LOGAN’S PASSION:
MOMENTS after kicking the goal that assured Leopold of the 2016 GFL premiership, Logan Wagener ran back to his position and tapped the tattoo on his left forearm that read “Built For More”.
It was a tribute to Mia, the sister he never met after she was stillborn more than a year before Wagener himself was born.
The hardship he and his family went through was the catalyst for the small forward to help others who may also be suffering mentally.
From “Built for More” came “Lean on Me”, a slogan carried on a series of T-shirts Wagener developed to support others.
“The last few years I’ve been around it directly with friends and family members. As I’ve grown older too, I’ve realised what an important issue it is,” Wagener said.
Joining 12 For Twelve — a group raising funds for mental health group beyondblue — earlier this year, Wagener realised he could do something to lessen the stigma surrounding mental health. For someone interested in fashion, Tshirts were the obvious choice.
“I started going to their session three to four months ago and that sort of gave me the confidence to try and make a change,” he said.
“It’s something I’ve thought about for quite a while, but didn’t really know how to attack it.
“We’ve got a culture where we joke around with each other, which is awesome, but when it comes to serious conversations we sort of step away from it.
“I want people to know that whether we’re at footy training or at work, we’ve all got busy lives but they can lean on me.”
Wagener said breaking down the barriers of the macho environments of sporting clubs was also a big reason for creating the Tshirts, which are available through Wagener himself.
“I’ve definitely thought about that and the response I got from this group made me feel proud. To get the boys around it was positive,” he said.
“We don’t want to be known as just footballers — we know in this day in age people go through hard times and when they come to this footy club we’ve got people here if they need.”
Going forward, the 20year-old former GFL Rookie of the Year wants others to take strength from something as simple as the shirt they are wearing.
“I want to walk down the street and see someone I don’t even know wearing the same T-shirt, so I get comfort that I’m in a society where people are going to accept there are mental health issues,” he said. The ‘Lean on Me’ T-shirts are available directly from Logan Wagener for $25 each. All proceeds go to 12 For Twelve.