Brendan Fevola’s telling message exchange says it all amid AFL double tragedy

AFL great Brendan Fevola opened up about the mental health battles many AFL players face after the tragic deaths of Troy Selwood and Adam Hunter.

Brendan Fevola has opened up about why he feels sports stars are so susceptible to mental health struggles following the tragic deaths of former AFL players Troy Selwood and Adam Hunter, as the AFL great revealed the touching messages he has received in what he labelled a “pretty tough week”.

Following the former footy star’s heartfelt tribute to good friend Selwood earlier this week and the tragic passing of Hunter, Fevola led a raw and emotional discussion about the struggles of mental health on Wednesday morning.

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The 44-year-old admitted he has struggled with mental demons and for a long time was embarrassed to talk about it, revealing he often cried alone in his car as he was just too scared to seek help.

“I was embarrassed. I didn’t want to say anything about what I was feeling because I thought people would think less of me. I used to get in the car on the way home and cry to myself,” Fevola said on The Fox’s Fifi, Fev & Nick show on Friday.

“In the outside bubble of the AFL, the general public perceives footy players to be on a pedestal. They’re in the limelight, they’re on your TVs, and they’re treated like rock stars.”

Brendan Fevola has opened up about his mental health struggles. Image: Fox FM

And Fevola, who has spoken about his own mental health struggles on multiple occasions, says he has been contacted by several mates this week to check on him, which is a sign the stigma around it is slowly dissipating.

“I’ve had a pretty tough week and I’ve heard from blokes I haven’t heard from in 10 years and it’s been multiple (messages),” he said.

“Just checking in going, ‘Hey mate how are you going?’ and ‘Everything good?’ and I’ve never had that before even when I was going through my stuff.

“But even random blokes going ‘Hey mate I’m here for a beer’, that’s sort of a change which is good.”

Troy Selwood sadly passed away this week.

Adam Hunter tragically passed away this week.

Fevola played 204 AFL games across his illustrious 12-year playing career, lining up for Carlton and the Brisbane Lions.

In his AFL career, he won two Coleman Medals, and three all-Australian selections, and was inducted into the Carlton Football Club Hall of Fame last year.

But Fevola admits even he felt lost and down at times, especially following his decision to call time on his career.

“I’ve had my own (mental health) battles. I was drafted at 17. I was in Year 12. I was immature; I hadn’t grown, I didn’t have a degree, I didn’t have a trade,” Fevola said.

“I was straight into footy with no aspirations of doing anything else – all about footy

“There wasn’t any time to get out into the workforce and study, there’s some stuff now that the AFLPA do, but the average footballer lasts 3 years; that’s their whole career. Then they go out and they’ve got nothing.”

Brendan Fevola had an illustrious AFL career. Picture: NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui

And as calls mount for an AFL’s men mental health round to be introduced, Fevola said the stigma around sports stars’ struggles must change.

“We see it all the time that players have mental health problems, and I just feel like the AFL aren’t equipped … or doesn’t shine enough light on mental health for men.

“It doesn’t get spoken about enough … when I was going through some problems, I never told anyone. I thought I was this big footy player, I earn a bit of money, and if I said something I thought people wouldn’t like me.”

Fevola’s comments came after he gave a heartbreaking tribute to his good mate Selwood, following news of his passing earlier this week.

“Yesterday was a bit of a tough day — and I apologise for this morning, I’ve been a little bit off, I haven’t been myself — because I had a really close friend pass away,” Fevola said on Fox FM’s Fifi, Fev & Nick on Wednesday.

“Troy is a ripper. I was going through a bit of a tough time when I was up in Brisbane, and he was sort of the bloke that was there for me, which meant a lot to me.

“It’s just a real shock. Obviously in the footy world, we can have this persona that we’re tough and we can handle anything. But we are human and we don’t really speak about our feelings often — and that’s not just in the footy world, but as men in general.

“Obviously he was going through a bit of a tough time and it ended yesterday. He’s got two young kids … it’s just really upsetting and shattering that you just think: ‘What could you have done?’ But you can’t do anything. It’s so hard.

“He was only 40. You’ll hear stories about him and no one will say a bad word about him. He was just one of the really good ones.

“It’s just sad.”

Fevola also posted on Instagram: “Thanks for being there for me when I was going through a tuff (sic) time.”

“Best house mate I’ve ever had. Love you mate.”

In a week where the AFL was rocked by two deaths of former players, Essendon VFL senior coach Dale Tapping also passed away aged 59 following a battle with cancer.

Originally published as Brendan Fevola’s telling message exchange says it all amid AFL double tragedy