Danny Frawley interview

[Catoggio76]

Danny quit the AFL Coaches Association in May 2014. Interesting press release on a "review" of the AFLCA, at a time when Essendon case was still hot.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-05-14/frawley-quits-coaches-association

Frawley quits coaches association
Ashley Browne May 14, 2014 11:24 AM

THE WINDS of change are sweeping through the AFL Coaches Association following the resignation of chief executive Danny Frawley on Wednesday.

The former St Kilda captain and Richmond coach stepped down from his position amid a review of the association's operations and where it fits in the AFL landscape.

"I am proud of the many achievements of the AFL Coaches Association under my leadership and in particular the establishment of the many programs designed to assist with the professional development of coaches," Frawley said in a statement.

"Whilst a review of the role of the Association is underway, it is likely that the demands of the CEO role will broaden and that expectations of the role will grow, and I don’t feel that I will be in a position to dedicate more time to the role given my other commitments, and in particular my media responsibilities."

 

[Slartibartfast]

And you have absolutely no idea what I and my family have been through. So please excuse me if it tell you to go forth and multiply.


No s**t Einstein.

My point is people struggling with the sort of issues that he's dealing with, that aren't helped by the sort of people he's describing, can actually make them feel more worthless realising they don't have access to those sort of people.

It doesn't always help. But hey, you're the expert and the four dead relatives I have have taught me nothing about the subject.

It really appears you have learnt nothing.
So your saying, Spud should not talk about his issues due to his privelage life which others will be envious of??

 

[Slartibartfast]

Is it just me or in discussions like this, are the people who claim to be the most sensitive about mental health issues the most likely to use expressions like "flog" & get personal in an attempt to belittle people?

We've seen it a few times already in this thread.

No it's just you.
When you are critical of Frawley going public coz it's unfair on others who are not as privileged just shows how out of touch you are and not surprised you get some blunt feedback.

 

[MightyTiger]

Is it just me or in discussions like this, are the people who claim to be the most sensitive about mental health issues the most likely to use expressions like "flog" & get personal in an attempt to belittle people?

We've seen it a few times already in this thread.

I honestly hope that yourself, your children (if you have any) any brother or sister, any close family member never ever gets struck down by mental health, it's a disease that brings even the strongest man or woman to there knees, imagine one night going to sleep and your life seems perfectly fine, you wake up the next morning having thoughts about killing yourself, you can't leave your house because of the anxiety, every minute of the day is consumed by thoughts of killing yourself or harming the loved ones around you, the thoughts that nobody gives a s**t about you, your family would be better off without you on this Earth.

And yes, you are a flog, to think that because a person who is perceived to have the perfect life is immune to mental health, and because of his perceived enriched life that others are not privy to means he is exempt from mental health is a flog attitude to have. Good on Frawley for coming forward and telling his story, it gives hope to others suffering mental health problems that they aren't alone and it can affect somebody who is perceived to have everything at there feet.

 

[Catoggio76]

I honestly hope that yourself, your children (if you have any) any brother or sister, any close family member never ever gets struck down by mental health, it's a disease that brings even the strongest man or woman to there knees, imagine one night going to sleep and your life seems perfectly fine, you wake up the next morning having thoughts about killing yourself, you can't leave your house because of the anxiety, every minute of the day is consumed by thoughts of killing yourself or harming the loved ones around you, the thoughts that nobody gives a s**t about you, your family would be better off without you on this Earth.

And yes, you are a flog, to think that because a person who is perceived to have the perfect life is immune to mental health, and because of his perceived enriched life that others are not privy to means he is exempt from mental health is a flog attitude to have. Good on Frawley for coming forward and telling his story, it gives hope to others suffering mental health problems that they aren't alone and it can affect somebody who is perceived to have everything at there feet.

You blokes are arguing needlessly. The real issue is that Danny got sick because of the ESSENDON DRUGS CASE, which the AFL CEO's brother (Hamish) is trying to massage into something else, via his media job. You have both missed the deflection trick altogether.

 

[MightyTiger]

You blokes are arguing needlessly. The real issue is that Danny got sick because of the Essendon drgus case, which the AFL CEO's brother (Hamish) is trying to massage into something else. You have both missed the deflection altogether.

