Former NRL greats trying to save communities are saving each other along the way

It took one retired NRL star revealing he experienced his first night without “the ringing sound in his head” for Ian Lacey to appreciate the deeper purpose of the Arthur Beetson Future Immortals Tour.

The foundation was developed to support rural communities deprived of the advantages cities offered.

What former Brisbane Broncos Lacey and Petero Civoniceva did not realise when they launched the concept was the plethora of past NRL players who shared similar tales of mental turmoil.

Ian Lacey during his playing days with the Brisbane Broncos.Credit: Getty Images

Sitting together after tour events, many divulged stories of health struggles since leaving the game.

“They spoke about their connection with these tours, and the joy that it brought back to their life,” Lacey says.

“You go from the rugby league bubble back into society where it’s just a grind, and they lose connection with what rugby league offers a community.

“One of the players opened up and said since he’d been on the tour it was the first time he hadn’t had the ringing sound in his head at night-time. He’d had a good night sleep and felt at ease.”

Lacey has travelled the same path.

The former hooker played 23 games for the Broncos from 2006-07, before he was charged with assault and lost his contract. He finished his career with the Ipswich Jets.

Neck injuries forced his premature retirement, and while he found his next passion through Indigenous health organisation Deadly Choices, those initial days took a toll.

But he landed on his feet. Others, he said, were not so “lucky”.

“I lost my contract at the Broncos for doing the wrong thing off the field ... [and] I stopped playing at 29 when I pressed a spinal nerve in my neck,” Lacey says.

“Looking back, I probably had a similar encounter to some of these guys where I was struggling and just didn’t want to acknowledge it.

Nearly half of retired athletes suffer depression. Why?

Some athletes retire with lucrative media and coaching opportunities lined up. They are the minority.

Most suffer anxiety and doubt about their next purpose.

University of Queensland psychology expert, Dr Tarli Young, says 40 per cent of former sportspeople battle depression, while Lacey emphasises that the NRL’s relentless nature limits players’ ability to develop skills that translate to post-career work.

Ian Lacey, pictured in action for the Broncos, has found a post-playing career through Deadly Choices and the Arthur Beetson Future Immortals Tour.Credit: Getty Images

“You’re in an environment where everything is provided for you – from your food to your apparel to your schedule – and you’re essentially like a robot,” Lacey says.

“With the environment of a professional sport these days, you have to look for that edge to improve your skill set on the field.

“A player’s focus is on that because the average rugby league career is not long. You don’t bust your a--- for as long as they do through the ranks to start thinking about what’s next.”

Pointing to the large contingent of players who hail from smaller cities or remote towns “where their families and communities don’t have a lot”, Lacey says athletes often take on the burden of financial provider.

“It’s OK to do that when you’re on hundreds of thousands of dollars, but when you retire from the game, and you step into an environment where you don’t earn a similar amount of money, it becomes hard for those players to continue that level of support,” Lacey says.

“That weighs significantly on the shoulders of players, and they start to feel they’re letting people down when they can’t continue that same support.

“You can see how they get into a bit of a downward spiral.”

How the tour proved transformative

The Future Immortals’ “main ticket item” – Queensland’s leading Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rugby league tournament, the Murri Carnival – on Friday will host a record 3500 participants, from under-sixes to adult divisions.

But in 2021, Lacey and Civoniceva felt there were greater horizons for the concept, creating the tour initiatives.

Greats of the game Nathan Blacklock, Matt Bowen and Preston Campbell have joined the tours, as have Tyrone Roberts, Sam Tagataese and Andrew Walker.

James Roberts, Tyrone Roberts and Willie Tonga on the Arthur Beetson Future Immortals TourCredit: Arthur Beetson Future Immortals Tour Facebook

Their engagement is tailored to the community’s needs – such as increasing school attendance, supporting men’s mental welfare and improving health-check numbers.

Lacey recalls experiences in Kowanyama, where school attendance went from 30 per cent to 90 per cent in the four weeks before their visit, as students had an incentive to meet the players they had idolised.

He remembers a Hope Vale venture, when young, disengaged men were encouraged to cultural workshops, before going on to secure full-time jobs.

And education programs have been piloted with Mining Skills Australia, enabling students to use virtual reality to devise infrastructure projects for their towns.

Petero Civoniceva runs out for the Arthur Beetson Future Immortals Tour legends match in Cooktown.Credit: Arthur Beetson Future Immortals Tour

The tours are largely community funded, with the players initiating charity events – including a legends game – at each, and Lacey is seeking to gain support to go national.

He says partnerships talks with the University of New South Wales and Rugby League Players Association are in train to better support retiring athletes and strengthen education pathways for prospective students.

“[The players] are picking up skills, and whether it be facilitating workshops with kids or having conversations with the bodies who sponsor the events, they’re rubbing shoulders with potential entities who could employ them,” Lacey says.

“Money makes the world go round. We’re trying to put measures in place to get some finances and stability to allow consistency with these tours.

“The more we can have the tours, the better it’s going to be for them, but also the benefits it gives to the communities.”