High-profile WA footballers get behind push for AFL to introduce men’s mental health round

High-profile West Australian footballers have added their voices to the growing momentum behind a men’s mental health round in the AFL. The push has ramped up in the past week since Carlton player Elijah Hollands’ public episode at the MCG earlier this month and after a plea from footy megastar Bailey Smith on national television. Hollands was seen acting erratically during his side’s loss to Collingwood and was hospitalised days later with what Carlton believes is was a mental health issue. His brother Ollie, who also plays for the Blues, flew to Perth ahead of their clash with Fremantle on Saturday night, but was withdrawn ahead of the game due to the club’s coaches and leadership group deciding it was not in his best interests to play. Men’s mental health was also put in the spotlight after the death of Adelaide captain Jordan Dawson’s brother Jaryd. Unprompted during a primetime post-game interview last week, Smith, one of the most popular players in the sport, called for a dedicated round to spread awareness. He later followed that up with an Instagram post to his 422,000 followers. “I don’t know if I’m out of pocket saying it, but I think it’s about time the AFL get a men’s mental health round,” Smith said after his side’s win over Western Bulldogs. “It just makes me feel sick during the week and hopefully the AFL community wraps their arms around them and we can do something.” After a fan suggested the Cats take the lead on the initiative, Smith said “we’re already on it (and) gonna try align with a few other clubs too”. Jordan Dawson returned to the field in the Crows loss to Brisbane on Sunday. Ahead of the game, he shared an exchange with Channel 7’s Joel Selwood, who tragically lost his brothers Troy and Adam last year. “It is a difficult period for him to go through,” Selwood said. “He’s just got to look after himself. He’ll find a bit of joy about being back out there today.” West Coast leaders Liam Baker and Brady Hough have come out in support of the initiative. “I’m an advocate for that for sure,” Eagles co-captain Baker told The West Australian after his side’s loss to St Kilda in Melbourne on Sunday. “The more rounds we can do like to show some awareness across the AFL not just for AFL players but men in general in society. “I’m sure there’s people in higher places making those calls and pushing that but all us players would be an advocate for anything that’s going to help even one person out there.” Ahead of the game, Hough said the events of the last few weeks had been “sad to see”. “I would support it 100 per cent. It’s tough to watch when things like that happen. I just feel for their families and hopefully everyone’s giving them as much support as they need,” he said. Former West Coast midfielder Brayden Ainsworth, who played 15 games for the Eagles, has become a mental health advocate since revealing his own struggles after departing the club in 2022. Ainsworth told The West Australian he would “love to see” an annual mental health-focused round introduced, but wanted the issue to remain at the forefront all year round. “Unfortunately, in the last year, we’ve had a handful of challenges in the mental health sphere in the AFL, and there’s plenty more that are going under the radar, unnoticed, or even players not being willing enough to speak up,” Ainsworth said. “There’d be players every single week that are having some sort of challenge, struggle, anxiety attack, performance anxiety, that you’re just not hearing about. “It just gets, I think, highlighted for two to three weeks, and then it just dissipates and fades away again, which I don’t want to happen. “Everyone’s aware about it, we talk about it, but sometimes, we talk about it when it’s too late, we don’t check on our mates until it’s too late, we don’t implement things until it’s too late. That’s why I love working in the pre-emptive space — it’s getting ahead of the curve, rather than waiting for the worst-case scenario to happen.” Ainsworth hailed the bravery of Smith revealing last year he had spent a month in 2024 receiving treatment in a psychiatric facility, but said he was disheartened to see his comments had not led to any ongoing change. Young Fremantle draftee Tobyn Murray also backed in the idea. “It’s a crucial thing, not only men’s, but women’s mental health and the more we can advocate for it, even away from football, the more we can support the people that are after help,” he said. “I definitely think branching out to a mental health around is putting it more out there for people that it’s okay to talk and we can support them.” The idea has also garnered support in the WAFL, with 2023 Sandover medallist Hamish Brayshaw saying the move was a “no-brainer”. “You’d ask 100 AFL players and 100 WAFL players and they’d all say yes, so I’m sure it will be introduced at some point,” Brayshaw said.