Pie praised for public mental health stance
COLLINGWOOD coach Nathan Buckley has applauded the “courageous stance” of Alex Fasolo to go public with his mental health battle.
Fasolo will miss Sunday’s AFL clash against Fremantle in Perth, with Buckley saying the cry for help this week emphasised the need “to keep looking out for each other”.
“Alex has been exemplary in his openness and communication of his depression and letting people in on it,” Buckley said.
“We’ve got great people at the footy club who are experts in this field and will continue to work with him and other boys and staff around the area of mental health.”
AFL chief Gillon McLachlan echoed Buckley’s com- ments, saying it was vital that anyone with a mental health issue was able to seek help.
“All of us in the community need to understand that seeking support is often the hardest and most difficult step for a person to take,” McLachlan said.
“Collingwood’s Alex Fasolo has currently taken the step to say he needs help and his family, friends and club and the wider football community is rallying around him. Our responsibility as a community is to allow him, and all people, to seek the help they need.”
Fasolo’s mental health fight, and the omission of fellow goalsneak Jarryd Blair, has potentially opened the door for Collingwood to debut the son of a gun against the Dockers.
Small forward Callum Brown – the son of former skipper Gavin – has been included among five additions to their extended 25-man squad, with ruck-forward Mason Cox and defender Henry Schade in the mix.
Buckley said increased scrutiny on social media could not be blamed as the sole reason for depression.
“There’s no doubt there’s high scrutiny, but there’s plenty of reasons,” he said.
“And I think making the assumption that scrutiny brings it about is flawed.
“There’s plenty of people in the general population that struggle with mental health and depression.
“One in five is the figure that’s thrown around.
“And if that’s true, for us that means we’ve got eight or nine players who even though they might not be truly aware of it or opened up about it, have a mental health issue.”