Movember aims to stop the ‘she’ll be right’ attitude among Australian men

Men around the country are being encouraged to grow a mo this Movember to raise awareness for prostate cancer. This year, mo bros and sisters are going to new lengths to spread the word.

Growing a mo can be a hard slog for some, but this Movember men of all shapes and (beard) sizes are being urged to give it a go for a good cause.

With 45 Aussie men dying before their time from prostate cancer every five days, the campaign is this year urging men to stop the “she’ll be right” attitude and get checked.

Tombstones will tomorrow be set-up on the step on the steps of Victoria’s State Library as a stark reminder as to just how bad putting off a check-up can be.

Ambassadors Sam Rowe, a former St Kilda and Carlton defender, and “chatty tram driver” and ABC Think Thank star Bruce Whalley, said men still have a way to go in starting the conversation around men’s health.

Former AFL footballer Sam Rowe, who has survived testicular cancer, and Bruce Whalley, star of ABC TV's Think Tank with tombstones to mark Movember. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Rowe, 31, who was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2012, had just gotten a second chance at his AFL dream as a draft pick for Carlton when he got the news.

“A lot of guys still have that philosophy that ‘she’ll be right,’” Mr Rowe said.

“I did put it off (myself) for a month before I got checked and I definitely would have gone longer without my misses pushing me to get checked.

“I had just been drafted to Carlton (and) I was really determined.

“(But) I missed a whole season … football definitely comes second to your health.

“Movember is a fun way to raise awareness and start that conversation.”

Mr Whalley, 65, says early detection has given him a new love for life.

The friendly Melbourne character — who has a family history of prostate cancer — was out riding his motorbike one day when he crashed, forcing him into a hospital bed where doctors made the lucky discovery.

“If I hadn’t of had the accident … It was a very aggressive cancer that would have killed me within 6 months,” he said.

“It’s like buying a ticket for a train ride, you get it but you don’t know what the destination is.

“But you want to make sure that you're on top of it and knowing you’ve got it is the first thing.

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New research from global company YouGov shows three in four Australian men don’t always go to a GP when they have a health problem, with 30 per cent of those aged 18 to 34 saying they “couldn’t be bothered.”

Movember’s Global Director for Testicular Cancer, Sam Gledhill said the findings showed “traditional stock responses … still reflect the majority of men’s attitudes towards their health.”

Find out how to get involved in Movember and change the face of men’s health by visiting Movember.com.