West Coast Eagles star defender Jeremy McGovern has been medically retired after accepting a recommendation by the AFL’s concussion panel.
McGovern, 33, suffered a concussion earlier this year and faced the AFL’s concussion panel to determine if he could play on.
McGovern joins several other players who have been medically retired due to head knocks throughout their careers.
Since 2024, Melbourne’s Angus Brayshaw, Collingwood’s Nathan Murphy and Western Bulldogs’ Aiden O’Driscoll are among the players to retire due to concussion.
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McGovern was selected at pick 44 in the 2010 rookie draft and was recruited from Claremont, where his father, a former player for Sydney and Fremantle, had also played.
His journey at West Coast included an interesting start as he was banished from the club in 2013 after being told he needed to lose weight after gaining it in the offseason.
McGovern lost 10kg and was welcomed back by the club, and became a formidable player for the Eagles after debuting in his fourth season at the club
He was seen as one of the best intercept defenders in the AFL and was named as an All-Australian for four consecutive years from 2016-2019 before being named for a fifth time in 2024, a year in which he also won the Eagles' best and fairest.
He played a significant part in the Eagles' 2018 premiership win after taking a contested mark, which the team converted into a field goal to secure the victory.
McGovern explained that it wasn’t the way he wanted to end his career, but he is grateful for the Eagles’ support.
“As much as this isn't the way I would have liked to go out, I respect the decision,” McGovern said in a press release.
“I'm gutted I don't get to pull the jumper on and run out one more time, but sometimes this is the way the game goes, and I am forever grateful to the West Coast supporters who have also shown me love and respect.”