Supporting our players

[Cotcho]

So I was just wondering about someone like Chris Yarran and before him to someone like Reece Mckenzie. I am not going to sit here and pretend to be at all knowledgeable about mental health but is there something that we can do as fans, more than simply buying a membership and turning up on game day?

Could we do something like get all of our 70,000 members to complete an online survey for a player like Yaz. Could be 3 questions; What do you like about his game, what you are looking forward to having him in the team and how much you appreciate him putting in the effort each day. And then when he walks into the club each day he can have a text message or card or anything just to remind him that people care. It could be quite uplifting. (assuming that the club medical and psychology team approve that it won't be counter productive for this particular player of course)

I don't know if it's appropriate at all, whether it would have any impact but wouldn't it be great to be able to provide our collective support on just the regular days?

Anyone have any other ideas of how to collectively make our club stronger other than the more traditional methods?

 

[Madness101]

I really like the general idea. I don't have time right now to think/write anything else, but thought I should bump it up and see if anyone else can have some input.

 

[Frustrated Tiger]

Maybe we could bake them some cupcakes as well. ....

 

[Rance2Mewtwo]

This is actually a really good and novel idea.

The club website could ask supporters to submit their messages of support, and an official can scan the answers (obviously) to pick out the best ones, then print out a hundred of them in the office.

Each day, they stick one up on Yaz's locker.

It'd be pretty uplifting and if he felt he didn't want it, then he could just ask to read them all at once, or to not read them at all. Whatever he wants.

I think they did something like this for Graham Polak on the club website so he could read all the messages at once, or I might be thinking of something else on the website. There's a lot of positive support for Yarran on here and it'd be great for him to feel that support without having to actually come on here and read the inevitable negative that comes with all social media.

 

[Cotcho]

This is actually a really good and novel idea.

The club website could ask supporters to submit their messages of support, and an official can scan the answers (obviously) to pick out the best ones, then print out a hundred of them in the office.

Each day, they stick one up on Yaz's locker.

It'd be pretty uplifting and if he felt he didn't want it, then he could just ask to read them all at once, or to not read them at all. Whatever he wants.

I think they did something like this for Graham Polak on the club website so he could read all the messages at once, or I might be thinking of something else on the website. There's a lot of positive support for Yarran on here and it'd be great for him to feel that support without having to actually come on here and read the inevitable negative that comes with all social media.

This

 

[Sassafras]

Maybe we could bake them some cupcakes as well. ....

Red velvet cupcakes. Best.

 

[RememberRoyce]

My mother could do some embroidery. .WE LOVE YOU.

 

[Crumpet_avenger]

Maybe he could just look at his paypacket and realise if he throws all of this away then he will be a pleb like the rest of us.

I dunno what he is going through but this softly softly approach this day and age doesnt work. Mitch clark. Reece mckenzie. Ben cousins. Cuddles dont fix everything

You get paid big bux to play a game. Cant handle it then piss off so someone else can have a go.

Sick of this hippy hugathon crusade

 

[Sassafras]

Great thread. It is a piss take though right?

 

[Ned_Flanders]

Maybe he could just look at his paypacket and realise if he throws all of this away then he will be a pleb like the rest of us.

I dunno what he is going through but this softly softly approach this day and age doesnt work. Mitch clark. Reece mckenzie. Ben cousins. Cuddles dont fix everything

You get paid big bux to play a game. Cant handle it then piss off so someone else can have a go.

Sick of this hippy hugathon crusade

Whats your experience treating mental illness?

 

[wart101]

Maybe we could bake them some cupcakes as well. ....

What the * is this supposed to mean?

 

[wart101]

Maybe he could just look at his paypacket and realise if he throws all of this away then he will be a pleb like the rest of us.

I dunno what he is going through but this softly softly approach this day and age doesnt work. Mitch clark. Reece mckenzie. Ben cousins. Cuddles dont fix everything

You get paid big bux to play a game. Cant handle it then piss off so someone else can have a go.

Sick of this hippy hugathon crusade

wow really? you're an idiot and you can't even see it, the mods should probably put a stop to this thread real fast before the OP's point is lost to the opinions of damn wits like this and people getting angry like me.

 

[Frustrated Tiger]

What the **** is this supposed to mean?

Just saying that whist we submit words of encouragement and love that we could also do something nice for them.

 

[Ancient Tiger]

Maybe he could just look at his paypacket and realise if he throws all of this away then he will be a pleb like the rest of us.

I dunno what he is going through but this softly softly approach this day and age doesnt work. Mitch clark. Reece mckenzie. Ben cousins. Cuddles dont fix everything

You get paid big bux to play a game. Cant handle it then piss off so someone else can have a go.

Sick of this hippy hugathon crusade

Until you have someone close to you (family or friend) that suffers from mental illness, you will never appreciate the magnitude of the problem.

 

[fleabitten]

Until you have someone close to you (family or friend) that suffers from mental illness, you will never appreciate the magnitude of the problem.

I think you can make the case that the "softly softly" approach isn't any more effective than the "man up" approach. With all the awareness and support available today, suicide numbers are actually going up. It's a complex issue, though.

 

[Helen Wheels]

With all the awareness and support available today, suicide numbers are actually going up. It's a complex issue, though.

