Players no longer feel the need to keep medical conditions secret

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In Melbourne there has been widespread sympathy and encouragement for Hawthorn full-forward Nathan Thompson as he has recently revealed a long battle with depression. Read more at real footy and at the Herald-Sun. In Sydney, there has been a varied reaction to the announcement that Willie Mason has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This condition normally is diagnosed in children and teenagers, but is related to behavioural problems of adults. Some commentators have offered sympathy to Mason, whilst others have been cynical about the diagnosis. It is a mixed blessing that the private lives of players is under the microscope so much. Perhaps it is unfortunate that players feel the need to go public with medical information that they may prefer to keep private. On the other hand, it is terrific for sufferers of mental illness to know that famous people are living with these conditions as well, and treatment is available and should not present nearly the same social stigma as it once did.

[injuryupdate]

This follow up article in the Herald-Sun (Mark Stevens) this week:

DEPRESSION is officially a serious problem in AFL football, with close to 10 per cent of players admitting they have sought help.

AFL Players' Association president Peter Bell has branded depression a "huge issue" that runs through all levels of the game.

Of 521 players questioned in the Herald Sun-AFLPA survey, 44 – or 8.4 per cent – have put their hands up for assistance.

Bell, concerned about the level of pressure on players, believes the real figure would be even higher.

"There'd be a lot more guys who have some form of depression . . . even though 8.4 per cent seeking help is pretty high," Bell said.

"Many guys wouldn't even be aware they'd be suffering from it a little bit. Footy's still got that culture where you don't really ask for help."

The findings come in the wake of Hawthorn forward Nathan Thompson's public outpouring in May about his on-going battle with clinical depression.

Bulldog Scott West and Carlton's Glen Bowyer have also spoken openly about fighting mental demons.

Beyond Blue, an organisation building awareness about the problem, states one in five people will suffer from depression at some time in their lives.

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said he was surprised so many players ticked the box and admitted they had sought help.

But the result reflected Demetriou's view of the extent of the problem.

"It further reinforces why we need organisations like the AFLPA to put programs in place to provide support," Demetriou said.

"It's a serious issue in the community and our players are not immune from what happens at community level.

"They are human beings, individuals, young men who will experience the highs and the lows as young people do.

"They are in a pressure-packed environment playing football. Sometimes with a higher earning capacity can come a downside – particularly when you might not be able to cope with that."

Bell, the Fremantle captain, said the fans would find it difficult to understand how much pressure is on players.

"Unless you're actually involved, playing football, you wouldn't realise the pressure that's placed directly on you by your own footy club and the intense scrutiny from outside," Bell said.

"You're getting pretty much a job evaluation from the entire football population every week.

"It's very, very tough and I know the guys really struggle with it week-to-week. There's a lot of pressure.

"As an aside, I was listening to a Scott West interview at the weekend and he said `physically my body's fine – I could keep going on for ages – the question is mentally whether I can handle the stress any more'."

Bell said stress hits both stars and fringe players.

"We are forever battling the general perception of people looking at footballers and saying `what on earth would they have to be depressed about?'," he said. "That's not to say it's not a great job, but there's a lot of stresses that go with it."