Starting CRITICAL conversations

“Mental health is different for every individual and sometimes it’s thing you can’t foresee – a marriage breakdown, a traumatic event, something that is going on in someone’s life that other people have no idea about. You need good people around you and that support is vital.”
A self-confessed novice when it comes to the complications of mental health, the Member for Mount Gambier Troy Bell, who was part of the on field action, expressed those thoughts in the wake of Friday night’s headspace Match for Mental Health.
“Personally I’m no expert in this field but physical health is correlated to mental health as well,” he said. “The football game really brought in both elements – physical exercise and the support of one another and the community coming together.
“When you break your arm you know how to fix it – put it in a cast and in six to eight weeks it will heal itself – mental health is so different.”
The Member for Mount Gambier was impressed with how the event was pulled together by the organising committee and supported by around a 3000-strong crowd.
“It was an amazing effort,” Mr Bell said. “Not that the numbers that attended were important but it shows the community support and that they have an interest in mental health.”
headspace Mount Gambier community liaison worker Nick McInerney, who also took to the field, was thrilled with how the inaugural event unfolded.
“I was really proud and honoured to be part of it – the event was just amazing and it had an important message to raise awareness for mental health,” Mr McInerney said. “Having so many people there with that theme in mind weas awesome – it shows the community support and you can only hope it starts conversations in the community.”
Mr McInerney said the organising committee worked really hard with a clear vision in mind. “If anything, Friday night exceeded my expectations, especially given it was the first event of its kind – it was brilliant,” he said, admitting having some of the big names from the AFL, as well as come community personalities helped get people though the gate.
“It was really great to have those bigger stars as the drawcard and then maybe people then got to listen to the message about mental health and see the services on offer that set up their stalls to let people know the kind of help is on offer in the community,” Mr McInerney said. “And it is always good for your mental health to go out and have fun and that’s what the night was – fun.”
The multiple premiership player for North Gambier ranked the night as one of the highlights of his football career.
“It was surreal – a highlight of my sporting life,” Mr McInerney said. “To run around alongside people like Dane Swan and Shane Mumford and also I never thought I would play with the likes of Ben Mules and Hogget Merrett and that was really cool and something I will remember fondly.”
And while for the likes of Nick McInerney who are still plying their trade on the field, the match was just another outing on the football oval, for those who had to dust off their boots, including Troy Bell, the match was a little more challenging.
“It was sold to me as a casual kick and a catch but some of those guys were going pretty hard,” Mr Bell said. “I was extremely surprised at the standard of the football and the pace of the game itself.”
In fact, the Member for Mount Gambier was one of the match night casualties when an early twinge in his hamstring saw him sensibly step out of the game and join the crowd.
“The game was a fantastic spectacle and I can say that because it wasn’t long before I joined the crowd, had a beer and watched the game,” Mr Bell said. “Trust me that will be it – that is the last game I will ever play.” And feedback from some of his mates could see it their last outing as well.
“The guys my vintage that played can barely walk.”

1. Former Collingwood livewire Leon Davis fires off a handball.
2. Port MacDonnell’s Jordan Murdoch, who played 122 AFL games for Geelong & Gold Coast Suns, returned home to be part of the match.
3. Brodie Murdoch, who played AFL for St Kilda and also played in consecutive premierships with Port Melbourne 9VFL) and Southport (NEAFL) also made the trip home. Brodie also played in a premiership in a United States Aussie Rules competition in 2021.
4. Nick McInerney, who was also at the event representing headspace, rates the match one of his sporting highlights
5. Connor Little uses Jon Copping as a step ladder in tihs marking contest.
6. Joel Virtanen on the run.
7. Former Penola team mates Simon Berkefeld & Adam Merrett showed no mercy in the clinches.

PHOTOS BY FRANK MONGER