Western Bulldogs draftee Aiden O'Driscoll has been medically retired from the AFL following a "significant head injury" sustained during pre-season training in January.
O'Driscoll, 18, was drafted from Western Australia to the Bulldogs with pick No.55 in November's national draft.
He had not yet made his AFL debut for the club.
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In a statement, the Bulldogs explained the decision-making process around O'Driscoll's retirement.
"Following extensive clinical assessments, investigations and expert consultation that included a review by an Independent Medical Concussion Panel, Aiden has been advised to retire from contact sports in the interests of his long-term health and wellbeing," it read.
"The club will give Aiden and his family all the support it can at this difficult time."
Wide World of Sports understands that O'Driscoll was training with the club up until Tuesday morning and was not experiencing concussion-related symptoms.
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The forward showed his speed during last year's AFL draft combine when he clocked the fastest 20m sprint time (2.87sec) while also ranking sixth in the 2km time trial.
O'Driscoll is the third AFL player this year to be medically retired because of the effects of concussion following Melbourne's Angus Brayshaw in February and Collingwood's Nathan Murphy last month.
In 2023, Paddy McCartin, Paul Seedsman, Marcus Adams and Max Lynch also retired because of concussion-related issues.
O'Driscoll is the younger brother of Fremantle players Nathan and Emma O'Driscoll.
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