Cooney empathises with Smith over personal leave

ADAM Cooney believes anxiety is prevalent among athletes, such is the nature of being a professional sportsperson.

The 2008 Brownlow Medallist was commenting on the news that Western Bulldogs young gun Bailey Smith has stepped away from football to take an indefinite period of leave.

It is understood that Smith is taking leave for personal reasons and has the full support of his club to do so.

The 21-year-old is one of the most popular players in the AFL right now with a plethora of social media followers, but that does not necessarily equate to a smooth ride in terms of mental health.

Cooney said it would be quite common for a pro athlete to feel the pressures of their chosen profession.

“Even in a team environment you can feel alone. I honestly wouldn’t know a professional athlete that doesn’t have anxiety,” Cooney said on SEN Breakfast.

“That comes part and parcel with the job because of the high-pressure, high-stress environment. People might say, well if you’re playing AFL footy it’s a great living, you’re getting paid a lot of money, you keep fit, you’re popular, all those sorts of things.

“The flip side of that is the pressure and stress involved with it. I would say there would be at least 95 per cent of players and elite sports people that have anxiety.

“It’s just part of the environment that you have to deal with.”

Aside from the “personal issues” he is facing, reports indicate that Smith is also dealing with “private family matters”.

In a bid to be more anonymous and be less in the public realm, should he shut down his burgeoning social media platforms?

“Nup, not if he doesn’t want to,” Cooney said. “If that’s part of him and that side of life that he wants to show then he can do whatever he wants.

“If you put yourself out there, that adulation and the pressure is going to come with it.

“He’s got to understand that when you are the number one followed player in the AFL, then those other things attached to it become part of your life.”

Smith has not shied away from the mental battles he has experienced early in his career, revealing in an interview with AFL Media’s Damian Barrett earlier this year that he does get “anxious” and has struggles with mental health.

The Bulldogs will support the talented midfielder and reintegrate him into pre-season training when he is ready to return.

– BY ANDREW SLEVISON/ SEN