Dew focus on player wellbeing at Suns

GOLD Coast Suns coach Stuart Dew knows the value of supporting his players’ mental health – but that doesn’t mean he’ll be holding hands and cooking meals.

In the wake of Jesse Hogan’s internal club suspension at Fremantle, the AFL spotlight has fallen on staff management of players and how delicate issues such as mental health and welfare are handled.

Dew ranks Gold Coast’s player support systems among the best in the country, but cautioned it was a matter of balancing support with “education and openness”.

“We’ve got really good support systems (and) our personal excellence department has really grown,” he said. “We’re certainly aware of the challenges young men and women face in the game today and the pressures, so we’ve wrapped a fair bit of support around there.

“But it’s also about education and an openness from the leaders of the club around making sure people feel comfortable to voice where they’re at, how they’re feeling and obviously getting any particular treatment they need.”

With the Suns fielding a young list, and an incoming AFLW side likely to feature teenage talents, Dew stressed the importance of developing healthy player habits to tackle issues such as mental health and wellbeing early on. “It’s less about doing things for them; it’s less about cooking meals and driving them around,” he said.

“We want to grow good, strong young men and young women … and make sure they’re ready for the real world, because it is a bit of a bubble.”