Former St Kilda captain and much loved footy commentator Danny Frawley has opened up about his secret battle with depression.
The sporting legend revealed he had a nervous breakdown after fighting the illness for years.
Frawley said the tipping point came during the Essendon supplements saga as he found himself unable to drive home from the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Former St Kilda captain and much loved footy commentator Danny Frawley (pictured) has opened up about his secret battle with depression
The sporting legend (pictured with daughters) revealed he has a nervous breakdown after fighting the illness for years
‘I had a nervous breakdown … I did a game for Triple M and I was losing a lot of sleep, and then I completely fell apart,’ he told The Herald Sun.
‘I was really battling with it all. I started losing some sleep, and the more tired I became, the more I had to work.
‘The most frightening thing happened when I was at the MCG one afternoon. I was sitting in the car park, behind the wheel. I had no idea where to go, or what to do.’
Frawley called his wife Anita to pick him up, and then saw a psychiatrist who told him he’d had a nervous breakdown.
Frawley (pictured, left) said the tipping point came during the Essendon supplements saga as he found himself unable to drive home from the Melbourne Cricket Ground
Frawley is pictured here playing for the St Kilda Saints during an AFL match in Melbourne in 1992
Unable to sleep, Frawley was prescribed medication but was still unable to get more than a couple of hours each night.
One night he called the psychiatrist – who had informed him he had clinical depression – saying he desperately needed to get away.
He told the doctor all he could think about was getting out of bed and walking around the corner into traffic.
Frawley then spent time on a farm, and was helped by sharing his story while doing charity work at the Sacred Heart Mission.
The football commentator (pictured, right) revealed his tough farm upbringing may have play a role in his struggle with mental health
At one point he blamed his father, who he described as a typical stoic farmer who brought up his boys to be men’s men who didn’t complain (pictured is Frawley while coaching Richmond)
The football commentator revealed his tough farm upbringing may have played a role in his struggle with mental health.
At one point he blamed his father, who he described as a typical stoic farmer who brought up his boys to be men’s men who didn’t complain.
Then he thought his older brothers were to blame, for instilling a competitive spirit into him through intense sibling rivalry.
On the outside Frawley was a fun-loving commentator and media personality, while also working as CEO of the AFL Coaches Association.
On the outside Frawley was a fun-loving commentator and media personality, while also working as CEO of the AFL Coaches Association (pictured is Frawley during his St Kilda days)
The Essendon supplements saga left him trying to juggle both identities but determined to work through it like his father would have told him to.
Despite his best efforts the pressure became too much, and Frawley went three weeks without sleep in the lead-up to his breakdown.
The tipping point was having to manage a situation he was unequipped to deal with, and the breakdown it triggered led to an 18-month period of learning and recovery.
With help from his psychiatrist, his wife Anita and his daughters Danielle, Chelsea and Keeley, Frawley developed a new perspective on life.
He believes he has become a better listener, and a more attentive husband and father.
With help from his psychiatrist, his wife Anita and his daughters Danielle, Chelsea and Keeley, Frawley developed a new perspective on life (pictured is Frawley, left, interviewing Dane Swan, right)
He still takes antidepressants and has started doing Yoga with Anita, enjoys reading, colouring and the odd game of chess.
Frawley said at one point it would have embarrassed him to talk about, but no longer.
He now knows depression is a mental illness, not a weakness, and hopes the stigma around mental health issues can be removed.
People talk about broken bones or cancer, so they should be equally open about mental illness, he said.
His advice to others struggling with similar problems is to be honest and talk about it with loved ones instead of hiding it and living a lie.
He still takes antidepressants and has started doing Yoga with Anita, enjoys reading, colouring and the odd game of chess (pictured are Frawley and Anita)
Frawley said it is important to start the conversation, to ask your mates if they are okay, and to not be afraid to cry, get emotional and give a man a hug.
Danny Frawley played 240 games for St Kilda and is the club’s longest serving captain.
He then coached Richmond from 2000 to 2004, and worked with Hawthorn and St Kilda before becoming a commentator.
Since then Frawley has worked for Triple M, Fox Footy and 1116 SEN.
The Essendon Football Club supplements saga was a years-long investigation into the legality of supplements used by players at the club that led to 34 doping suspensions.
Danny Frawley (pictured) played 240 games for St Kilda and is the club’s longest serving captain