Freddie sets a great example

BEYONDBLUE chairman Jeff Kennett wants current sports stars to follow the lead of former English cricket captain Andrew Flintoff and talk openly about depression.

Kennett praised Flintoff for being candid about his mental health issues on Network Ten’s reality show I’m A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here! on Sunday’s episode.

Flintoff told fellow identities Andrew Daddo and Brady Bunch TV star Maureen McCormick that he gave away the booze because of depression and still saw a doctor when he felt down.

Mr Kennett said too often sports stars open up about their issues postcareer and he has urged more of them to be candid about any mental illness issues while they are still playing.

“I appreciate Freddie coming out and I think it’s wonderful and I hope it continues to have an influence,” he said.

“The great disappointment is it comes after he finished his career.

“There are many sportsmen and women who come out after their career saying what they went through.

“Yet if they were able to talk about it while playing, who knows what level their performances might have reached if, in their mind and body, they were comfortable.”

Flintoff retired from Test cricket in 2009.

He said that it was a few years later, while doing a television show about sport stars who have suffered from depression, that he realised he too was having the same thoughts and feelings.

Once he identified with the illness he sought help and also gave up alcohol.

“I genuinely thought I had had enough of it (alcohol) and it catches up with you in the morning and, two, I suffer from depression and it doesn’t help at all,” Flintoff said.

“You just hit rock bottom afterwards. Life is so much easier with not having any. It’s like the things that tend to go wrong are drink-fuelled.”

Kennett said Australians were sympathetic to any sport star who had an injury and depression was a type of injury.

He said sports stars should be encouraged to be open about mental illness.

“The public are overwhelmingly generous and compassionate when someone indicates they have a problem they are dealing with,” Mr Kennett said.

“If you say you have cancer or a broken arm, everyone, people rush to your side in support and increasingly that is happening with depression.”

Daddo said that he was surprised but pleased to hear Flintoff embrace the subject and talk about it meaningfully.

“Freddie, all power to him,” Daddo said. “To talk about that in a good rational way and not make jokes about it.”

‘I appreciate Freddie coming out and I think it’s wonderful and I hope it continues to have an influence. The great disappointment is it comes after he finished his career.’

BEYONDBLUE CHAIRMAN JEFF KENNETT