Once upon a time, suicides weren't acknowledged as such and not reported publicly because it was considered a "crime against god" for which you were damned to hell for all eternity. You were a disgrace to yourself and your family and your legacy was s**t.
A less judgmental attitude in the community towards suicide has increased the reporting rate.
There are also more people in the world now, so the number of suicides would increase in proportion.

 

[fleabitten]

Once upon a time, suicides weren't acknowledged as such and not reported publicly because it was considered a "crime against god" for which you were damned to hell for all eternity. You were a disgrace to yourself and your family and your legacy was s**t.
A less judgmental attitude in the community towards suicide has increased the reporting rate.
There are also more people in the world now, so the number of suicides would increase in proportion.

Yep, like I said it's complex. I just don't blame some people from older generations who are critical of the "softly softly" approach. Often they've lived through much more difficult times with very little support and to them the younger generations can seem like whiners. Personally, I think it varies from person to person and some people may indeed be better served by being told to harden up a bit. Overall though, I agree that a less judgmental and more supportive attitude is the way to go.

 

[tugga]

Maybe he could just look at his paypacket and realise if he throws all of this away then he will be a pleb like the rest of us.

I dunno what he is going through but this softly softly approach this day and age doesnt work. Mitch clark. Reece mckenzie. Ben cousins. Cuddles dont fix everything

You get paid big bux to play a game. Cant handle it then piss off so someone else can have a go.

Sick of this hippy hugathon crusade

This approach has been proven to significantly rise the possibility of suicide among people (especially young men) with a mental illness.
Treatment, not scorn.
It's the same as an infection or a disease, except it's in the brain.

 

[Ned_Flanders]

I think you can make the case that the "softly softly" approach isn't any more effective than the "man up" approach. With all the awareness and support available today, suicide numbers are actually going up. It's a complex issue, though.

There is a reason those stats are rising, and its not "the softly softly approach" causing it

Suicide rates always spike during rural downturns, and right now we have big downturns in some key ag commodity prices. Four Corners reported for instance a massive increase in farmer suicides across victoria following the milk price cut.

 

[fleabitten]

There is a reason those stats are rising, and its not "the softly softly approach" causing it

Yeah, i didn't mean to suggest that it was a cause, just that it may not always be the best way to treat it. Actually, I need to explain that a bit better. I think a lot of young people today don't have very good coping skills in general and that some love to wallow in self-pity. Indulging those types, who are probably not actually suicidal but just looking for a bit of attention, isn't really doing anyone any favours IMO. Sometimes they just need a bit of perspective.

Suicide rates always spike during rural downturns, and right now we have big downturns in some key ag commodity prices. Four Corners reported for instance a massive increase in farmer suicides across victoria following the milk price cut.

And those farmers would probably be hesitant to seek help for depression as they're usually from an older generation and generally quite resilient, self-sufficient men. That demographic definitely needs more compassion and support.

 

[wart101]

What tge damn is softly softly approch?

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

 

[fleabitten]

What tge *** is softly softly approch?

I assume he meant stuff like giving AFL players a year or more off on full wages because of their personal issues. It's a softer approach than how it would have been handled 30 years ago. We don't know the specifics of Chris Yarran's situation, but I trust that he really does have some demons that he could use some help and support to overcome. I'm not condemning him or the way the club is handling him.

I do see the point of some older folks though, when they see younger people being molly-coddled because they've claimed depression or threatened self-harm, but they've really not had to deal with anything significant. I reckon a portion of those are just self-centred whiners looking for attention. Some kids in my daughter's school almost seem to use how sad they are as a pickup line, telling her how they hate themselves and want to die because they know she'll feel obligated to talk to them and say nice things about them (being the kind-hearted person that she is).

 

[Ned_Flanders]

Yeah, i didn't mean to suggest that it was a cause, just that it may not always be the best way to treat it. Actually, I need to explain that a bit better. I think a lot of young people today don't have very good coping skills in general and that some love to wallow in self-pity. Indulging those types, who are probably not actually suicidal but just looking for a bit of attention, isn't really doing anyone any favours IMO. Sometimes they just need a bit of perspective.



And those farmers would probably be hesitant to seek help for depression as they're usually from an older generation and generally quite resilient, self-sufficient men. That demographic definitely needs more compassion and support.

Thinking treatment of depression involves encouraging a wallowing in self pity is completely and utterly wrong.

The whole idea of cognitive therapy is to help develop better coping mechanisms.

 

[fleabitten]

Thinking treatment of depression involves encouraging a wallowing in self pity is completely and utterly wrong.

The whole idea of cognitive therapy is to help develop better coping mechanisms.

I didn't mean to suggest that actual professional treatment involved letting people wallow in self-pity. I meant "treat" as in how lay people are supposed to react to a person who is supposedly depressed. I think sometimes "harden up" is the correct response and indulging the person doesn't help anybody.

I say all this as someone who has struggled with depression on and off for many years and has never sought out professional help or had much sympathy from anyone. I've had some seriously messed up things happen to me and I've had to cope with those on my own, as best as I could, for the most part. So seeing some spoiled teenager threatening to kill themselves over some trivial nonsense can be a bit annoying to me, especially when people are falling over themselves to offer support that I never felt I could access.

 

[Tiger_4_Life]

While on the topic of mental health, what is Geelongs obligation to Mitch Clark IF the rumours we have all read are true in regards to his attitude and the way he somehow fractured some of the playing group with his behaviour? I get the feeling that Geelong have cut the cord completely.