Crows forward Josh Jenkins lifts the lid on crowd abuse and its effects on players

Adelaide Crows forward Josh Jenkins has admitted he told his wife to stay home when he was playing SANFL because of the abuse hurled at him from the sideline.

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Adelaide forward Josh Jenkins has revealed he urged his wife to stay at home during his stint in the SANFL for fears she would struggle to deal with the abuse hurled at him from the sidelines.

Jenkins, who was co-commentating the breakfast show at SEN on Wednesday morning, said he had asked Hannah not to turn up during his games in the reserves to spare her from the biting comments from the crowd.

It came as he discussed the issue of mental health among elite athletes, with Western Bulldogs premiership player Tom Boyd retiring at the age of 23 this week because of the physical and mental stress of the game.

Jenkins said it was one of the biggest issue in the game while also telling listeners how he had urged wife Hannah to stay away from his games in the reserves as he kicked six goals and made a strong push for selection in the Crows’ senior team for this weekend.

“This is by no means limited to professional sport,” Jenkins said. “Mental health is an issue everywhere.

“It’s more of an issue everywhere else than it is in footy but it’s highlighted for obvious reasons because we are public people and we live a life in the public spotlight.

“When you see someone like Tom Boyd, he’s not the only one — Jack Steven, Dustin Martin, Majak Daw, Dayne Beams, Lance Franklin, Heath Grundy and Mitch Clark that’s just a few, there’s others.

“But high-profile players who have either walked away from the game, like Tom Boyd, or stepped away from the game for a period of time because of mental health …”

The situation for top athletes was not made easier by the abuse from the sidelines.

Jenkins’ call comes as a documentary is about to be released about Adam Goodes’ exit from the game at next month’s Sydney Film Festival, with the dual Brownlow Medallist effectively being booed out of the game.

“On the weekend I told Hannah and (daughter) Lottie — I told Hannah, who’s responsible, to stay home,” Jenkins said. “Because at SANFL (level), the abuse that gets hurled around — and I’m not condemning people that do it — but it’s uncomfortable for them (family members) to have to sit there.

“They obviously love me and to have to sit there and go through that … if I was at Hannah’s netball I’d be wanting to start a fight if those same things were said and that’s how I’m trying to make people to understand that it affects everyone.

“Mental health might affect the individual but the whole family gets affected.

“This is not about AFL players or sport stars saying ‘woe is me,’ — it’s everywhere.

“It (the AFL) is trying to do as much as it can but it’s not the forbidden beast but the big black beast in the background which everyone is afraid of and doesn’t fully understand.

“I heard (Western Bulldogs coach) Luke Beveridge say, ‘We knew Tom was struggling but we just don’t know how much.’

“That’s why individuals just have to really have the confidence and the people around them who can speak up and help them.”