf as the pair got tangled up.

'IDIOT': Brian Taylor commentary furore takes explosive twist

'REALLY PROFITABLE': Collingwood warned over unthinkable move

'CAN'T DO THAT': Chris Scott left fuming over 'dangerous' act

Worryingly, it was the tenth concussion of the former No.1 draft pick's career, sparking inevitable concerns around his future in the sport. Concussion and other injuries restricted McCartin to just 35 games in five years after he was taken by St Kilda with the top pick in 2014, before being de-listed in 2019.

After taking a break from the game, he joined the Swans' VFL outfit in 2021, before earning a berth in the senior side in 2022 and playing his first match in three years. McCartin played a key role in defence as Sydney surged into last year's grand final but once again finds his career at the crossroads after his latest head knock.

The innocuous nature of McCartin's latest contact, plus his extensive history of concussions and the ongoing lawsuits being levelled at the AFL have contributed to the speculation around the 26-year-old's future. McCartin is still experiencing concussion symptoms four days after the fact but joined the playing group on Wednesday and was "generally feeling okay", according to the Swans coach.

Longmire admitted that the latest concussion is a concern for McCartin and the club, but said the focus needed to be on the star's recovery and not if or when he is returning to the AFL. "Obviously people want answers of black and white, give us a timeframe, or give us this or give us that," Sydney's coach said.

"We haven't had those discussions and the advice that we've had is just to focus on his recovery. That's the most important thing for him to be putting his energy into right here and now. To go thinking any further than that is just a bit of a step too far. It will be what it will be."

Swans focused on Paddy McCartin's recovery

McCartin's former St Kilda teammate Leigh Montagna is among a raft of AFL supporters to suggest that the defender should step away from the sport to protect his long-term health. However, Longmire says the constant conjecture around his player's future is not helpful, and that the club would be driven by the advice from medical experts.

"Hopefully there's not too much speculation about the 'what-ifs' because that's not healthy for him," Longmire added. "There's an expert team involved that have been involved all the way along, the last three years, and will continue to be involved with Paddy.

"The most important thing and the best thing for Paddy is to focus on his recovery and not get too carried away about the 'what-ifs' or speculation without the experts' advice." McCartin's brother and Swans teammate Tom was also concussed last week but the Swans are still determining who will replace the pair in the backline for Friday night's Gather Round clash with Richmond at Adelaide Oval.

Already without the injured Buddy Franklin for Friday night's clash against Richmond, Aaron Francis and youngster Will Gould also suffered training injuries over the Easter weekend and are in a race against the clock to be fit to face the Tigers. "Aaron had a bit of a tight hamstring and Gould had a bit of a sore foot. Both of them weren't able to complete the session," Longmire said.

with AAP

Sign up to our newsletter and score the biggest sport stories of the week.