As someone who is approaching his 40s, this is something that is at the core of not only work-related activity, but through my own personal experiences of mental health and the difficult periods that I have had on a personal level.

After the 2016-2017 premiership win with South Hobart-Sandy Bay against North Hobart, celebrating that premiership win at the Clubrooms after a very competitive final and then hearing the news of a young 16-year-old that passed away through the bastard that is the Black Dog is something that still, sadly, lives with me each day and every Grand Final weekend, no matter whether involved in it or not. Going from celebration to heartbreak in an instant was simply a horrible feeling that is never forgotten.

Through 2022, close to Christmas, I also very nearly succumb to that struggle of the Black Dog, which took eight long weeks to fully recover from. All of that still lives with me personally from time to time as each anniversary approaches. And that I'll never shy away from admitting or acknowledging.

But, for us males in the older age group especially, education and talking and ensuring that you or someone else knows who to turn to when things are not great is something that can help anyone beat the Black Dog.

That, for me, given past events as mentioned, is something that is always front and center. Giving someone an option to go to when things are not great for them is something we all can do. And that work will always continue.