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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Tigers arrive with Hawks hammering

Updated May 26, 2012 19:13:18

The Tigers signalled its arrival as a danger team in the AFL by demolishing the fancied Hawks by 62 points at the MCG on Saturday.

Richmond delighted its fans and sent a message to the league with the 21.11 (137) to 10.15 (75) belting, reversing a trend of honourable losses early this season.

With much of the match played in wet conditions, only one team had the skills and the endeavour to win.

Hawthorn's Josh Gibson told Grandstand his team-mates were extremely disappointed by their performance but said it does not stop the Hawks momentum.

"I'd say it's a bit of a speed hump,'' he said of the defeat.

"We've got really high expectations of ourselves and we didn't meet those today.

"We've had a few wins lately but today we got beaten by a team that beat us at the hunt.''

Hawthorn came into the game on the back of an easy win over Fremantle, while Richmond had pushed the Bombers to the limit before coming up short last weekend.

The Tigers jumped the Hawks, however, kicking four goals to one in the opening quarter and the pressure never eased on Alistair Clarkson's men.

Richmond were dominant in contested possessions, and as the match wore on, Hawthorn's defence failed to come to grips with Richmond's forward line.

Jake King was the early target up forward, but as Richmond established its dominance, spearhead Jack Riewoldt came to the fore.

He finished with six goals, while at the other end the Hawks' Lance Franklin had a day to forget with a return of 1.3.

The Tigers' Steven Morris was important at the back, blanketing Hawthorn dynamo Cyril Rioli.

Morris told Grandstand the Tigers weren't taking anything for granted as they get ready to play St Kilda, Fremantle and GWS.

"I wouldn't say there's any easy games in the AFL, this year has proved that," he said.

"We've got to be on our game next week (against St Kilda) and give it our best shot."

The match ended as a contest when Richmond kicked seven goals without reply between the 28-minute mark of the third term and the nine-minute mark of the last.

Hawthorn could not find a way back, and the eight-goal-to-two final quarter set the seal on a fantastic day for the yellow and black faithful.

Gibson said that the Hawks' defence would have to look closely at its performance.

"It's all about halving those contests (inside defensive 50),'' he said.

"I don't feel we did that today, and even the contests we did halve, they beat us at the hunt at ground level."

Tigers: 21.11 (137) - Riewoldt 6, King 3, Edwards 2, Jackson 2, Martin 2, Morris, Tuck, Maric, Cotchin, Nahas, Deledio.

Hawks: 10.15 (75) - Breust 3, Rioli 2, Roughead 3, Young, Smith, Franklin.

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, australia, vic, melbourne-3000

First posted May 26, 2012 16:48:13

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Suns arrive in new stadium

Published:Friday, May 27, 2011 7:21 AESTExpires:Thursday, August 25, 2011 7:21 AEST

The Gold Coast AFL side will take on Geelong in its first game at the new Metricon Stadium in Queensland's south-east.

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Tags: australian-football-league, qld

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