On the surface, modern athletes citing mental health battles as a reason they’re stepping away from the spotlight should be applauded as much as their respective sports and clubs or teams for encouraging anyone to come forward and get the help they might need.
We don’t have to go back too far to a time when the idea of speaking out wouldn’t have even been considered, and that the likely advice would have been along the lines of ‘just get on with it’.
Clearly, and like modern society itself, sporting bodies are much more aware of mental illness and coaches and team support staff are also much more attuned to the warning signs to watch out for; all of which helps the process of conversation about mental health, even it’s just a simple little question like ‘how are you going?’
Just in 2019, we’ve seen upwards of half a dozen AFL players cite mental health troubles as they took time away from the game. All of them stepped away with the blessing and full support of their clubs because they all know better than to say otherwise.
Last year, New South Wales and former Australian allrounder Moises Henriques spoke of being a “long time sufferer of mental illness” which manifested itself into a sudden withdrawal from the game while captaining the Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League the previous summer.
Henriques spoke of crippling fear of failure that nearly forced him to walk away from cricket, after he got to the point that he was so scared of not performing that he began blaming the game for his anxiety.
“Physically I couldn’t have been any healthier, couldn’t have been stronger or fitter, and I couldn’t have been batting or bowling better than I was at the time. I’d just had no enjoyment of playing the game,” he told the ABC’s Leigh Sales in an interview for 7.30.
Henriques was diagnosed with clinical depression, which became an issue in itself for him: “When he diagnosed me I felt like I lost, and I think that was the biggest problem because I’d almost turned competition into a life,” he said in the same interview.
Moises Henriques will be an English target. (AAP Image/Daniel Munoz)
“I’d almost turned cricket and sport into me versus depression, or me versus my mental illness, and mental illness won and that made me feel horrible.”
But after getting the help he needed and returning to the game last summer, he’s become a role model for other players around the country. Australian and Perth Scorchers bat Nicole Bolton credited Henriques for getting in touch early as she faced her own struggle last summer, which included time away from the game.
“He messaged me and reached out to me and we were in constant dialogue for weeks. He doesn’t know the role that he’s played, but it’s just unbelievable really,” Bolton told The West Australian in June.
Tasmanian opener Jordan Silk has spoken of the pressures, as has Western Australian and Australian spinner Ashton Agar. Victorian batting prodigy Will Pucovski has had a well-publicised battle with mental health in his rise to first class cricket and the Australian squad, too.
Most recently, of course, we saw Glenn Maxwell pull out of the Australian Twenty20 squad mid-series, while Victorian middle-order bat Nic Maddison just last week withdrew from the Australia A squad that played Pakistan in Perth.
It’s the second time Maddinson has stepped away, his first not quite three years ago after he battled with his shock Test selection and then omission three matches later.
The reaction to both players’ decisions spoke volumes for the massive improvements made within the game.
“I’m not sure what prompted it before Adelaide, even though he played that incredible innings and fielded the way he did – I don’t think he got much joy out of it,” Justin Langer said of Maxwell, as the Australian side moved from Brisbane – where Maxwell’s break was announced – and Melbourne.
“Nic has made the right decision and we are all behind him,” Australia A coach Graham Hick said of Maddinson.
“It is braver to speak up than to suffer in silence and I applaud Nic for having the courage to put his health first.”
Again, the way Cricket Australia and the game handled Maxwell and Maddinson’s decisions should be applauded. No-one knows how long either player will be away for, nor what sort of support they might need when they do feel ready to come back.
And this is where I start wondering if cricket in a broader sense has done enough to help players in all situations.
Maxwell and Maddinson were two players in form already this summer; both were batting beautifully. Maxwell was speaking about how pleased he was that his technical tweaks were bringing early success, while Maddinson had rocketed into Test discussions, having belted more than four hundred runs in his last four games for Victoria.
Glenn Maxwell (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
But what about players who aren’t in great form?
Are team support staff able to tell if a player is having genuine mental health struggles, or is just a bit low on confidence? It wouldn’t be hard to link the two, obviously, but everyone out of form is not necessarily going through mental health concerns.
And what of selectors? Are they being properly equipped to become better communicators with players they’re taking an interest it? And especially players they lose interest in?
