Wayne Schwass says current AFL players must have a base level of respect for each other

LESSONS learned from the AFL’s fight against racism could help the code further eradicate unacceptable on-field sledging, says former player Wayne Schwass.

Wayne Schwass says current AFL players must have a base level of respect for each other. Picture: Michael Klein

LESSONS learned from the AFL’s fight against racism could help the code further eradicate unacceptable on-field sledging.

Former North Melbourne and Swans champion Wayne Schwass, a passionate mental health advocate through his Pukaup organisation, has continued to urge the AFL to embrace progressive attitudes to the subject believing it could have a “profound effect”.

As the fallout from last weekend’s vicious sledging attack on Carlton captain Marc Murphy by St Kilda players continued, Schwass said there should be a “base level” of respect among players, and clear understanding of what can and can’t be said.

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Schwass, who on Tuesday addressed a Trans Tasman Business Circle lunch attended by business and sports administrators including AFL Players Association chief Paul Marsh, said the AFL knows what can be achieved when it fully dials in for change.

Levi Casboult holds an angry Marc Murphy on Saturday. Picture: Michael Klein

He said players were now aware what was and wasn’t acceptable when it came to racial vilification, and also the reasons why some things shouldn’t be said.

Schwass believes that if league officials put more emphasis on mental health issues, on-field barrages could become a thing of the past.

“I’d like to see the AFL as a code really embrace mental health, like we did with racial vilification, like we’ve done with multiculturalism and a host of other issues. For me it seems to be the only missing piece of the jigsaw,” Schwass told the Herald Sun.

“The benefit of that, of changing attitudes and perceptions towards mental health will be profound. We’ve seen that with racism. Through education we have now changed the conversation around racism.

“We know how a filter individually and as a community, although some people don’t, but we now have a much better understanding of what’s ­acceptable, what you can’t say and the reasons why.

“That’s the opportunity we have around mental health. That’s the opportunity the AFL has, create the conversations, and the power of that conversation can lead to great change.”

Marsh said there was “no bigger issue” in the game than mental health, that one in five current players had identified they had, or have, issues, and the AFLPA has invested a significant amount in dealing catering to addressing the situation.

And he was fully supportive of ex-players like Schwass who had helped “destigmatise” issues for current players battling depression and other issues.