Retired Western Bulldogs teenager Aiden O’Driscoll opens up about crushing end to AFL career

EXCLUSIVE

Retired Western Bulldogs teenager Aiden O’Driscoll opens up about the devastating effects of his dream job in the AFL ending.

O’Driscoll was medically retired in May after suffering a serious concussion in training in January.

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The 18-year-old was named the pool’s best athlete in November, but his AFL career was over within six months.

O’Driscoll was referred to the competition’s concussion committee after a series of tests following the training incident and, along with Melbourne flag-throwing hero Angus Brayshaw and Collingwood premiership defender Nathan Murphy, was medically retired.

Speaking to 7NEWS’s chief AFL reporter Mitch Cleary, O’Driscoll said he was struggling to process the devastating news.

“Honestly, the first few weeks after that it hit me quite hard,” he told 7NEWS.

“I didn’t sleep much, it just hit me really hard. I had the best support around me with friends and family and all the staff at the club, it was just surreal. But it was really tough, I’m not going to lie. I also had my girlfriend (Claudia) with me every step of the way, which helped a lot.”

O’Driscoll clashed with teammate Bailey Williams during a training session in January.

Incredibly, this was his first concussion ever.

“It’s amazing how one blow can affect the rest of your life,” he said.

“It was just a normal training day, we were starting to get more into the race simulation… Bailey Williams and I collided, that’s what I was told, I couldn’t remember anything about it.

“It was a huge blow, it hit me behind the ear and I was completely knocked out. I woke up 10 minutes later in the ambulance thinking ‘how on earth did I get here’.”

O’Driscoll spent two days in hospital and was only able to perform light duties after returning to training.

He underwent multiple scans ahead of the panel discussion, but never expected to be told he could never play in the AFL again.

“I just expected the best result and not the worst. I thought the worst case might be from the rest of the year,” he said.

“Once I got through the panel discussion it was okay, but when I heard the results at the end I thought, ‘What?’ I didn’t expect this, I didn’t realise it was going to be a pension.

“Once I got out of there, I completely lost it for Mom. She was probably the best person to be there that day. One of the worst days I could imagine, hearing that news.

“I thought it was a pretty serious injury, but when I see the results, the microbleeds in the brain, it’s all so overwhelming.

“I explained it to the guys in the meeting and I just went numb. I lost my dream. It’s over in six months and way too fast to be honest. Just heartbreaking right away.

After the initial devastation, O’Driscoll is already looking positive again.

He has accepted a position with the Bulldogs academy and is keen to pursue a career in athletics and one day compete in a race at the Stawell Gift.

“It’s negative, but we can easily turn it into something positive and just move on with our lives and be happy.”

O’Driscoll’s older siblings Nathan and Emma both play for Fremantle in the AFL and AFLW respectively, and Aiden added that the support from their family has been invaluable.

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