Private struggles of footy legend Danny Frawley revealed

There was personal heartbreak and “darkness” for footy legend Danny Frawley in the weeks before his tragic car crash death on Monday.

Footy legend Danny Frawley suffered heartbreak and personal strain before his tragic death on Monday, reports have revealed.

The 56-year-old St Kilda Hall of Famer died at the scene of a car crash near Ballarat in Victoria on Monday. He was the only person in the car which crashed into a tree around 1.30pm (AEST) in what Victoria Police have described as a “significant collision scene”.

His death has devastated the AFL community and left a gaping hole where the much-loved larger-than-life personality worked tirelessly for the game and everyone in it.

The former Richmond coach has left behind a legacy of mental health advocacy, emerging as a key figure in the steps forward the game has taken to address its mental health issues.

His personal battle with depression and his brave determination to share it publicly was a powerful message that cut through to reach countless people inside and outside the game.

While going public with his ongoing mental health battles in recent years, it has emerged this week the Fox Footy analyst and larrikin was still enduring secret personal struggles that even the courageous, open-book leader was fighting in private.

The Age reports Frawley’s 29-year marriage with wife Anita was breaking apart. Reports earlier this month stated Frawley was struggling to cope with the breakdown, compounded by deteriorating money problems.

The report claims Frawley was struggling financially. The result of a major investment opportunity that went bad.

Danny Frawley’s death has devastated football.

Frawley had reportedly told those close to him about the issues weighing him down — but they were still shocked and dismayed at the news of his death on Monday.

Legends from all walks of life, including Brisbane champion Jonathan Brown, were shattered when paying tribute to Frawley on Monday night.

Fellow Fox Footy On The Couch panellist Garry Lyon was too upset to appear and Frawley’s close friend Jason Dunstall also grieved in private.

With his family issues spiralling, Frawley continued to front up to face his daily demons.

He increased his workload in coaching as a consultant with St Kilda and as an assistant coach at St Bedes and spoke recently of his eagerness to continue coaching Victoria Country in 2020.

He never pulled a punch during his TV career with Fox Footy and again starred in the light-hearted Bounce program filmed in Melbourne on Saturday evening before Richmond’s win over Brisbane.

All the while, he was “suffering” — according to close friend and St Kilda great Michael Roberts.

Matthew Richardson with former coach Danny Frawley in 2002.

Roberts told Seven’s Talking Footy on Monday night of Frawley’s bravery at fighting for others’ mental health and wellbeing when he himself was regularly struggling.

Roberts comments came after Western Bulldogs great Luke Darcy declared Frawley leaves behind an immortal legacy of mental health awareness and for Australian men to speak up about their private battles.

“And you have to take that back a bit because he suffered and he suffered badly,” Roberts said.

“And he got out of it and there’s troughs too. So he’s had to work hard not only to express himself, but to also look after his own wellbeing. To do that and to get over that hurdle and then to go talk about it is massive and that just shows the character of what he is all about.

“I used to walk the beaches with him for hours just talking with him and he was up and down like a trough.”

Herald Sun chief footy writer Mark Robinson described Frawley’s mental health battle as a “darkness he couldn’t shake”, noting the devastation he felt after departing a commentary role at Triple M in 2015. “He lost his self-worth when he lost his Triple M job and the company of Dunstall, Lyon, (James) Brayshaw and BT (Brian Taylor),” Robinson wrote.

‘THINGS BUBBLED OVER IN HIS LIFE’

Hawthorn president and Beyond Blue founding chairman Jeff Kennett revealed he’d had personal discussions with Frawley about his depression.

“He came and saw me and we spoke on a number of occasions to try and address some of those issues and he fought the good fight. But it really got him down,” Kennett told Sunrise on Tuesday morning.

“You work so hard in your life — and he’s got such a beautiful family — and in the end I suspect, I don’t know for sure, no one does but I just feel as though things bubbled over in his life.

“It’s very hard when you hear of a death of a friend.

“But more importantly when you know how much they’ve tried to address and adjust the things Danny talked about himself.”

Danny Frawley has already been inducted into St Kilda’s hall of fame.

Frawley was a fierce mental health ambassador since he suffered a self-declared “mental breakdown” in 2014 which sent a shudder through the entire footy community.

Having suffered in silence during his five-year coaching tenure at Richmond before he was sacked in 2004, Frawley made it his mission to stop other AFL coaches going through what he did when he took up the position of AFL Coaches Association chief executive.

During the infamous Essendon supplements saga and the messy fallout which saw former coach James Hird suspended and Essendon players banned from the 2016 AFL season, Frawley was again brought to breaking point.

He told the Herald Sun’s Sacked Podcast recently he suffered an episode when leaving the MCG in 2014 when he got to his car and was so overwhelmed by his mental health and the stress of his position that he had completely forgotten where he was supposed to drive to.

His wife, Anita, needed to come and collect him from the parking lot.

It was the spark that convinced him to seek help — and a spark that has now convinced many others in the sport to do the same.

“The most frightening thing happened when I was at the MCG one afternoon,’’ he told the Herald Sun.

“I was sitting in the car park, behind the wheel. I had no idea where to go, or what to do. I just thought (depression) was like a broken arm.

“It took me three or four years to come out. I am well aware when I do too much now what a lack of sleep does to you.

Coach Danny Frawley leaves behind a legacy of mental health awareness for Australian men.

“Basically it turns you insane. Through those Richmond years I never lost a wink of sleep. Not a wink. Back in the day I was a stoic farm boy. Seven generations from Ireland, potato farmers. If you have got an issue, grab a tissue. If you have an ailment work it off. If you have a big one on the squirt, get up an hour earlier and work it off. That was in your DNA.

“Manning up in the past was to suffer in silence. Manning up now is to put your hand up. I have got no problem talking about mental health and what I went through because I hope I help a lot of people in that.”

Renowned as one of the AFL’s great full-backs, Frawley played 240 games for St Kilda between 1984-95.

He captained the Saints for 177 games, then a club record.

Frawley coached Richmond for five years, taking them to a 2001 preliminary final.

But it was their only finals appearance under Frawley and impatient Tigers fans turned on him.

The club sacked him in 2004 and that was one of the reasons for the mental health problems that dogged Frawley over the last few years.

He is survived by his wife Anita and daughters Chelsea, Danielle and Keeley.

If you or someone you know needs help, contact BeyondBlue on 1300 224 636 or Lifeline on 13 11 14. RUOK? is a suicide prevention charity that aims to start life-changing conversations.

— with AAP