Rugby league community rocked by death of Ziggie Vincent
Anthony Mundine believes the NRL needs to do more to combat mental health in the game after being left shattered following the tragic death of rising rugby league player Ziggie Vincent.
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**** WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are warned that the following story may contains of deceased persons.
Anthony Mundine has vowed to smash the stigma surrounding mental health after young indigenous rugby league star Ziggie Vincent took his own life over the weekend.
The 19-year-old from Griffith moved into Mundine’s family home in Sydney four months ago to trial for the Bulldogs’ Jersey Flegg side and chase his dream of playing in the NRL.
But Vincent struggled to tell his friends and family that he didn’t want to play footy — he just wanted to return home.
Mundine, a mentor to Vincent, said he was devastated and caught off guard when he found out that Vincent had taken his own life on Saturday night.
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“I let Zig know I was always there for him … but a lot of these brothers feel like they’re a burden. But they’re actually not. They’re just shy and don’t want to bring their problems on anyone else,” Mundine said.
“I wish he would have reached out to me or somebody.”
Mundine is now more determined than ever to encourage players battling with mental illness to speak up before it is too late.
The NRL has 60 full-time and 20 part-time wellbeing and education employees and runs regular campaigns empowering players to speak up about mental illness.
But Mundine believes more must be done for players to take the initial, often daunting, step of asking for help.
“Some players have big dreams, but they might get injured or their career gets cut short, and they fall into depression,” he said.
“Sometimes it just doesn’t work out and you’ve got to have something in play for things like that.”
Mundine said he will approach the NRL to discuss strategies relating to player welfare and wellbeing.
“Teammates need to ask teammates if they’re okay, that should be a given, that should be a protocol among every club, it should be taught in seminars to all players,” Mundine said.
“I really want to reach out to the NRL to work with them, doing workshops, motivating and inspiring kids who are struggling.”
Mundine’s son CJ, a close friend of Vincent’s, was also rocked by the news.
“He took it pretty hard, you know when you just gel with somebody? Him and Ziggie just hit it off ever since they met, so he was shattered.”
Weeks ago, Vincent confided in his best mate from Griffith, Epeli Serukabaivata, that he was struggling to play football in Sydney.
Serukabaivata said that Vincent had hidden his battle with mental health from the rugby league community for years.
“He was just over football ... he did not want to play anymore, that’s what people don’t know, he told me he didn’t even want to play for the Bulldogs,” Vincent’s former teammate said.
“People always expected him to make it far and that’s all people knew of him, so he didn’t want to change his career because he didn’t know where to start.”
Serukabaivata is heartbroken about losing Vincent and wants his mate’s legacy to empower people to speak up.
“You’re never weak if you speak, when you bottle it up stuff like this happens,” Serukabaivata said.
“It’s better to ask someone if they’re OK and have a 10 minute conversation, than to not ask them and never talk to them again.”
Vincent’s manager Mario Tartek said that the young star’s rugby league career was only just starting to take off with the Bulldogs Jersey Flegg side.
“The Bulldogs absolutely loved this kid and saw so much ability and what a great kid he was to have around,” Tartek said.
“The Dogs would ring me up and wrap this kid throughout the last three months.”
Tartek was Vincent’s manager for seven months and not once did he suspect the 19-year-old was struggling.
“Always a polite kid, always a smiling kid. You would never have picked it,” Tartek said.
Craig O’Keefe, president of Vincent’s former club the Griffith Black and Whites Rugby League Football Club, said that his death had rocked the local football scene.
“Ziggie’s sporting ability was one of the best I’ve ever seen, and he was a gentleman on and off the field,” O’Keefe said.
“It might be a young man thing, not putting your hand up, but we need to stop this culture. We need to get it out there that it’s not unmanly to ask for help.”
NRL CEO Todd Greenberg said that the entire rugby league community is mourning the loss.
“On days like this, it’s important to reiterate that no matter what level you play at, no matter the circumstances, we will always have people who want to listen and help you,” Greenberg said. “There is always someone to take your call and there is no shame in asking for help.”
Greenberg reiterated the NRL’s ongoing investment in player wellbeing across all levels of rugby league and indicated an openness to collaborate with former players such as Mundine.
The Bulldogs have offered counselling to the club’s players and staff members.
“Although Ziggie was only around the club for six weeks as a trialist for our Jersey Flegg side he had made a great impression on all those that had met him and had made some close friends in and around the club,” a club statement read.
“His passing has come as a major shock to everyone at the club and we offer our condolences and deepest sympathies to his family and friends.”
If you or someone you know needs help, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or lifeline.org.au or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636