No he didn't get sick because of the Essendon saga, stop trying to turn it into something that it's not, he was stressed because he wasn't equipped for such a saga, it was one aspect of his life that he felt he wasn't equipped for, he spoke about several other issues in his life that lead to him having a breakdown.

 

[Catoggio76]

No he didn't get sick because of the Essendon saga, stop trying to turn it into something that it's not, he was stressed because he wasn't equipped for such a saga, it was one aspect of his life that he felt he wasn't equipped for, he spoke about several other issues in his life that lead to him having a breakdown.

Please learn to read between the lines. The "Essendon Drugs case", in all its glory, cost Frawley his health. Period.

 

[MightyTiger]

Please learn to read between the lines. The "Essendon Drugs case", in all its glory, cost Frawley his health. Period.

No it didn't, so stop trolling, I hate Essendon like everyone else for what happened during that period, but that situation was one part as to why he had a breakdown, as he himself said so in the article, it was one factor amongst many.

 

[Catoggio76]

No it didn't, so stop trolling, I hate Essendon like everyone else for what happened during that period, but that situation was one part as to why he had a breakdown, as he himself said so in the article, it was one factor amongst many.

I hope your Public Relation firm pay you well.

 

[JeffDunne]

I honestly hope that yourself, your children (if you have any) any brother or sister, any close family member never ever gets struck down by mental health,

I've been to four family funerals due to mental health . . . but thanks for your concern.

And yes, you are a flog, to think that because a person who is perceived to have the perfect life is immune to mental health, and because of his perceived enriched life that others are not privy to means he is exempt from mental health is a flog attitude to have. Good on Frawley for coming forward and telling his story, it gives hope to others suffering mental health problems that they aren't alone and it can affect somebody who is perceived to have everything at there feet.

So you lack comprehension as well as being self-righteous? Not a good mix.

You might want to try and understand what people are saying before climbing onto that soapbox.

 

[MightyTiger]

I've been to four family funerals due to mental health . . . but thanks for your concern.

And you still act this way towards mental health?

Very odd.

 

[Alesana]

Please learn to read between the lines. The "Essendon Drugs case", in all its glory, cost Frawley his health. Period.

I don't know how you can put it down to one aspect of his life with no sleep for 3 weeks. The unrealistic mentality he had which he mentioned went back to when he was 8 years old on the farm was the root of it, the Essendon saga was merely a catalyst. My own anxieties started when I was about 10 and I didn't hit rock bottom until I was in my early twenties when a couple of events tipped me over the edge. The events didn't cost me my health, it was building up for over a decade, the events just set it off.

 

[JeffDunne]

And you still act this way towards mental health?

Very odd.

"Act" what way? What's odd is your self-righteousness.

I'm saying I know from personal experience that to some, a relatable story about mental health can very quickly turn destructive when the story becomes unrelatable. Not everybody has access to CEOs, the head of Beyond Blue, highly paid psychiatrists & friends in the media that can help them build a career selling that success story. It certainly doesn't help when those people also say things like taking anti-depressants is now like popping like smarties (yes I'm paraphrasing).

No problems with people telling their story, especially how they got to a point where they realise they needed assistance, but can we at least have professionals in on the conversation when explaining how to deal with it?

My experience is too many of these "success" stories can fuel unrealistic expectations and exacerbate the worthlessness felt by some people. It also can help trivialise their experience to people around them that think everyone can be "cured".

Apologies for having an opinion on the subject.

 

[MightyTiger]

"Act" what way? What's odd is your self-righteousness.

I'm saying I know from personal experience that to some, a relatable story about mental health can very quickly turn destructive when the story becomes unrelatable. Not everybody has access to CEOs, the head of Beyond Blue, highly paid psychiatrists & friends in the media that can help them build a career selling that success story. It certainly doesn't help when those people also say things like taking anti-depressants is now like popping like smarties (yes I'm paraphrasing).

No problems with people telling their story, especially how they got to a point where they realise they needed assistance, but can we at least have professionals in on the conversation when explaining how to deal with it?

My experience is too many of these "success" stories can fuel unrealistic expectations and exacerbate the worthlessness felt by some people. It also can help trivialise their experience to people around them that think everyone can be "cured".

Apologies for having an opinion on the subject.

