Former Port Adelaide ruckman Matthew Lobbe reveals his family’s struggles with mental illness for new AFLPA campaign to reduce stigma
CARLTON’S Port Adelaide recruit Matthew Lobbe reveals the personal mental health struggles of both his mother and brother in a new campaign aimed at reducing stigma.
HE kicked the first ever goal on the redeveloped Adelaide Oval in 2014 and now Matthew Lobbe is kicking more goals — this time off-field — by lending his voice to a new campaign to reduce the stigma of mental illness.
Launched on Wednesday night, the Courageous Conversations campaign also aims to increase mental health literacy across the AFL and the wider community.
The former Port Adelaide ruckman who played 92 games for the Power before being drafted by Carlton last year, is joining other current players in a video series led by the AFL Players’ Association and the Movember Foundation.
In a video being shared on social media, the 29-year-old former Power vice-captain has revealed that both his mother and younger brother have gone through mental health challenges.
“My brother Tom got diagnosed with schizophrenia when he was 19 and I was 21 and that was actually the weekend of my first AFL game for Port,” Lobbe said.
“It was just a massive unknown for the family because we knew something was up with Tom, but we didn’t know what it was and it was all completely new to us.
“Mum had cyclical depression, so it was three weeks on and three weeks off … and it was a big shock to me because mum was always the strong one in the family and the one that solved all the problems.”
Lobbe said watching his family’s battle made him realise that it took great courage to ask for help.
“Before it happened I really didn’t have any understanding of mental illness,” he said.
“I probably thought it was something that was a bit of a weakness or only some people got that might have not been as resilient or not been as tough.
“Seeing it happen to my brother and my mum who are two of the most resilient people I know, showed me that it can happen to anyone. My brother Tom and Mum are going great at the moment, they’ve both got a healthy life balance.”
The 200cm Lobbe, who has played 97 AFL games for both Port and the Blues since being drafted by Port at pick 16 in 2007, said his message to footy fans was simple: be honest.
“(Be) open, not just for the people who might be feeling something for themselves, but for friends and family not to shut people down and to listen to them,” he said.
“The more we can talk about mental health, the easier it’s going to be for people that are going through something.”
Other AFL players sharing their stories are Brisbane’s Dayne Beams, Collingwood’s Taylor Adams and Connor Blakely from Fremantle: Beams’ talks about mental health issues following the death of his father, Blakely discusses challenges with social media and Adams reveals his anxiety when he moved from Greater Western Sydney to the Magpies.
The Courageous Conversations campaign also involves the broadening of the AFL Players’ Most Courageous Award to include courageous off-field acts as well as an AFL Players Care donation of $60,000 made to the Movember Foundation from the entire male AFL playing group.