McCarthy in Danger of Being a Waste 

It's hard not to feel sorry for Cam McCarthy had a fantastic 2nd season at GWS kicking 35 goals before asking for a trade to Fremantle at the end of 2015. McCarthy trade to Freo was denied and he decided to sit the whole 2016 season out of the AFL. McCarthy did get his wish at the end of 2016. Where Fremantle gave up pick 3 (Tim Taranto) for McCarthy and pick 7 (Griffin Louge) and at the end of 2019, there is a clear winner that being GWS. When he joined Freo the year after Pav hanged up his boots and he was seen as Pav 2.0 a title that’s impossible to live up to. McCarthy first game for the Dockers could have been a massive won kicking 1.5 against Geelong but his first season was quiet apart from kicking the winning goal v Melbourne and kicking 4 against the Suns before being dropped in the final game of the year for Cox and Shane Kersten. Fremantle other forward Shane Kersten finished in the top 10 in the B&F but McCarthy did win the goal kicking with 25 goals (at the time equal Freo lowest.)

 

2017 didn’t start great got dropped early on again for the likes of Brennan Cox and look likes at the time Cox was Fremantle number on forward. Not only did McCarthy drop off other forward Shane Kersten only played one game up forward before getting dropped then playing a few games as a defender. McCarthy ended up playing 17 games and finished 3rd in the goalkicking with David Mundy 

 

2018 looked like a lucky accident with a massive 5.0 against North Melbourne and to a lot, he wouldn't have played if Jesse Hogan and Cox were available to play. He played 6 of the first 7 games missed one through sickness and by the time he was dropped after going goalless for two games he has kicked 10 goals. When he came back in round 15 he kicked 4 goals but slipt to 1,1 and 0 before getting dropped again. And even when Taberner, Hogan, Cox and Lobb all went down with season-ending injuries McCarthy was still playing for Peel until the second last round when he was selected to pay Essendon and kicked 3 goals. Although failed to kick a goal the next week against Port Adelaide to bring his 2019 total to 19 equal with last year and a better average than 2017.

 

Fremantle 2020 forward line is likely to be based around Cox, Hogan and Taberner and with O'Reilly and Dixon knocking on the door 2020 is simple for McCarthy to have the best season of his career or he could go down as the biggest waste of talent in Freo history. 25  next year McCarthy should be fighting for a Coleman, not his career.