Jesse Hogan stood down by Fremantle to start 2019 season

High-profile Fremantle recruit Jesse Hogan has been stood down for the start of the 2019 AFL season after missing training on Sunday.

The key forward was traded home to Perth from the Melbourne Demons in the off-season and took part in the Dockers’ pre-season games against Collingwood and West Coast.

But he will miss the opening game of the home-and-away season against North Melbourne at Perth Stadium this weekend.

“The club has been aware of Jesse’s clinical anxiety and has wrapped the appropriate support measures around him and will continue to do so,” Fremantle football boss Peter Bell said.

“Jesse continues to train very hard on the training track and he will continue to train with the team, but his clinical anxiety can lead to him making poor decisions around alcohol consumption and, therefore, impact his health and wellbeing.

“Jesse made poor choices around alcohol consumption on Saturday evening prior to our training run at Optus Stadium on Sunday and as a result he did not take part in training.

“Jesse’s circumstances have been shared with club leaders and the player leadership group.

“The club and our playing group are united in continuing to provide all the necessary ongoing support to Jesse, and we are not putting a time frame on his return to playing.”

The 24-year-old’s move to Fremantle brought an end to years-long speculation that he would seek a trade home for his own wellbeing.

In 2017 he lost his father to cancer and was later diagnosed with his own bout of testicular cancer.

He missed out on Melbourne’s drought-breaking finals run last season due to a foot injury.