You do realise in this story of his, he went and seen his local GP (everyone has access to one of them) and also a psychiatrist (again everybody has access to one as well) to help him in his time during his breakdown, how exactly is that any different to anybody else in this Country?

 

[Bunk Moreland]

I don't know how you can put it down to one aspect of his life with no sleep for 3 weeks. The unrealistic mentality he had which he mentioned went back to when he was 8 years old on the farm was the root of it, the Essendon saga was merely a catalyst. My own anxieties started when I was about 10 and I didn't hit rock bottom until I was in my early twenties when a couple of events tipped me over the edge. The events didn't cost me my health, it was building up for over a decade, the events just set it off.

Yep.

You can't put 10 rocks on a man's shoulders, then say it was the 11th and 11th only that made him collapse.

 

[mxett]

I'm saying I know from personal experience that to some, a relatable story about mental health can very quickly turn destructive when the story becomes unrelatable. Not everybody has access to CEOs, the head of Beyond Blue, highly paid psychiatrists & friends in the media that can help them build a career selling that success story. It certainly doesn't help when those people also say things like taking anti-depressants is now like popping like smarties (yes I'm paraphrasing).

mental health is quite prevalent among high achievers and those people who are driven to succeed. I would suggest DF's story about how he came to terms with his illness, and moved beyond his pride to get help, would be very relatable to this cohort. To me, this is the real message in his story, not that he had easier access to help than others.

 

[thejester]

I understand the positivity about a prominent bloke's bloke speaking out about mental health, but the real story here is surely Frawley admitting a) he was given a job that he didn't have the skills to do, b) that his media role compromised his ability to do the job even further, and c) the two factors conspired to really badly hurt him (as well, presumably, as the Essendon coaches). Do you think the industry will take heed?

 

[theprospect]

Personally I always thought Spuds best interview was 'for bitter or worse' - the Triple M boys loved it as well

 

[The Donners]

BigFooty can be full of dumb shits

We still keep coming back though.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

I understand the positivity about a prominent bloke's bloke speaking out about mental health, but the real story here is surely Frawley admitting a) he was given a job that he didn't have the skills to do, b) that his media role compromised his ability to do the job even further, and c) the two factors conspired to really badly hurt him (as well, presumably, as the Essendon coaches). Do you think the industry will take heed?

It's not the real story. It's the story from a footy point of view, but his goes beyond that.

 

[aussierulesrules]

personally I can't relate to people unraveling because a charmed life came to an end.

Then maybe this is where you should have stopped speaking?

And you have absolutely no idea what I and my family have been through. So please excuse me if it tell you to go forth and multiply.

Just as you have no idea of what Danny has been through, by your own admission above.

Yet you got on your high horse about it re him, while telling someone else here to go f themselves for doing exactly what you've done re Danny.

Hypocrisy 101.

Is it just me or in discussions like this, are the people who claim to be the most sensitive about mental health issues the most likely to use expressions like "flog" & get personal in an attempt to belittle people?

We've seen it a few times already in this thread.

No s**t Einstein.

Evidently they are.

Hypocrisy 101.

personally I can't relate to people unraveling because a charmed life came to an end.

I'm tired of the "you don't what your talking about" responses

Then maybe you should stop talking about things you admit to not being able to relate to?

Another that feels they have the right to abuse others from the comfort of their self-constructed high-horse.

Said the pot to the kettle.

What's odd is your self-righteousness.

Said the pot to the kettle.

 

[aussierulesrules]

I'm saying I know from personal experience that to some, a relatable story about mental health can very quickly turn destructive when the story becomes unrelatable. Not everybody has access to CEOs, the head of Beyond Blue, highly paid psychiatrists & friends in the media that can help them build a career selling that success story.

Who says that a story like this has to be relatable to everyone though? There's no law or rule that says he has to be everything to everyone. He's one guy probably doing his best, who has very little experience of this, by the sounds of it. He's just telling his story, so it might help others.

OK, so maybe not everyone who is going through mental illness will be able to relate to Danny's story, if they aren't as "successful and privileged", but do you know who might be able to be helped by it? Those who are in a somewhat similar situation to the one Danny was or is in, who can or do relate. They matter, even if they have more stuff than some or most others.

If no-one like Danny spoke up in that sort of situation, then most if not all in a similar situation could continue to suffer, because they think they're alone in what they're going through and "shouldn't be feeling that way", because they have the so-called "perfect life".

