{"id":31342,"date":"2016-02-29T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-02-29T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cms.fiveaa.com.au\/uncategorized\/mental-illness-a-hidden-disease-hurting-every-afl-club-says-mark-robinson\/"},"modified":"2016-02-29T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2016-02-29T00:00:00","slug":"mental-illness-a-hidden-disease-hurting-every-afl-club-says-mark-robinson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms.fiveaa.com.au\/show\/mental-illness-a-hidden-disease-hurting-every-afl-club-says-mark-robinson\/","title":{"rendered":"Mental illness is a \u201chidden disease\u201d hurting every AFL club: Robbo"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chief footy writer at the Herald Sun Mark Robinson says every single AFL club has players on its list who are battling mental illness.<\/h3>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s not a single person at a football club, if you talk to them, from general manager of football to CEO who don\u2019t tell me that they have players on their list who are suffering or dealing or battling mental health issues,\u201d Robbo told Rowey and Bicks on FIVEAA.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s not a single club. It\u2019s still like the hidden disease.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the weekend, Robbo published an in-depth interview with Gary Ablett in which the superstar said his Christianity has helped him throughout his stellar career.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no doubt it takes away the pressures and expectations you put on yourself,\u2019\u2019 Ablett said in an interview with the Herald Sun<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe way I see it, football is a game and I\u2019m so blessed to be doing what I love and I can go out there and know that giving my best is all that really matters. I feel sometimes there\u2019s all these external expectations put on these young players and they struggle with that because their identity is based on that, their identity is based on how they perform as a footballer. It\u2019s wrong,\u201d Ablett said.<\/p>\n

\"Gary<\/p>\n

Gary Ablett, Gold Coast Suns | Image | Getty<\/h6>\n

He said he had been struggling with some personal issues in his early 20s when he had a Godly experience, which changed his life.<\/h3>\n

\u201cI won\u2019t go into too much, but I had a Godly experience when I was in my early 20s,\u201d Ablett said during the interview.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve spoken to people close to me about it, but I was really struggling with some things in my life at the time. I remember praying to God and saying, \u2018God, if you\u2019re real I need your help right now.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cI had an amazing Godly experience through that time and that was probably when things changed in my life. I started going back to church and every since then it\u2019s best thing that\u2019s happened to me. Jesus changed my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Speaking on FIVEAA on Friday, Robbo said everyone had to come to grips with mental health.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a real understanding and learning curve for the players, the clubs, media and fans,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

LISTEN TO MARK ROBINSON HERE:<\/h3>\n