McCarthy's grieving team-mates arrive home

Updated September 12, 2012 16:01:06

Grief-stricken team-mates of AFL footballer John McCarthy are receiving counselling after arriving back in Australia this morning.

They were on holiday with the Port Adelaide player who died falling from a balcony at a Las Vegas casino complex earlier this week.

A group of 10 of McCarthy's team-mates jetted in early Wednesday.

Port Adelaide chief executive Keith Thomas said the players are suffering and that group as well as McCarthy's team-mates who were not on the trip are undergoing counselling.

"There is a bit of work to be done to restore their minds to where they should be," Thomas said.

"They are reflecting on `is there more we could have done?'"

Four grief counsellors are working with the players and Thomas said they will be with them day and night as needed, as well as being with their families and playing group.

Police investigations revealed McCarthy's death to be a tragic accident.

He died after jumping onto a palm tree from the roof of a four-storey building.

Clark County Coroner Mike Murphy said McCarthy's body would be ready to be released on Wednesday, but it remains uncertain when he would be returned to Australia.

An autopsy has been performed but it could take up to 12 weeks for toxicology results.

The Victorian-born player was on an end-of-season trip to Vegas with team-mates Travis Boak, Matthew Broadbent, Alipate Carlile, Brett Ebert, Hamish Hartlett, Tom Logan, Andrew Moore, Paul Stewart, Jackson Trengove and Justin Westhoff.

The 10 players returned to Adelaide on Wednesday, a day after McCarthy's family told of their pain at McCarthy's death.

The footballer's uncle, John Olle, said the family had "suffered a devastating loss" but had been overwhelmed by well-wishers.

"A life does not attract a response of such magnitude unless it's truly worthy, and the life of Johnny was," Mr Olle told reporters in McCarthy's home town of Sorrento on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula on Tuesday.

"He was a unique, a precious and a loved young man."

AAP/ABC

Tags: australian-football-league, sport, adelaide-5000, australia

First posted September 12, 2012 10:05:23

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Witnesses describe McCarthy's fatal fall

Updated September 12, 2012 16:39:42

Witnesses say AFL player John McCarthy died after jumping onto a palm tree from the roof of a four-storey building in Las Vegas.

The Port Adelaide midfielder died early Sunday morning (local time) when he plunged more than nine metres from the roof of a complex at the The Flamingo Hotel.

He had been in the United States on an end-of-season trip with 10 team-mates, who arrived back in Australia this morning.

ABC correspondent Michael Brissenden says Port Adelaide football operations manager Peter Rohde has met with the coroner, who confirmed McCarthy appeared to die in a tragic accident.

"Apparently John McCarthy left a local nightclub about 4:30 [am] and walked to the Flamingo casino," Brissenden told ABC News 24 today.

"He ended up on the roof of a four-storey building and he jumped on to a palm tree, thinking that was an easy and quick way down.

"There are three witnesses to this. An elderly couple from California and a local person saw this happen."

McCarthy ended up on the driveway below.

Rohde says the coroner's office has told him they believe all the signs are that McCarthy died as the result of a tragic misjudgment after a long night of drinking.

Witnesses say the player had been drinking and was disorientated at the time.

Port Adelaide club chief executive Keith Thomas later revealed to reporters back in Australia that McCarthy became separated from his partying teammates.

He said McCarthy's girlfriend, who was at home in Australia, had tried to reunite the group after McCarthy phoned her.

"She was concerned enough, because he was on his own, to make contact with one of our other players to try to get him back into the group," Thomas told a news conference.

"That player made contact with John, who suggested he was on his way back to the hotel.

"At that point the group felt he was OK and he's coming back. Now we would suggest the accident happened soon thereafter."

Thomas said there is vision of McCarthy entering the Flamingo casino which gives an indication of his state.

"I haven't seen it but it shows him no more than looking a little drunk," Thomas explained.

The investigation into the young footballer's death is continuing but his body is expected to be returned to Australia in the next couple of days after a clearance has been obtained from the coroner's office.

The club has been told it could be up to eight weeks before the results of toxicology reports are revealed.

Rohde is expected to return to Australia in the next day.

Thomas said McCarthy's returning team-mates are suffering and that group as well as his team-mates who were not on the trip are undergoing counselling.

"There is a bit of work to be done to restore their minds to where they should be," Thomas said.

"They are reflecting on `is there more we could have done?'"

Four grief counsellors are working with the players and Thomas said they will be with them day and night as needed, as well as being supported by their families and playing group.

Tags: australian-football-league, sport, human-interest, police, united-states, port-adelaide-5015, sa

First posted September 12, 2012 11:26:44

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