This story might not help those who are suffering from mental illness who are less "well off" and find Danny's story un-relatable, but that's where they need to find help from either the stories of those who are in a similar situation to them, who they do relate to, or from someone who is able to help them, like Beyond Blue, or whoever is there for those who don't have much money or support, such as bulk billing GP's and so-on.

Even those with no money at all who really want to help themselves could at least go into a public library and find books in there on depression or mental health, or use a public computer there to find some answers. Ok, so the answers might not come as easily to them as they might to a Danny Frawley, who has money, good contacts and so-on, but who cares? Should we only do things that are easy, and give up if they get hard? Or should we do the hard things that we know will be worthwhile, because they'll be the most rewarding?

If you really do care about this and truly want to make a difference, rather than continuing to be as bitter and hypocritical as you're coming across in this thread, then how about instead of venting about him in a thread on a footy forum, you get in touch with Danny and in a constructive manner, tell him about your concerns about the way he's going about this and what your experience has taught you and how you believe he could do it better.

Like I said, he's probably brand new to this, and if he too really wants to make a difference, then he's probably got plenty to learn on what he can do to better help others. It sounds like you could potentially help him with this.

If you're not prepared to anything to make a positive difference though, please don't then complain about how things aren't being done in the way you believe they should be.

 

[JeffDunne]

I do find it interesting that people who say they are concerned about mental health issues aren't in the least bit concerned about the cottage industry that's sprung up where failed celebrities use their mental health experiences to help reboot their career or use it as cover.

That often trivialises mental health & these people can do more harm than good. For example, do people think Gary Lyon's admission of mental health problems post getting caught with his pants down helps a tradie come forward and admit they have mental health problems?

In the case of someone like Spud, who claims he now understands the issues around mental health, just this year alone he took Rod Butterss to task for telling his mental health story, said he'd love to coach against a team like Richmond because they were "mentally weak" & his network had to apologise for him poking fun at racial stereo types when there was a game in China. And they are just the episodes I can remember.

Doesn't sound to me Danny has learned much at all.

 

[mxett]

I do find it interesting that people who say they are concerned about mental health issues aren't in the least bit concerned about the cottage industry that's sprung up where failed celebrities use their mental health experiences to help reboot their career or use it as cover.

That often trivialises mental health & these people can do more harm than good. For example, do people think Gary Lyon's admission of mental health problems post getting caught with his pants down helps a tradie come forward and admit they have mental health problems?

they may not help a tradie, but mental illness isnt unique to tradies. It effects all walks of life, so Spud and Gary's story will resonate with someone. I also dont see how claiming you have a mental illness somehow helps people enhance or reboot their career. I certainly dont see how it will help Spud, nor do I see how it helped Lyon.

In the case of someone like Spud, who claims he now understands the issues around mental health, just this year alone he took Rod Butterss to task for telling his mental health story, said he'd love to coach against a team like Richmond because they were "mentally weak" & his network had to apologise for him poking fun at racial stereo types when there was a game in China. And they are just the episodes I can remember.

Doesn't sound to me Danny has learned much at all.

having a mental illness certainly doesnt mean you're immune from mistakes or errors of judgement. In fact, quite the contrary. Depression and anxiety can cloud your judgement

 

[Slartibartfast]

I do find it interesting that people who say they are concerned about mental health issues aren't in the least bit concerned about the cottage industry that's sprung up where failed celebrities use their mental health experiences to help reboot their career or use it as cover.

That often trivialises mental health & these people can do more harm than good. For example, do people think Gary Lyon's admission of mental health problems post getting caught with his pants down helps a tradie come forward and admit they have mental health problems?

In the case of someone like Spud, who claims he now understands the issues around mental health, just this year alone he took Rod Butterss to task for telling his mental health story, said he'd love to coach against a team like Richmond because they were "mentally weak" & his network had to apologise for him poking fun at racial stereo types when there was a game in China. And they are just the episodes I can remember.

Doesn't sound to me Danny has learned much at all.

I think your trying to justify your hate.
There is no need to sit in judgment on anyone who is claiming mental health problems whether you believe it or not.
What we see in the media of celebrities is not real world. For you to assume that you have a handle of where a particualr person is at to the point that you can say they are faking it or attention seeking is just naive.