After losing two male players to suicide, the Central Football Club in Broken Hill was forced to initiate conversations around mental health.
The local tragedies were not isolated either, with similar incidents across the country spawning the creation of Lifeline's "How's Ya Mate?" initiative.
The program aims to reduce the risk of suicide at local AFL clubs – and recently a partnership connected one of women's footy's most recognisable former players with a grassroots girls team in the remote far west of NSW.
Former Adelaide Crows star Abbey Holmes — the first woman footballer to kick 100 goals in a year in any competition in Australia — is the first to acknowledge she's had her ups and downs before, during and after her playing career.
Pressures of life
As a high-profile Seven broadcaster, Holmes says one of the main issues she experienced — both now and in her playing days — was a lack of empathy.
"Then — in the broadcast world, working in the media — it's probably even harder for me now then when I was playing, because you are live to a nation.
"You might use a phrase wrongly and you'll get absolutely smashed," she told a Q&A session in the Broken Hill Civic Centre.
Holmes said one of the most important lessons she had learned was to engage with friends and family and form a support network that, as a player, could provide support in times of crises or doubt.
"I'm really lucky that I've got an amazing support network that I can lean on in any given moment, in any give time."
Holmes, along with Essendon Legend Dustin Fletcher and former Demons and Carlton player Brock McLean travelled to Broken Hill to share their stories and get the ball rolling about mental health.
"It's great for really prominent AFL figures to be vulnerable, to tell their stories, to share their stories," Holmes said.
"At the end of the day, [we] want to help other people make the right decisions and feel supported."
McLean — who played 157 games — spoke about his suicide attempt as well as his journey to a better head space.
Fletcher — who was only the third player to reach 400 games — spoke openly about the impact the Essendon drugs saga had on himself, his teammates and his friend and then Essendon senior coach James Hird.
All three spent the weekend listening and sharing stories about the highs and lows of life, with a simple goal of normalising conversations about mental health in Broken Hill.
"It's so important … from grassroots all the way through to an elite level. It's behaviours at [the] grassroots that carry on through," Holmes said.
She was also impressed by the pedigree of players from Broken Hill, with former West Coast Eagle and Docker Tarnee Tester starting out for a local side, and news of Jasmine Simmons this week being signed to the Crows AFLW rookie list.
While she remained tight-lipped about the possibility of a return to the silver city in the future, she didn't rule it out … however, next time with boots as well as mic in hand if she is ever given the all-clear from her current VFLW side, Hawthorn.
