AFL urged to go beyond mental health round with player voices to tackle stigma
From sharing more first-person stories to using destigmatising language in community football, the AFL can do more to improve mental health outcomes according to experts, whether or not the league pursues a themed round explicitly dedicated to the cause,The footy community has been beset by grief this week following the death of West Coast premiership player Adam Selwood at age 41, three months after his twin brother Troy – a former Brisbane player – died by suicide,Former Kangaroos and Swans player Wayne Schwass, Cats great Jimmy Bartel and Swans’ premiership-winning coach Paul Roos have been leading voices in the call for the establishment of a mental health round, but others including former Hawthorn president and Beyond Blue founder Jeff Kennett are opposed to the idea,As many as 43% of people aged 16–85 experience a mental disorder at some time in their life according to the ABS, and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has found suicide is the leading cause of death for people aged 15-44,The AFL developed its first mental health strategy in 2020 and updated it last year, outlining a vision that employees of the AFL and its clubs are “supported to thrive in football, work and life”.
The league partners with six mental health organisations including the Black Dog Institute, which worked with St Kilda on “Spud’s Game”.That initiative raises money for mental health programs and builds a legacy from the life of former Saints captain and Tigers coach Danny Frawley, who died in 2019 after ongoing mental health challenges.Black Dog Institute chief scientist and executive director, Sam Harvey said the time for awareness “has passed, what we need now is coordinated, sustained action”.“There is more to do, particularly in supporting the broader community, including ex-players, and to promote crucial mental health research so that we can better understand why mental ill health continues to rise in Australia,” Harvey said.The AFL Players Association (AFLPA) offers counselling to current and former players and their partners and wrote to members this week to reiterate the wellbeing services available.
In 2024, 429 former players or their partners took up the offer, a 24% rise on the previous year.There are also dedicated programs and entities operating within the broader AFL sector.Tackle Your Feelings was formed by the AFL Coaches Association and the AFLPA in 2018, and provides a free mental health training program for players, community AFL coaches, and club support staff.Fifth Quarter is an independent not-for-profit supporting AFL and AFLW past players, their families and the community to achieve positive mental health and wellbeing.The AFL reported a record 528,000 registered Australian football participants in 2024.
Dr Judith Griffiths, director of the Australian Association of Psychologists (AAPi), said there were opportunities for the AFL to effect wider change by using its influence in community footy.“This could include embedding programs, training, and language that destigmatised mental health, partnering with community groups to create culturally safe content, using storytelling, visible champions, and inclusive messaging to shift community norms, using peer champions from underrepresented groups to train as mental health ambassadors and avoiding assumptions about gender and sexuality,” Griffiths said.Examples of destigmatising language provided by AAPi include mental health is “something we all need to think about”, that it “exists on a spectrum”, “it’s ok if you’re feeling anxious today” and “sometimes we might be thriving, sometimes we might be feeling challenged”.Beyond Blue chief executive Georgie Harman said both the AFL playing group and broader Australian community face similar challenges and would benefit from similar approaches.Sign up to From the Pocket: AFL WeeklyJonathan Horn brings expert analysis on the week's biggest AFL storiesafter newsletter promotion“That is, initiatives that are designed and set out to reach people early, before they reach crisis point,” Harman said.
“Our analysis shows that, like the broader mental health system, the football world offers a wide range of programs of services, but it can be confusing to know which one to access and when, what programs work best, and how all they all fit together.”SANE chief executive Rachael Green said research was “very clear” that one of the best ways to address stigma is through relatable, first-person stories.“Having high-profile sports people talk about their mental health challenges can not only help people experiencing mental ill health see they are not alone, it can also reverse harmful misconceptions about mental illness amongst the general public,” she said.Green called on the the AFL to consult widely before embarking on any activity “to ensure the benefits outweigh the risks”.“We also encourage [the] AFL to look beyond just a few elite level games,” Green said.
“Any meaningful campaign needs to be distilled down to community level to have the impact it needs to have.” In Australia, support is available at Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, Lifeline on 13 11 14, and at MensLine on 1300 789 978.Support for people who are grieving is available from Griefline on 1300 845 745.In the UK, the charity Mind is available on 0300 123 3393 and Childline on 0800 1111.In the US, call or text Mental Health America at 988 or chat 988lifeline.
org.Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org
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