Can a selector make a logical selection decision with the confidence that the player dropped won’t split into a bad mental state? The same goes for contracting, at the national, state, and franchise level.
This is perhaps the most important part of it all.
Cricket has done a wonderful job in encouraging players to speak out and feel supported when they do. At all levels, the game is played by people who love the game and who spend a lot of time together; your ‘cricket mates’ inevitably see you at your best and your worst.
But the support networks need to extend beyond just the players and coaches. Everyone involved can play a part, and everyone involved can have some kind of impact on someone’s mental state.
It’s great that Maxwell and Maddinson most recently have sought help, but ultimately, we just want them back doing what they do best, and doing it with the confidence that even when the cricket side of things get rocky again, the right measures are in place.
Which goes to show that there is always more to do. Even when you think you’ve done it.
Editor’s note: Since publishing this article, news has broken that Will Pucovski has withdrawn from Test selection to have a mental wellbeing break.
The Roar encourages all readers who may be suffering from mental illness to seek support from organisations such as Lifeline, Beyond Blue or Headspace.
TheGeneral
Roar Rookie
CA are not "managing" him. He nominated himself for all the ODI and T20 tournaments over the last couple of years and has travelled the world doing so. I would hope that CA has some input into the welfare of players, including Maxwell, but where does Victoria Cricket fit into this. All three players who have succumbed to mental health problems come from Victoria. You cannot assume that CA knew what was going on, and as I reported elsewhere from a paper today "he is said to have succumbed to mental and physical exhaustion after 18 months on the road". Maybe that is speculation but so are other theories put forward.
jc
Guest
Wouldn't you blame CA for managing him so poorly and not seeing the warning signs say 12 months in?
TheGeneral
Roar Rookie
Oh and by the way in the Herald Sun today by writer Jon Anderson "In Maxwell's case he is said to have succumbed to mental and physical exhaustion after 18 months on the road". So do not blame anyone including CA when you do not know the full facts.
MaxP
Roar Rookie
It is. But you being petulant and not accepting his explanation of what HE actually meant rather than what YOU thought he meant is not discussion. It is, frankly, you being a sook who cannot accept someone else’s viewpoint because it differs to yours. Discussion is great, but you also need to listen
TheGeneral
Roar Rookie
Instead of sniping at people, why don't you read Rob's balanced report on this topic. I do not know what CA said or did to Maxwell, and nobody really does. Maxwell had mental health problems in 2014, and took a break. He has played non stop for two years, and said he had not slept in his own bed for 200 nights. He has played many ODI and T20 tournaments in that time and has made fantastic money. (And I am not saying money is the be all or end all of the problem). Lets just let him and the other two work through this, and hopefully return very soon.
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
“Just accept what Brett was saying...” And here I was thinking the whole point of this site was discussion and sharing of different viewpoints and opinions. My bad.
anon
Roar Pro
Cricket Australia needs to look at how they go about things. A couple years back Maxwell had people publicly saying he needs to train smarter, threatening to put him at number 8 in white ball cricket which is absurd, was averaging 50+ in the wake of sandpaper gate but wasn't in the Test squad despite a brilliant century in a prior tour in India, CA told him not to play county cricket to rest for Australia A games then wasn't selected for Australia A, was implied that he would be selected for the UAE tour but then was left out so went for 8 months or so not playing red ball cricket. No wonder the guy said enough is enough. They were messing with a guy's livelihood, messing with his life.
Rob
Guest
It must be incredibly hard to play professional sport especially cricket. The relentless schedule, competition and pressure to preform much of the time away from family would most certainly test players mentally. The fact so much money is a driver is probably a big part of why players become obsessed and suffer depression. Maybe when supporters are criticising selection and rotating players in and out there is a bit more for us to consider? Getting the right down time is a balancing act and maybe encouraging players to be honest about their own head space is the best for everyone including teammates. Everyone is wired differently so being encouraged to speak up is right thing to do. IMO the Smith, Warner suspensions were not the end of the world and probably good for the players themselves in the long run.
