One of the club’s leading goalkickers in 2015, 20-year-old McCarthy sought a move back to his home state Western Australia last season but the Giants were reluctant to part with him.

“After careful consideration and ongoing discussion with Cameron, his family and his manager, we have agreed that it is in Cam’s best interests to return to Perth for an indefinite period of leave,” said Giants chief executive David Matthews.

“Cam has most recently been struggling to deal with the day to day demands of being an AFL footballer and as a result we have agreed that the best course of action is for him to step away from the game.

“Following last year’s trade period we agreed to implement a range of measures to ensure Cam was able to spend more time in Western Australia with his family.

“This included augmenting his training schedule as well as bolstering what was already a comprehensive welfare framework.

“Despite initially making strong progress after returning from the Christmas break it has been apparent that Cam cannot currently meet the demands of being an AFL footballer.

“We will obviously continue to support Cam during this time and assist him in every way possible. His welfare is our priority. We ask that Cam’s privacy be respected at this time.”

– AAP