Collingwood to support Harry O'Brien through difficult time

TWO moments at training summed up the support Collingwood is prepared to give Harry O’Brien as he fights to overcome his personal demons.

TWO moments at Collingwood training today - one at the start and another at the end - summed up the support the Magpies are prepared to give Harry O’Brien as he fights to overcome his personal demons.

The first came when he stepped onto the club's Olympic Park surface this morning for the first time in more than a week.

His teammates allowed him to lead them out onto the track, just two hours after he detailed, to awaiting news crews, the serious issues he is now confronting, and almost a week after leaving the club on “personal leave” last week.

The second came when O'Brien headed off the track about 40 minutes later. As he moved towards the race leading into the Westpac Centre, he was greeted by Collingwood president Eddie McGuire.

The pair, at loggerheads over a very different issue six weeks ago, disappeared into the centre with their arms draped around each other.

As coach Nathan Buckley articulated at his press conference not too long afterwards, sometimes it is just a matter of putting your arms around someone.

"There are issues that we are fully aware of, and that we deal with every day, not just with Harry," Buckley said.

"When you get a group of people into an environment, they come from all different walks of life with all different experiences and challenges.

"That is both the beauty and, I suppose, the challenge of working in this environment. That's why culture is important and that's why being there to put an arm around someone is important at times."

Bucks: 'Harry's been through things I can't imagine'

The support for O’Brien was there from his teammates, and his coach.

But so was the none-too-subtle message from Buckley that regardless of what players are going through – both inside and outside of the club – there is still a need for everyone to tow the club line.

Of that, there is no doubt, and Buckley stressed it, just as clearly as he stressed the club’s commitment to looking after its players' welfares.

O'Brien might have looked a little rusty at times during his 40-minute session, but football is secondary to the defender-wingman's priorities at the moment.

The coach spoke to his troubled player before the press conference and was pleased to note that O'Brien told him he was happy to be back on the park again.

Hours earlier, O'Brien had documented "a long and very complicated history of sexual abuse, suicide, depression, seeing someone get murdered, knowing who murdered that person and not being able to say anything, knowing that person will probably murder you.

"When the times comes ... I will open up about these issues."

The time wasn't right today and probably won't be for some time to come.

For Buckley, he's just pleased O'Brien is back in the fold – admittedly on the club's terms, but back nevertheless.

And being back at the club might be a key part of O'Brien's healing as much as it became a part of the problem last week.