Collingwood star Harry O’Brien left training early on Tuesday morning after earlier revealing he was suffering serious personal problems.
The AFL All-Australian had his arms around club president Eddie McGuire as he left the track at Westpac Centre.
When he arrived for training, O’Brien told waiting reporters he was battling depression and suicidal thoughts, and had been sexually abused.
O’Brien spent last weekend in Port Douglas after the club gave him time off.
The utility was ruled out of Friday night’s win over Carlton with an ankle injury, but it also emerged he had a flare up last week with coach Nathan Buckley.
Buckley was to hold his weekly media conference at noon.
In a startling development to the speculation surrounding O’Brien, he revealed before training that his issues went far deeper than just a disagreement with the coach.
“I’m going through issues that I sort of put in the past for a long time, including a long and very complicated history of sexual abuse,” O’Brien said.
“Suicide, depression, seeing someone get murdered, knowing who’d murdered that person and not being able to say anything because that person would probably murder you.”
O’Brien has previously spoken publicly about witnessing a murder in Brazil, where he was born, two years ago.
He’s also asked for the media to be sensitive.
“When the time comes, I will open up about these issues, but this is my personal experience and I have to do this in the public eye, and it’s really tough,” he said.
“And if you guys can give me a bit of space because I’m going through some real stuff here, real stuff.”
It is understood O’Brien and Buckley had an argument after the player exception to a comment the coach made about a team-mate’s nickname Lez, short for lesbian.
“Whatever you guys have been reporting is secondary,” O’Brien said on Tuesday.
“This is my real stuff and the club’s been fantastic in supporting me and protecting me.
“There’s even more I don’t feel comfortable in sharing.”
McGuire, speaking on his Triple M breakfast program, said on Tuesday morning that the club was giving O’Brien the support he needed.
“This is all about trying to do the right thing, to get him back,” McGuire said.
It is unclear when O’Brien will return to the side.
* Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 and MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78.
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