Fears over mental health in AFL hubs as players feel stress of the road
More Victorian players are expected to fly home from their Queensland hubs in coming weeks.
More Victorian players are expected to fly home from their Queensland hubs in coming weeks as premiership coach Adam Simpson warns life on the road “exacerbates” mental health challenges.
Carlton’s Liam Stocker, 20, jetted home last week while Western Bulldogs star Lachie Hunter, 25, withdrew from playing on Wednesday to deal with personal issues.
Hunter did not play in Thursday’s scratch match against Gold Coast but went for a run with his injured teammates and while Stocker is back living with his parents he plans on returning to the Blues’ hub next month.
“Players are aware that if the challenges in the hub are too much to continue they have that choice to come out of that environment,” AFL Players Association player development boss Ben Smith said.
“A lot of the decisions of players who have left the hub are not just in relation to their own personal wellbeing, but their families.”
Geelong’s Gary Ablett and Richmond’s Bachar Houli and Shane Edwards are all at home supporting their families.
Stress levels have reached new highs for players this season after they collectively sacrificed $90m in wages plus their living conditions to keep the season alive.
They are still required to live under stage 3 restrictions.
West Coast settled into its Gold Coast hub with three big losses although Simpson said players were always going to have ups and downs.
“Sometimes you’ve got to step away from the game and that’s when it becomes a little bit more public,” he said.
“You look at the hub situation it probably just exacerbates it a little bit more when you’re away from home and sometimes those resources aren’t there for you for support.”
It comes as the AFL moved next week’s Hawthorn-Carlton game in Perth to Friday to give the teams an extra day.
Smith said anxiety mirrored problems felt in the community with hundreds of players worried about their job security.
AFL football operations manager Steve Hocking said a resolution on list sizes was “still a fair way off” while Smith said some players living in hubs had lost their sense of identity.
“Those who pursue other interests had to put a lot of those things on hold,” Smith said.
“Those things give them routine and structure away from football. They give them respite from the game and if you’re not getting that balance that can potentially be problematic for an extended period of time.
“Whether it be studying on campus or community engagement programs, they give them a real sense of purpose.”
Unlike when West Coast, Fremantle, Adelaide and Port Adelaide relocated, the AFL is now advocating for players to bring their families into the hubs.
AFL great Jonathan Brown said the “novelty” of life on the road would wear thin for Victorian clubs in Queensland.
Herald Sun
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