Danny Frawley reveals regrets from radio ‘boys club’

Danny Frawley concedes he had a chip on his shoulder after joining the media when he was sacked as Richmond coach. But he regrets being “really childish” by trying to publicly settle scores with journalists. SACKED PODCAST

Jon Ralph

2 min read

August 29, 2019 - 12:43PM

Danny Frawley in the Triple M box.

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Danny Frawley says he regrets settling scores over his sacking while a part of Triple M’s “boys club”, not aware at the time it was part of his deteriorating mental health.

Former Tigers coach Frawley has since become a champion of mental health awareness, saying his own mental breakdown allowed him to turn his life around.

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But after going straight from coaching to Triple M, he got sucked into the kind of blokey humour and mentality that allowed him to go to war with those who had slighted him at Richmond.

Frawley says he now regrets the kind of running battles with Herald Sun journalist Mark Robinson that turned into a weekly war between media organisations.

He was trying to juggle his media roles with his challenging position as AFL Coaches Association chief executive helping Essendon officials in the ASADA crisis.

“I would be the first to admit that I had taken my eyes off the ball. I was struggling with depression at that stage and I had no idea I was,” he tells the Herald Sun’s Sacked podcast.

“I was trying to be on the Bounce, Triple M back in the day were very risque, was sort of the boys club and you were either in or out. We had that demeanour and when the Essendon thing was put on the front page, I am dealing with litigation, I am dealing with a lot of coaches accused of something they didn’t do.

Danny Frawley (right) hams it up with Triple M’s commentary team Jason Dunstall (left), Brian Taylor and Garry Lyon.

“I always wanted to be a premiership player, a premiership coach, always wanted to be the No. 1 one in the media, wanted to be a great administrator, wanted to do everything.

“There was always a bit of a chip on the shoulder, looking back in the media, and it was no one’s fault. A few media people gave it to me on the way out as a coach and when I was at Triple M, it was a chance for me to get back at them.

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“That was really childish. It was human nature but it became untenable, and I have probably destroyed a few friendships over it. I have sort of got over it because I knew that wasn’t the person I wanted to be.

“I really respect Mark (Robinson). We were at each other, me more than him. I can’t take those comments back, but he probably holds a grudge. I don’t, but I understand if he does, I get that. A lot of my remarks were personal. I can’t take them back but I hope he accepts that for what it was at that stage with my health.”

Frawley says he is proud he was eventually able to access support for his mental health, with his public battle helping destigmatise mental health issues in the AFL.

“Hopefully I am a bit of a sounding board for coaches who go through a scenario where they are losing sleep. For God’s sake get out there and talk to someone about it. I never talked to anyone, I was stubborn. I didn’t sleep for three weeks and the result of that was I basically had a nervous breakdown.

“It basically did my head in and out of that I got major depression and looking back I probably had bits of depression all the way through.”