Greater Western Sydney forward Cameron McCarthy has taken indefinite leave from the game to deal with personal issues.

The Giants announced on Friday they had given McCarthy permission to return home to Perth.

GWS CEO Dave Matthews told Sports Today this isn’t a case of homesickness.

‘The key thing at the moment is to determine whether he has the appetite, and whether he thinks a full-time career in the AFL suits him,’ Matthews said on Friday.

‘I don’t think he’s in a position right now to be playing at Fremantle, the Giants, or anywhere.’

Click play to hear Dave Matthews explain the situation

Earlier on Friday, GWS released a statement on McCarthy’s situation.

‘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,’ the statement said.
 
‘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.’

The young forward requested a trade back to Western Australia at the end of last season, which the Giants rejected.