Ryan Daniels: I hope this isn't the end for Jeremy McGovern but he has nothing left to prove

West Australian

23-05-2025

Jeremy McGovern, if you're reading this, you don't owe us anything.
For the past 12 seasons, you've redefined the centre-half-back position – reading the play like you're Matilda Wormwood burning through The Secret Garden for the hundredth time.
In the process you collected five All-Australian jackets, a John Worsfold Medal, a Premiership. The kind of player adored by his own supporters, respected by opposition ones.
Like Dusty's 'don't argue', Buddy's 'natural arc' or Stevie J's 'curve', the McGovern intercept mark is one of those defining signature moves.
You've clunked 383 contested marks – and nearly 1000 uncontested ones where you just know the opposition coach was in the box yelling 'we're kicking it right to him!' knowing deep inside it didn't matter where they kicked it - Gov was going to get there.
Now, unfortunately, there's a chance you've interrupted your last opposition attack.
This is serious stuff. McGovern will front an independent panel of concussion experts; their job is to determine whether or not it's safe for him to play football again.
It's more unlikely than likely he'll return to the field. He's up against it.
It comes as a result of a head knock suffered in round eight against Melbourne. Gov was pushed into a marking contest, hit in the head, and has been experiencing concerning symptoms since.
Angus Brayshaw, Daniel Venables, Nathan Murphy, Josh Carmichael, Paddy McCartin, Paul Seedsman. All these players and more have fronted the panel and were told they could no longer pursue the game they love.
Perth product Aiden O'Driscoll never got a chance to even start his career. O'Driscoll was collected with a bump during his first AFL pre-season, forced to retire before he'd played a single game for the Western Bulldogs.
It's heartbreaking – we want players going out on their own terms, particularly our greats – but it doesn't always happen that way. For every Shane Crawford 'that's what I'm talking about' moment, there are 200 careers that end with injury, form slumps, or a cold, hard delisting.
But while this wouldn't be the ideal way for McGovern to leave this game it's a decision that could eventually save his life, or at least improve the quality of his long-term health.
We still don't fully understand the impact of head knocks and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) but as we gather more information, the alarm bells ring louder.
We know it causes significant damage to nerve cells in the brain, triggering memory loss, severe mood swings, eventually leading to dementia.
McGovern has been a soldier. One of the game's toughest players.
He famously played through significant injury in the 2018 Grand Final.
I was at that Grand Final parade, rushing around the cars to interview players. There was one empty seat – McGovern's. Speculation ran wild, McGovern's influence on the game enough to potentially swing the result. If he didn't play, the Pies would be doing backflips.
Word from the club was Gov had 'slept-in'.
He arrived eventually, just as the parade started. Little did we know he'd been going through a fitness test that morning, then receiving treatment for fractured ribs.
I don't think I could sing the alphabet with broken ribs, let alone play in an AFL Grand Final.
He's been a winner – but this team hasn't of late.
In his first 141 games, Gov and the Eagles won 66% of the time. Two out of every three weeks. In his last 44 games Gov's sung the song just eight times. An 18% win-rate.
The leader of a backline in a constant state of ambush. Injuries piling up.
Still, we know if it were up to Gov he'd be playing on. That's why there's a panel. To stop these gladiators from their own bravery.
At 33, with multiple concussions, I'm ignoring the selfish part of my brain that wants to see Gov playing football again. The practical part says this should be the end, for his health. For his young family.
And what a ride it has been.
This is a kid who was plucked with pick 44 in the rookie draft of 2011.
One hundred and fifty players were taken before McGovern in drafts that year. He surpassed every one of them.
He started shaky. When Adam Simpson turned up, Gov was still an unmolded piece of clay. Sent away for a six-week fitness program, it proved a turning point.
If this is the end, it's been a remarkable career – one of the more unlikely we've seen.
In my opinion, the greatest players in West Coast Eagles history are Peter Matera, Chris Judd, Dean Cox and Ben Cousins in some order. Then it's Glen Jakovich, Josh Kennedy, and McGovern.
An out-of-shape kid off the rookie list turning into the seventh-greatest player in club history is quite the story.
There's nothing left to achieve.
Gov, we all hope this isn't the end.
But if it is, the imprint left on the game will last long after you've gone.