Tom Boyd has taken a leave of absence from Western Bulldogs to deal with depression

THE pressure of being a No.1 draft pick and receiving a multi-million dollar contract at age 19 have been identified as contributing factors in Tom Boyd’s mental health battles.

Tom Boyd will take a leave of absence. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

THE pressure of being a No.1 draft pick and receiving a multi-million dollar contract at age 19 have been identified as contributing factors in Western Bulldogs forward Tom Boyd’s mental health battles.

The Bulldogs revealed the 2016 premiership star had been granted leave from the club to deal with clinical depression and would be sidelined indefinitely.

A candid and concerned Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge said he believed Boyd had been “putting on a brave face” for some time given the pressures he had been under as a high-profile player.

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The 21-year-old joined the Bulldogs at the end of the 2014 season on a seven-year contract reported to be worth $7 million after just one season in the AFL with Greater Western Sydney.

Boyd will train privately with two club coaches on Thursday, having not joined teammates for the club’s main training session at Whitten Oval yesterday.

Beveridge said he was hopeful a return would not be too far down the track but said Boyd’s wellbeing was the club’s top priority.

“He’s optimistic that he’s going to be OK and he’s got a future in the game which is great from a football perspective,” Beveridge said.

Tom Boyd and Toby McLean celebrate a goal. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

“I think over a significant period of time Tom’s been grappling with this. It’s been a challenge for him and I have had ongoing conversation about how to manage the external noise and deal with the pressures of the game.

“He’s a young man through circumstances who has become a high-profile player well before his time due to the contract, being a No.1 draft pick as well. So over a long period of time he’s dealt with that.”

News of Boyd’s battles came just 13 days after the Bulldogs revealed teammate Travis Cloke’s mental health issues, while Collingwood’s Alex Fasolo missed one game earlier this season due to depression.

Beveridge said it was hard to draw comparisons between the situations of Boyd and Cloke, who is expected to make a return in the VFL on Sunday.

“I think as time goes by we can be more and more sensitive to it and continue to put mechanisms and frameworks around players and staff to help them in difficult times,” he said.

Beyond Blue chairman and former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett said mental health was a significant issue in the AFL.

“Yes, there’s no doubt (mental health is a big issue) about it, but not just football - all sports,” Kennett told Fox Footy’s Open Mike earlier this week.

“It is a big factor, and it’s a big factor for a number of reasons.

“These young men get identified early, (there’s) high expectations, some get picked up for AFL football.

“(There’s) expectations they put on themselves, put on by family, put on by friends, then put on by the club, then put on by the supporters, so they’re in a pressure-cooker.

“Secondly, most of them don’t do extra training (away from football) that is sufficient enough for them to prepare for life after ... the average playing life for a footballer is about three-and-a-half years now.

“Some last longer, some shorter, but it’s a fairly short life.

“The great worry I have now is that so much is expected of a player through training that there isn’t enough time left for them to be actually pursuing a proper education.

Kennett also expressed his concerns over players gambling, before saying sending a warning over mental health issues for footballers.

“It is a huge problem, and it is only going to get worse unless something happens.”

St Kilda veteran Nick Riewoldt said the AFL, the player’s association and clubs were working hard to improve work-life balance among players, with mental health issues “becoming more and more prevalent”.

“That’s very tough to do in reality because when you’re an athlete everything you put in your mouth you’re conscious of with your diet, the amount of sleep you get, it is all-consuming,” Riewoldt said.

“It’s a 24/7 lifestyle so finding that outlet, that can be difficult but all you can do is try and continue to evolve and adopt the best practices that are out there to give people an opportunity to be really healthy with respect to their mindset.”

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