MaxP
Roar Rookie
Mate, as I said in another post, just accept what Brett is saying and appreciate that he wrote a good article and is helping move the conversation about mental health along (as an aside, I think he quite clearly acknowledged the complexity of mental health in his responses). Wouldn’t it be great if it was no more significant than “Maxwell takes time out for laryngitis”? For people to treat mental illness like just another illness. So instead of splitting hairs with Brett on what you inferred his proximity to an assumption was, just be glad that we can talk about it rather than bottle it up, like “real men” did in the “good old days”. You’ll feel a lot better.
MaxP
Roar Rookie
No, we don’t agree at all. There is incontrovertible proof that there is a direct link between participation in elite sport and poor mental health outcomes. Why is there a specific branch called Sports Psychology? There are plenty of peer reviewed articles that refer to a significant amount of research in the area. Of course, the causes of poor mental health are exceedingly complex (hereditary, environmental, substance abuse etc), so in all likelihood the issues faced by Puckovski, Maxwell et al are not confined to being elite cricketers (but of course Brett did not even come close to suggesting this). But as stated before, there is a significant body of research that suggests that elite sport can have an inordinate mental effect. So it’s probably reasonable to suggest that these guys are affected by their job as professional sportsmen. And it is a great thing that there is growing acceptance of this link. I note you mentioned your personal experience with it and sensitivity. I’m sorry to hear that and hope you’re okay. But I think it’s important to keep some perspective on this. Nothing is gained by calling people out for not “really understanding” the issue of mental health. I have no idea what Brett knows about the topic and what his experience is. But he, and others, should be encouraged to participate in open conversations about this important topic, rather than being pulled up because you inferred he was “making assumptions”. It’s better to have a conversation. And I say this as a person with some mental health issues, in part caused by a former military career. Like elite sports, there’s absolutely no doubt the military can contribute inordinately to poor mental health
Brett McKay
Expert
Great comment, Josh, this is spot on..
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
Sigh... Whatever.
Josh H
Roar Rookie
Cricket is a unique sport in that players aren't necessarily in the action 100% of the time. Whether they're waiting to bat, waiting to bowl or waiting for a chance in the field, you only get a limited time to make an impact and you naturally are mentally on edge when waiting. But one good ball and your innings is over and you don't get to bat; one bad over and you don't get to bowl; one dropped catch and you can't stop kicking yourself for the rest of the day. On a professional level, the pressure of getting dropped because of one or two bad moments is immense. The mental breaks I speak of can often allow intrusive thoughts to ruminate and manifest in one's mind, which is why the prevalence of mental health issues seems to be more commonplace in cricket than most other sports. It's a wonder it's really only become publicised now.
Paul
Roar Guru
Completely agree it could be as you suggest Brett, but I'd really like to know what CA and other cricket administrations have in place for education, early detection and support for players. The recent spate of cases may well be the tip of the iceberg, but I should not have to wonder whether about whether there are strategies to deal with the issues I've mentioned, these should be plainly spelled out in easy to find places online. More to the point, player families, team mates, etc should also be able to access this information easily, so they can help manage players who may be exhibiting signs of mental health distress.
Brett McKay
Expert
Well, you try to say I didn't make the assumption, and then you keep saying I "veered a little too close for my liking". This whole thing is because of your interpretation. I didn't assume anything or veer anywhere.
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
Isn't that just what I said in my last response? :)
Big Daddy
Guest
The Australian selectors are doing their best to do everyone's head in. Constantly chopping and changing .
Brett McKay
Expert
Paul, I get what you're saying, but I wonder if it's one of those cases where increased awareness and changing attitudes towards mental health makes the increase in 'incidents' (for the desperate want of a better word) look worse than it actually is. For eg, on the surface, three high-profile cases in the last few weeks is cause for huge concern, and you might even be inclined to think that something must be very wrong within the elite programs. But is it a huge concern because there is a sudden spike, or is awareness and are attitudes so much better now that players feel more comfortable about speaking up? Are there genuinely more cases, or are there more cases because it's easier to make it known that you have a problem? Might there have been just as many cases in seasons past that went unrecognised or unreported?
Brett McKay
Expert
"Perhaps highlights that the game itself may have nothing to do with the issues people are facing, and we shouldn’t presume to guess." This is a very good point, Dave..
Brett McKay
Expert
A really good point Steve, and one that applies to multiple sports at the pro and semi-pro level. And I guess it ties into my point about managing the welfare of players going up and especially down the pecking order..