Former AFL star Shaun Hampson felt ‘very alone’ during Survivor

No amount of training could prepare former AFL player Shaun Hampson for the gruelling game of Survivor Australia: Champions v Contenders. He spoke about his struggles and what he missed most.

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All the fitness training in the world couldn’t prepare former AFL star Shaun Hampson for the hardest part of competing on reality show Survivor Australia: Champions v Contenders.

The father-of-two struggled most missing model partner Megan Gale and their two children — Rosie, 22 months, and River, 5.

“You feel very alone,” Hampson told Sunday Confidential.

Shaun Hampson and his model partner Megan Gale. Picture: Alex Coppel

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“It is the moments where you are hungry and cold that you wonder why you’re doing it and miss home the most. You build strong relationships but you really can’t trust anyone on there, everyone has an agenda and you can trust your family completely, they provide comfort for you.”

Hampson, 31, who played for Carlton and Richmond during a 12-year AFL career, has been with Gale since 2011.

Hampson will be part of the Champion tribe in Survivor Australia. Picture: Nigel Wright

He is one of 24 people fighting for the $500,000 prize. Picture: Nigel Wright

“Megan is my best mate,” Hampson said.

“Our sense of humour is so stitched together, it is like one mind. If we are not looking after the kids or doing dinner, we are joking around and I missed that connection. She is my number one.”

Survivor Australia: Champions v Contenders was shot in Fiji earlier this year and will premiere on Ten on Wednesday, with the winner scoring $500,000.

He missed his partner and two kids the most while away. Picture: Instagram

Despite his sporting achievements Hampson competed on the contender team against professional athletes such as athlete Nova Peris, AFL star Simon Black and rugby league legend Andrew Ettingshausen.

“Shaun is not one of those athletes that is very braggy so he probably felt more comfortable calling himself a contender,” Gale, 43, said.

“Retiring last year, even though he managed it well, I knew he needed to do something just for him that was in that arena of competing and pushing and challenging. ”