24-year-old Collingwood Football Club player Nathan Murphy has announced his retirement, citing concussion issues as the reason behind his exit from the game.
After being absent from the field since he was subbed out of the 2023 Grand Final due to a concussion, Murphy has medically retired from the AFL.
Following the announcement of his retirement, the premiership player shared a statement to the media mentioning that this “is the right decision for my future”.
NM: While it’s the end of this career, it’s the opening of something else.
— Collingwood FC (@CollingwoodFC) April 15, 2024
“I love my football, but my priority is on my future and ensuring I live a full and healthy life,” Murphy a statement, shared by the AFL.
“I’d like to thank the club, coaches, teammates, staff and the Magpie Army for all their support throughout my playing career and for allowing me the opportunity to live out my childhood dream of playing AFL.
“To my family and friends, I couldn’t have gone through this journey without your continued love and support which I am so grateful for.
“It is not lost on me how fortunate I am to have been able to experience premiership success with this group and club. I hope I did the jumper proud and thank the many people and supporters who helped me along the way.”
In a video shared by Collingwood FC, Murphy talked about how he “lived out [his] childhood dream” playing in the AFL.
“Whilst it’s unfortunate that it’s come to this, this has been so amazing,” Murphy said.
“Not many people get to say they lived their childhood dream and that’s why I’m so fortunate and grateful for this club.”
In a news article shared by the AFL, after Murphy was cleared by the concussion panel, the footy player was absent from training in recent months.
It is also reported that after “further consultation with the club and the AFL”, it was then decided that Murphy would “medically retire” after he had suffered his “10th concussion”.
Murphy is the second AFL player to medically retire this year, with Angus Brayshaw hanging up his boots in March due to his concussion history.
After medical consultations, neurological testing and a recent scan that presented “microscopic changes” in Brayshaw’s brain, Brayshaw retired from the AFL.
Per ABC News, the AFL is facing multiple lawsuits from former players — including Liam Picken, Cat Max Rooke and Gary Ablett — due to how concussions were managed in the past.
Image source: Getty Images / Michael Willson/AFL Photos
