Fasolo praised for raw courage

MENTAL health campaigner Wayne Schwass says Alex Fasolo will be liberated by his brave admission of depression as he returns to football today.

Schwass said yesterday the Collingwood forward would receive a thunderous reception after his courage in coming forward with his battle with mental health.

With Jamie Elliott missing with an ankle injury, Fasolo will play a key role in a Collingwood forward line struggling with inaccuracy.

The silky forward put his hand up to play on Monday after a week off and Schwass said he was thrilled the small forward was ready to go.

“The supporters will universally admire and applaud the fact Alex is back after such a short time out,’’ he said.

“The fact this is now in the public domain, we can safely assume that this has taken a tremendous amount of pressure off the shoulders of Alex.

“He’s able to go into the game not having to hide this illness he has been dealing with, not having to worry about what the response will be from his club and supporters. I am not saying he’s over it, but he has an element of freedom he didn’t have two weeks ago and that’s really important.”

Schwass and fellow depression sufferer Nathan Thompson paved the way for public admission of mental health battles with their groundbreaking admissions over the years.

Only yesterday Thompson said he felt “bankrupt as a person” until a breakdown in front of coach Peter Schwab in the mid-2000s saw him seeking professional help.

“When you are hiding it, so much pressure goes into hiding it,” Kangaroos and Sydney champion Schwass said.

“It’s out now and that’s a liberating feeling for Alex and anyone who is in this position, we now know what he’s been dealing with.”