Tackle Your Feelings program kicking goals in Aussie football clubs
With backing from the AFL Coaches Association and the AFL Players’ Association, Tackle Your Feelings is scoring points in the field of mental health at a grassroots level.
Since it was piloted in 2019, more than 10,000 participants have taken part in the program at 1000 clubs across Australia.
The program, delivered by a registered psychologist, is broken into three modules, and aims to deliver basic mental health literacy through group activities, a 90-minute workshop, self-paced online materials and videos on different mental health topics presented by recognisable AFL players and coaches.
These include Daniel Gorringe, who talks about developing anxiety in the U15s and wanting to drop out of sport altogether. “That was the start of a pattern than continued throughout my whole career,” he says. As he progressed to AFL’s star ranks with Gold Coast, Gorringe says he masked his feelings. “Deep down I loved the sport, but I hated being part of it,” he says. “It was super bitter sweet being up there.”
Gorringe says he made football his personality and based his worth on it. When he started playing for Carlton, his negative beliefs were taking over his life. “I wanted to be injured so I could use that as a scapegoat,” he says. Things got so bad for Gorringe that thoughts of not being around anymore were getting a grip on him and the idea of telling anyone about his suicidal idealtion was super hard.
“The first and best thing is to tell someone, so you are not doing it by yourself.” Gorringe eventually sought help, shared his burden, and stopped giving himself a hard time. He has found a new purpose helping others and brightening their day.
There are more lived experience stories at https://www.tackleyourfeelings.org.au/our-champions/ with Gold Coast Suns midfielder Touk Miller, Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin, North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson, former GSW coach Leon Cameron, former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley and former Demon’s player Neville Jetta.
Program coordinator Adam Baldwin says the impetus for Tackle Your Feelings came after Adelaide Crows coach Phil Walsh was stabbed to death by his son in 2015. Cy Walsh was found not guilty on the basis that he had undiagnosed and untreated schizophrenia at the time.
“We want coaches, committee members, players, to build the skills and have a conversation with someone who might be struggling,” he says. “You don’t have to be a therapist to be therapeutic.
“What we leave behind is a shared experience and a shared language that mental health is important.”
Tackle Your Feelings has been evaluated by a team of researchers from Monash University led by Justen O’Connor and funded by the AFL Coaches Association with support from Zurich International.
Their findings highlight the potential value of community sport as a setting to promote mental health promotion across a wide range of club members.
“Community sport offers an attractive setting for mental health promotion given its association with other health affirming opportunities tied to physical activity, social connection, and resource provision,” they state.
“Many coaches, administrators and members recognise they have a role to play in supporting mental health within their sporting communities.
“Studies to date have continued to recognise the potential value of community sport as a setting for mental health promotion, particularly when seeking to target men and boys.”
AFL is one of the highest participation sports in Australia with 820,000 people registered to participate in the game. Adam Baldwin says approximately 85% participants in community football are male.
“We are very much meeting people where they are,” he says.
“Football clubs play such a big role in communities. They can create a safe space for people to seek help if they need it, particularly in regional areas. Anecdotally we get lots of positive feedback from clubs. They are blown away that there is a free program that clubs can access. We are trying to create cultural change within clubs, where leaders in the club can drive change.
“It’s a vehicle to create broader change.”
Tackle Your Feelings would like to expand its reach and provide clubs with the resources they need to implement mental health awareness and support strategies, including appointing wellbeing coordinators at every club. “Ultimately, we want to keep evolving the program to serve the needs of the community and create systemic change.”
