Max Gawn’s plea for mental health understanding, “you’ve got to be vulnerable”
Abuse on social media is stopping footy players from sharing information online, with Melbourne ruck Max Gawn saying not everyone has thick skin. But Gawn’s teammate has a plan to improve player mental health.
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Melbourne star Max Gawn has pleaded with fans to understand that “not everyone has a thick skin” as he revealed the mental health toll the public glare is taking on AFL players.
Gawn is speaking out to back efforts by teammate Mitch Hannan who on Monday launches non-profit clothing brand Mendl aimed at getting blokes to talk about their mental health struggles.
“In the caper we’re in you grow up to be an adult real quickly,” Gawn told the Sunday Herald Sun.
“Good people in your life is certainly something you need, thick skin is something you need in our game as well. And I mean people are starting to realise that not everyone has a thick skin.”
“There is instances around the AFL in which people don’t want to be themselves to everybody. They just want to be themselves to their close group of friends.”
“There are lots of stories and guys wanting trades to get out of Melbourne because of the fishbowl.”
The instantly recognisable Melbourne ruck – who is renowned for being one of the most individual and relaxed AFL identities – revealed his own hesitancy to be himself in the public eye.
“Mate, every single thing I put on social media I think about for six hours before I put it up,” he said.
Gawn says while he was never having been formally identified as suffering from an illness like depression, he says he has had his own “battles” and only got through with the help of opening up to friends and family.
“(There was) never official terms with anything, but everyone goes through their own battles at different times,” he told the Sunday Herald Sun of his own experience.
“And I know that I am a lot better from being able to speak about it compared to when I have bottled it in.”
“It can turn into weeks. To be honest. And in a performance industry if you are bottling how you’re feeling … It just leads to worse things.” “It is something I have taken on to be able to speak about more freely.”
“I’ve got an environment at home where I feel it is great to be able to speak to my brothers my sister and my fiance so it is important yeah.”
And he revealed his own secret for how to reach out to mates in need.
“You’ve got to be vulnerable. You’ve got to show your vulnerabilities.”
“And I’m not comfortable being vulnerable no one is. But you know that’s the space you need to get in to be able to (have these) conversations”. “And vulnerability is contagious.”
Mendl is a range of locally made tshirts, sweaters bags and caps aimed at sparking conversations between blokes about their mental health.
Hannan and his long-term friend Mark Losewitz started the company after they saw mates deal with mental health issues. Mendl is their own abbreviation for “mending men’s mental health”.
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Hannan, who designed all the pieces, says the clothes are intended to be recognisable and allow men to feel comfortable to open up and share their vulnerabilities.
“The apparel provides a platform for people to recognise someone who is open to talk about (mental health) and share that vulnerability,” Hannan said.
The profits from all purchases goes to a “charity of the month” who are making progress on mental health in Melbourne.
See more at the website.