Melbourne ruckman Max Gawn believes that the ever increasing pressure placed upon professional footballers is contributing to the rising prevalence of mental illness in the AFL.
After a turbulant off-season where several players temporarily stepped away from the sport to focus on their mental wellbeing, the governing body decided to instate mental health officer to work closely with all 18 clubs.
Sydney defender Heath Grundy was granted leave last year to focus on his mental health, while St Kilda fan favourite Jack Stevens followed suit in February.
The off-season was also marred by the shocking details that emerged from Majak Daw's 'self-destructive' bridge incident, which left the North Melbourne defender in hospital.
Speaking on RSN 927’s The Breakfast Club on Tuesday morning, Gawn admitted that he hasn't been surprised at the increasing prevalence of mental illness in the sport.
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"Mental health is something that is quite prominent in AFL at the moment," he told the program.
"I’m not surprised every time that when I do see a mental health case because I can see it coming – not necessarily the individual - but I can see it as a player in the AFL.
"It’s a very scrutinised competition and players are under more stress than they’ve ever been."
The All-Australian's comments came after his close friend and former Demons teammate Jesse Hogan was stood down by the Dockers as he deals with ''clinical anxiety''.
Fremantle confirmed that the 24-year-old didn't train with the team on Sunday after making ''poor choices'' with alcohol consumption the previous night.
As a close friend and former club leader, Gawn revealed that he had been in contact with Hogan since the incident.
"I’m there as a support for Jesse and I’ve messaged him this morning. He’s a really close mate," he said.
"Who knows how much he's battling it and what the actual issue is? But he’s been able to tell someone that he is feeling ill which is the best part.
"The choices that you can make while you are ill can be miscued and they probably were Saturday night when he went out drinking. That wasn’t necessarily because of the illness that he has recognised but hopefully he can get better."
Fremantle's decision to stand down the star recruit follows a turbulent off-season where the league’s drug policy has been taken in question.
The governing body has faced scrutiny from club executives who have taken a stand against players using mental health as an excuse for abusing illicit drugs.
According to reports, the AFL begun a review of its highly controversial illicit drugs policy amid stunning claims that 16 players from one club are exempt from testing after being diagnosed with mental health issues.
But AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan has since defended the league’s drug testing model, asserting that the players who benefit from the system are getting the support that they need.
"We’ve identified that mental health is the biggest issue. So then you go to an independent panel, led by a clinical psychologist, independent experts who make that decision," he told AFL 360.
“So if there was one or two people - I’ll be dramatic, ‘rorting the system’, our view is we’re still better off under this model informed by experts to help those who need help.
“There are issues and frustrations with the model, there are challenges we can’t solve. Of course the presidents would get frustrated at times if they don’t have information. I at times go, I don’t know that. But that is how the model with the best intentions and the best advice is set up.
“And what you do go into in situations, it’s very difficult for people to find a model that is better. We have one, Olympic sport doesn't have one.
“Is it helping players? Yes. Is there a level of accountability? Yes. Are there challenges, where people go ‘he’s rorting it’, or ‘that’s happening’? Yeah. But it’s as good a model as the industry can come up with and I can tell you sitting there with the presidents and the CEOs, and they go through it, and for every suggestion there’s a problem.
“Doesn’t mean we can’t improve it, and we’ll continue that. When people say ‘oh, they’re reviewing it’, it’s continually trying to be improved and with some challenges we’re trying to work through. But generally, it’s not being outrageously rorted, and it’s the best model with all of the advice.”
Gillon McLachlan opens up on the #afl360 desk about the ongoing battle the industry faces...
— FOX FOOTY (@FOXFOOTY) March 18, 2019
“Mental health is the biggest issue in our industry now… and we are working to do better.” pic.twitter.com/R5XcwWuepG
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