Jeremy McGovern, a defender for the West Coast Eagles, has been compelled to retire from professional football after receiving a ruling from the AFL’s concussion panel, which he awaited for nearly two months. The 33-year-old has been sidelined since round eight and had his future determined by the league due to the substantial number of concussions he has sustained throughout his career.
Under contract with the Eagles until the conclusion of 2026, McGovern’s retirement aligns him with athletes like Angus Brayshaw of Melbourne and Nathan Murphy from Collingwood, who also stepped away from the game due to recurrent head injuries.
Having not played since May, McGovern concludes his career as a distinguished five-time All-Australian, including recognition in 2024 following a challenging period of injury recovery. He was part of the Eagles’ premiership triumph over Collingwood in 2018, notably initiating the decisive last play that led to the winning goal. McGovern’s tenure in the sport spanned 197 AFL games, beginning with his selection in the 2010 rookie draft, and he earned a place in the AFL Record’s team of the 21st century just last year.
Reflecting on his career, McGovern expressed gratitude in a statement on the club’s website: “It’s been an absolute honour to pull on the West Coast jumper for the past 15 years and it’s something that I will forever be grateful for. As much as this isn’t the way I would have liked to go out, I respect the decision.” He added, “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. I will forever be indebted to West Coast and I will always bleed blue and gold.”