By RMIT student Jullian Sardana
Beyond the flags and the trophies draped across locker rooms, suburban footy clubs are tackling some of society’s biggest challenges.
Mental health issues, often triggered by gambling and drug and alcohol issues, are impacting many footy players at the local level.
Thankfully, footy teams in Melbourne’s West are becoming more aware of mental health programs aimed at improving well-being.
One organisation delivering support is Outside the Locker Room (OTLR), a non-profit charity that provides critical education regarding mental health and other social issues.
OTLR chief executive officer, Todd Morgan, has visited footy clubs across Melbourne’s West and found a common factor contributing to mental health challenges among suburban players.
“Across Victoria this year, there has seemed to be an increase in gambling, especially in those aged between 16 to 20,” says Morgan.
“We walk into a sporting club and we find that gambling is a big issue and sports betting apps are easily accessible.”
According to Gambling Help Online, around 600 out of 2,136 requesting help were young people aged 15 to 24 years old.
This is a 16 percent increase in the number of young people aged 24 and under contacting the help service in the 2022-23 financial year.
Despite efforts to highlight the dangers of gambling, sports betting advertisements always find ways to entice new gamblers.
“They use comedians to try and get you to download their app and place bonus bets while also using bright colours and catchy lines,” Morgan says.
“OTLR’s gambling sessions are about awareness of how easy it is to get sucked in and how to then notice a sign that someone is gambling more than what they should,” he says.
“It’s about how we identify when gambling’s gone from a little bit of fun to now become a challenge which is a really hard thing to get across to people.”
However, to address these challenges OTLR relies on service fees to run their programs, unlike other organisations such as the Ahead of the Game which is funded by the AFL and Movember.
“We’re not fully funded, so that’s something that we’re still working on whether it’s through the government or philanthropists,” says Morgan.
“Asking for a fee to run a mental health service can be difficult at times.
With some local sports clubs taking the initiative to improve their mental well-being, organisations like OTLR have taken strides to make themselves more accessible and supportive.
“We created what we call well-being partnerships, where we have different partnerships and referral bases in place to supply to sporting organisations and clubs,” Morgan says.
“We work with the Australian Counselling Association and work through their local councillors to provide those details to local clubs.”
“We also worked with an organisation called StandBy Support After Suicide.”
“We receive calls and we’ll provide guidance and put them into contact with those organisations so they get the support they need to get through that,” he says.
OTLR have recently agreed to a two-year well-being partnership with the Point Cook Football and Netball Club, which will provide resources to combat mental health challenges their members may face.
“We’ll also look at putting six to eight of their members from their club through mental health first aid training, which is a three-year accreditation course,” says Morgan.
“That way we’re leaving a lasting impact at the club.”
For more information about Outside the Locker Room, visit their website: https://otlr.org.au
