Whateley
Is this a positive step taken by the AFL? - Player Mental Health | The Eminently Sensible Phil Davis (06.05.26)
So whether it be more reporters, more TV shows, that.
Whateley
Is this a positive step taken by the AFL? - Player Mental Health | The Eminently Sensible Phil Davis (06.05.26)
But then there's this second lane, which is the age of social media and the like.
Whateley
Is this a positive step taken by the AFL? - Player Mental Health | The Eminently Sensible Phil Davis (06.05.26)
It's a different form.
Whateley
Is this a positive step taken by the AFL? - Player Mental Health | The Eminently Sensible Phil Davis (06.05.26)
But what is happening, I think those two together have really increased the...
Whateley
Is this a positive step taken by the AFL? - Player Mental Health | The Eminently Sensible Phil Davis (06.05.26)
has really increased the, I don't know, the toll that I think it's having on players.
Whateley
Is this a positive step taken by the AFL? - Player Mental Health | The Eminently Sensible Phil Davis (06.05.26)
Just the inability to escape, the inability to have somewhat of a normal life.
Whateley
Is this a positive step taken by the AFL? - Player Mental Health | The Eminently Sensible Phil Davis (06.05.26)
And I think what's happening is it's bottling up and causing a lot of issues.
Whateley
Is this a positive step taken by the AFL? - Player Mental Health | The Eminently Sensible Phil Davis (06.05.26)
And then I should have said there's actually a third one.
Whateley
Is this a positive step taken by the AFL? - Player Mental Health | The Eminently Sensible Phil Davis (06.05.26)
And I think there's been a significant cultural shift where you don't, which is for the better.
Whateley
Is this a positive step taken by the AFL? - Player Mental Health | The Eminently Sensible Phil Davis (06.05.26)
I think the first two are not helpful.
Whateley
Is this a positive step taken by the AFL? - Player Mental Health | The Eminently Sensible Phil Davis (06.05.26)
But I think this third one around a shift in the culture where talking and discussing and bringing this to the surface is becoming more normal and you're not having to suffer and hide like you may have 30 years ago.
Whateley
Is this a positive step taken by the AFL? - Player Mental Health | The Eminently Sensible Phil Davis (06.05.26)
I think Dermot Brereton said it very nicely a couple of weeks ago, just saying like 20 years ago, they would have just said, Elijah's not cut out for AFL football.
Whateley
Is this a positive step taken by the AFL? - Player Mental Health | The Eminently Sensible Phil Davis (06.05.26)
versus now it's a very different discussion.
Whateley
Is this a positive step taken by the AFL? - Player Mental Health | The Eminently Sensible Phil Davis (06.05.26)
And I think that's the other sort of tailwind that, you know, has moved this to where it is now.
Whateley
Is this a positive step taken by the AFL? - Player Mental Health | The Eminently Sensible Phil Davis (06.05.26)
Yeah, I think this is an interesting one because in my mind, there are two types of psychologists.
Whateley
Is this a positive step taken by the AFL? - Player Mental Health | The Eminently Sensible Phil Davis (06.05.26)
You have, in my world, you have the sports psychologist and then you had like your day-to-day psychologist.
Whateley
Is this a positive step taken by the AFL? - Player Mental Health | The Eminently Sensible Phil Davis (06.05.26)
And I was always very clear, Gerard, on how I operated.
Whateley
Is this a positive step taken by the AFL? - Player Mental Health | The Eminently Sensible Phil Davis (06.05.26)
I had...
Whateley
Is this a positive step taken by the AFL? - Player Mental Health | The Eminently Sensible Phil Davis (06.05.26)
my day-to-day psychologist who I used to the AFL players association network.
Whateley
Is this a positive step taken by the AFL? - Player Mental Health | The Eminently Sensible Phil Davis (06.05.26)
And I still see my psychologist to today through my career.