Swim community concerned for Grant Hackett’s wellbeing, but not everyone is cutting him slack

GRANT Hackett’s former teammates — including Ian Thorpe — saw his latest meltdown coming. Others fear what’s to come.

Grant Hackett during his swimming comeback in 2015.

GRANT Hackett’s latest meltdown has sparked a wave of concern in the swimming community but not everyone is willing to continue to make excuses for him despite what has been described as a serious battle with mental illness.

Radio host Tom Elliott says it’s time for the swimming legend, who was described as a “danger to the community” by his brother, Craig, after being arrested at his parents’ home no the Gold Coast on Wednesday, to take responsibility for his situation.

“We cut Grant Hackett so much slack. I guarantee you this, if he wasn’t a dual Olympic gold medallist he would not be getting all the sympathy he’s getting now,” the 3AW drive host told Sunrise on Thursday morning.

“The fact is he terrorised his own family years ago, apparently smashed up some of his own children’s toys. He obviously has a problem with alcohol because some of the things he has done while drinking have been terrible to say the least. And now this. When do you say, ‘Now Grant, you’re an adult, time to take charge of your life and stop acting so stupidly’?”

The Australian Swimmers Association reacted to Hackett’s fall from grace by raising the difficulties some of its members face in transitioning to normal life after their careers finish, but Elliott believes Hackett’s profile earnt him “so many opportunities that most people don’t get”.

“He had a very good job with the bank. Channel Nine offered him a news hosting job that plenty of people in the media would absolutely kill for,” Elliott told Sunrise. “It wasn’t like he was bereft of opportunities after he stopped competing in swimming. He had more opportunities than most people get and it looks like he’s just chucking it away.”

‘A BEN COUSINS-TYPE SITUATION’

Former Australian Olympic swimmer Grant Hackett leaving Southport Watchhouse. Picture: Jerad Williams

Many of Hackett’s former colleagues at Channel Nine expressed concern for him on Thursday morning, including Weekend Today co-host Tom Steinfort.

“It is sad to watch,” Steinfort told Today. “For those of us that know him, he’s a really good guy. But like so many people that find themselves in these situations, when they are at their best, they are fantastic and when they are at their worst, they are shocking.

“It was terrible to see these pictures coming through yesterday of him in a pretty ordinary state. You’ve got to admire his family though. They spoke so well and actually gave a bit of perspective to the battle that they’re all going through trying to support him through these tough times.”

But Steinfort fears for what is to come. “Look, when you start to watch repeated incidents like this, you start to think a little bit of a Ben Cousins-type situation,” he said. “You only hope it doesn’t go that way.”

KOWALSKI SAW WARNING SIGNS

Ian Thorpe and Daniel Kowalski watch Grant Hackett swim at the 2015 Australian Swimming Championships. Both saw warning signs in their teammate in recent months.

It came after ASA general manager Daniel Kowalski, a former teammate of Hackett, revealed he “sensed something wasn’t right” with the former champ during a visit to his home on the Gold Coast late last year.

Kowalski shared his concern with fellow swim star Ian Thorpe, who spent the New Year period with Hackett.

“When yesterday happened I must admit I wasn’t totally surprised,” Kowalski told SEN Breakfast. “It was more a matter of when, not if.”

“A lot of us have realised ... he’s very good at hiding that he has issues, other than when these incidents have exploded,” Kowalski added. “That’s my biggest concern. He’s lived with this for so long and covered it up for so long. Hopefully he can look in the mirror now and say ‘it’s now or never’.”

Kowalski said the sport of swimming had taken steps to address the lack of support its athletes were receiving in the mental health area after the 2012 London Olympics but said funding (his organisation operates on a $140,000-a-year budget) was “not even remotely close” to what sports like football and cricket enjoyed.

“What we’re dealing with here, and it’s pretty evident in the language (the family) used, this is mental illness. We have to look at that for what it is. It’s a very serious issue,” Kowalski said.

“In terms of what the sport of swimming can do, or is doing? What was obvious post-London was we weren’t doing enough in the wellbeing of our athletes.

“When it gets to Grant’s situation, I just don’t what more the sport could have possibly done.”

SWIMMING’S FORGOTTEN ERA

ASA president Marieke D’Cruz said Hackett wasn’t getting the help he needed. “I mean, quite obviously not,” D’Cruz told Today.

“It’s incredibly sad and I very much feel for the Hackett family. His parents are lovely. His brother obviously. They all care very much for him. And this was clearly a cry for help yesterday having to call the police. It’s very, very sad and my heart goes out to them.”

D’Cruz admitted athletes in Hackett’s era weren’t handled correctly after their time in the spotlight ended.

“Certainly not when Grant was coming through and I was coming through at the same time,” D’Cruz said. “Athletes go through an identity crisis, especially those that have been at the top of their game for the entirety of their lives. Grant was challenging at 16 or 17 years of age.

“He has been the best in sport for so long and then when he stopped ... what made him who he was, was taken away from him, and that’s very difficult for any athlete. I went through that identity crisis as well.

“Suddenly, you go out into the real world and you may not have a degree or you may not have a great job like all of your friends and family do. Suddenly, who are you? What drives you? What are you passionate about? It’s very difficult to find something that you’re as passionate about as the sport that you’ve been involved in for so long. And I think that’s why so many athletes struggle.”

Originally published as Swim community concerned for Grant Hackett’s wellbeing, but not everyone is cutting him slack