Adam Treloar reveals battle with anxiety, says it nearly made him miss games
By Daniel Cherny
24 September 2018 — 7:15pm
Collingwood star Adam Treloar has revealed he came close to missing games in the first half of 2018 as he dealt with debilitating anxiety.
Well before the mid-season hamstring injuries which threatened to end his season, the gun midfielder had weekly discussions with Magpies coach Nathan Buckley and leadership and culture manager Nick Maxwell about whether he was mentally right to play.
“There was a chance I was going to miss quite a bit,” Treloar told The Age.
“There were times when I wasn’t going to play. I’d chat to my psych, I’d chat to Maxy and Bucks, and we’d come to an agreement that it’s best that I do play.
“Up until I got injured, I was struggling with my own mental demons about coming out to play.”
Speaking ahead of his first AFL grand final, Treloar said he would not have got through his turbulent season without his partner - Collingwood netballer Kim Ravaillion - and his mum Darlene.
“My relationship with my mum, and with Kimmy especially, helped save my season.
“I just love [Kimmy]. I can’t explain in words what she means to me."
He was also full of praise for Buckley and Maxwell.
“[The club has] been enormous. Nothing to do with football, all they cared about was about me as an individual. Bucks, Nick Maxwell, who I absolutely love and adore. They helped me
massively.
"I don't consider [Bucks] as a coach. My relationship I have with him, and I'm sure all the other players have with him, is a bond, a friendship, a brotherhood."
Treloar said his anxiety - previously known only to a handful of people - wasn’t primarily related to on-field matters, but that his “demons” pervaded his football.
“It wasn’t whether we were winning or losing, I just had anxiety,” he said.
“I just struggled with a few things. I was struggling away from footy. The anxiety about it, and the worry about it. I was seeing a few people.
“I’ve got a great relationship with my psych Jacqui Louder, who I know is world-renowned.”
Treloar explained that his bizarre double-hamstring injuries, suffered in the round 14 win over Carlton, initially provided something of a relief from the weekly stress of mentally preparing himself to play.
“I always had the option to miss a game here and there because mentally I wasn’t right. But when I did my hamstring, I wasn’t in that predicament anymore,” he said.
“The first two weeks [after the injury] I was like ‘this is actually really refreshing, I feel great.’ And then from then on out, two weeks after my injury, I was desperate to get back to play.”
Treloar stressed that he believed he was far from alone within the AFL’s playing ranks in dealing with anxiety, but that others just dealt with it differently.
“You talk about mental health and sport, and athletes, I tell you what, it’s definitely around, it happens. You never sort of think it’s going to happen to yourself, but I was definitely going through my own demons. I’ve come out the other end.”
Treloar said he hadn’t experienced the issues until this year, but agreed he had always set very high standards, which he suggested had stemmed from his humble upbringing in suburban Melbourne.
“I’m my own harshest judge. I critique my game harder than what my coaches or anyone else critiques,” he said.
“I think it comes from my early years growing up. We didn’t really have much.
“Because I always wanted to make a name for myself, I held such a high standard when I came through junior footy, that’s come through me with to AFL.”
Treloar paid tribute to a host of his teammates, including lesser-lights Jack Madgen, Adam Oxley and Nathan Murphy, who were dropped ahead of the finals, and veteran defender Lynden Dunn, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in round 15.
"If we want to win this for someone, we definitely want to win this for 'Dunny', because he's another one who we absolutely love and adore."
For help in a crisis contact: Lifeline 131 114, lifeline.org.au; beyondblue 1300 224 636, beyondblue.org.au; SuicideLine 1300 651 251 or MensLine 1300 789 978
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl...arly-made-him-miss-games-20180924-p505ph.html
By Daniel Cherny
24 September 2018 — 7:15pm
Collingwood star Adam Treloar has revealed he came close to missing games in the first half of 2018 as he dealt with debilitating anxiety.
Well before the mid-season hamstring injuries which threatened to end his season, the gun midfielder had weekly discussions with Magpies coach Nathan Buckley and leadership and culture manager Nick Maxwell about whether he was mentally right to play.
“There was a chance I was going to miss quite a bit,” Treloar told The Age.
“There were times when I wasn’t going to play. I’d chat to my psych, I’d chat to Maxy and Bucks, and we’d come to an agreement that it’s best that I do play.
“Up until I got injured, I was struggling with my own mental demons about coming out to play.”
Speaking ahead of his first AFL grand final, Treloar said he would not have got through his turbulent season without his partner - Collingwood netballer Kim Ravaillion - and his mum Darlene.
“My relationship with my mum, and with Kimmy especially, helped save my season.
“I just love [Kimmy]. I can’t explain in words what she means to me."
He was also full of praise for Buckley and Maxwell.
“[The club has] been enormous. Nothing to do with football, all they cared about was about me as an individual. Bucks, Nick Maxwell, who I absolutely love and adore. They helped me
massively.
"I don't consider [Bucks] as a coach. My relationship I have with him, and I'm sure all the other players have with him, is a bond, a friendship, a brotherhood."
Treloar said his anxiety - previously known only to a handful of people - wasn’t primarily related to on-field matters, but that his “demons” pervaded his football.
“It wasn’t whether we were winning or losing, I just had anxiety,” he said.
“I just struggled with a few things. I was struggling away from footy. The anxiety about it, and the worry about it. I was seeing a few people.
“I’ve got a great relationship with my psych Jacqui Louder, who I know is world-renowned.”
Treloar explained that his bizarre double-hamstring injuries, suffered in the round 14 win over Carlton, initially provided something of a relief from the weekly stress of mentally preparing himself to play.
“I always had the option to miss a game here and there because mentally I wasn’t right. But when I did my hamstring, I wasn’t in that predicament anymore,” he said.
“The first two weeks [after the injury] I was like ‘this is actually really refreshing, I feel great.’ And then from then on out, two weeks after my injury, I was desperate to get back to play.”
Treloar stressed that he believed he was far from alone within the AFL’s playing ranks in dealing with anxiety, but that others just dealt with it differently.
“You talk about mental health and sport, and athletes, I tell you what, it’s definitely around, it happens. You never sort of think it’s going to happen to yourself, but I was definitely going through my own demons. I’ve come out the other end.”
Treloar said he hadn’t experienced the issues until this year, but agreed he had always set very high standards, which he suggested had stemmed from his humble upbringing in suburban Melbourne.
“I’m my own harshest judge. I critique my game harder than what my coaches or anyone else critiques,” he said.
“I think it comes from my early years growing up. We didn’t really have much.
“Because I always wanted to make a name for myself, I held such a high standard when I came through junior footy, that’s come through me with to AFL.”
Treloar paid tribute to a host of his teammates, including lesser-lights Jack Madgen, Adam Oxley and Nathan Murphy, who were dropped ahead of the finals, and veteran defender Lynden Dunn, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in round 15.
"If we want to win this for someone, we definitely want to win this for 'Dunny', because he's another one who we absolutely love and adore."
For help in a crisis contact: Lifeline 131 114, lifeline.org.au; beyondblue 1300 224 636, beyondblue.org.au; SuicideLine 1300 651 251 or MensLine 1300 789 978
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl...arly-made-him-miss-games-20180924-p505ph.html
