AFL player Adam Treloar made his mark at Somerville Junior Football Club on Wednesday (19 July), when speaking about the importance of talking about men’s mental health, particularly in sport.
In partnership with Left & Right Counselling, the Western Bulldogs player and Left & Right’s CEO Daniel Lennon encouraged young players “to talk before they act”.
Treloar said he was passionate about supporting young men to find the courage to speak up.
“While the conversations around mental health are improving, the culture of men not talking about their emotions in sport continues to be a problem,” he said.
“I want to help inspire young people out there, to not only strive for their goals, but to take care of themselves in the process – and that starts with having open conversations about mental health.”
Lennon said 80 per cent of the young people who sought help at Left & Right Counselling were female.
“But it’s not because they are the only ones suffering – young men are just too afraid to talk. The mental health of young people in Victoria is declining, especially around the Frankston and Mornington regions.
“While social media has a lot to answer for, so does our government as it continues to defund free services, like our own, putting more vulnerable teens at risk amid this growing mental health crisis.”
First published in the Mornington News – 25th July 2023
