Mm.

You know, they might put on a face and say, "Yep, I'm all good.

I'm all, you know, no problems here.

Home life is good." But then deep down they're actually not.

You know, I've had a few stories come up, um, while I've been doing these programs, and one of them's a f- I think a just a 54-year-old.

He's came through my program.

This is, uh, last year.

... your circle and your family and everybody in your bubble.

Is that something you'd support?

Yeah, absolutely it will be.

I'm not after a theme round either.

I just want that to be clear.

It's just a campaign that I'm running.

So I'll get to run all gas programs right across Australia.

So far with what we've raised and what's come through, donations and everything, I'll be able to run 10 different programs throughout Australia.

What's it been like going back into some of the NRL clubs and how's the response been from a lot of the players?

You know, what, what are your thoughts on footy at the moment?

Yeah.

Well, you know, we, we have a beautiful product.

We've had this product for, for a number of years now.

Uh, how do we wanna showcase it more? Um, I think we're doing a, a great job at it.

Um, we probably could do a little bit of...

I don't know.

Sorry, Greg, I interrupted there, bud.

AFL rugby league rugby union and on one dedicated weekend I mean it's not about raising money it's about raising awareness and one thing I'm pretty passionate about and I lost a number of my mates to suicide when I was younger it's just for people to stand there and through the power of sport to prompt that conversation is that something you'd support

Yeah, absolutely it will be.

I'm not after a theme round either.

I just want that to be clear.

It's just a campaign that I'm running.

So I'll get to run, I guess, programs right across Australia.

So far with what we've raised and what's come through, donations and everything, I'll be able to run 10 different programs throughout Australia.

What's it been like going back into some of the NRL clubs, and how's the response been from a lot of the players?

Hmm.

So you always gotta carry that with pride.

You put your time and effort into that first.

And your second uniform represents, you know, the organizations, what you're, who you're representing.

Talk to the kids about it.

It's like yous may not realize this, uh, mental health may not matter to you, but whatever we're delivering, hopefully it has a, um, effect on you in the long run.

But if yous leave the school grounds and you do something in community, everyone knows you.

Yep.

Mm.

Do something you love 'cause you get more enjoyment out of it.

And when I retired, I went and seen Wayne Bennett 'cause he was, he was coaching me at the time.

And he just said, "Greg, when you retire, you're a long, long way from retired, and when you're doing something for so long, you need to keep some kind of normality, some kind of, uh, routine." And I didn't understand any of that.

So I fell into a trap, fell in a dark place.

There's five days of my life where I don't remember, and that's what it was a big turning point for me.

I went back home to Maxwell in my sister's house, uh, two weeks detox.

Yeah.

Yeah.

You know, and then, um, then Anthony Mundine rings me up.

So Choc rings me up and goes, "Oi, Russell's got a ring, you know, he, he wants you to come down and have a look around." And I was like, "Nah, nah, I'm calling, calling your bluff here." I was like, "I don't believe it." Anyway, rings on private number.

I was like, "Hello." Puts his, you know, Russell Crowe voice on the way he is, deep voice, and I was like, "Piss off, Choc." Hang up.

Yeah.

And did a, um, chat over there.

Anyway, I got in a boat, they took me over to, to the tip of Australia, and at the tip, you know, the East Coast meets West Coast, currents flowing, flowing in right at the tip.

And was diving for crayfish.

Yeah

...

but reading up about it, and also about your involvement because it, it sort of, it stems from your own personal challenges.

And a lot of people think a superstar like yourself, you've accomplished a whole lot of things, and it's all just a, a bed of roses.

But, uh, tell us about the journey that, that, uh, ended up with the Goanna Club, which, uh...

Or, or Goanna Academy.

And what's your quick, quick overview of the Anna that what we t- saw with the State of Origin?

Yeah, it was, um, a bit disappointing being a Queenslander, but at the same time we look forward to next year and, you know, with, with Billy's coaching cap on.

Oh, sorry to hear

that.

And there's nothing to be sorry about because I get to go around and share my stories, share my personal journey.

the slump that I went through.

And, you know, if they can, like you just mentioned, they can see profile, you know, athletes or, you know, guys like yourself and that struggle will normalize the conversation around and it breaks that stigma around mental health.

Cause as you guys would know, as males, as men, we don't say that we're not okay.

Yeah.

And can you see a difference? I mean, you've been doing this for six years, you said.

Can you maybe tell us a little bit more about what inspired it, what's through league and then post-career?

Yeah, so I was in a dark place after I retired and when you talk about people like those coaches, Wayne actually said to me when I went and saw him about retirement, He said, you know, when you retire, you're long from retired.

And I didn't understand that.

And he also told me that, you know, there's – because you've done something for so long and you can't just give it up and walk away from it like that.

So you've got to keep some kind of normality, some kind of routine.

And, again, I didn't understand that at the time.

I was just like, oh, yeah, no worries until I actually fell into a deep hole.

Yeah, I

Do you remember, do you remember the weird dynamic around all that?

I do, but you know, one thing that we always did at club land is when you're back in club land, you're there as, you know, in this, in this instance was Melbourne Storm.

So I think, you know, Brett White, Ryan Hoffman, couple other Storm players in New South Wales, and I think we had, uh, I think we had about 10 reps out of, out of Melbourne Storm itself.

But when we got back in the Melbourne Storm HQ, it was just all about Melbourne Storm.

Uh, and I know Craig, I remember Craig coming out and say, "I just don't wanna coach against them.

I hate it because it's in a conflict." And I think that's why State of Origin coaches probably can't coach our club then, because it's either you're gonna expose your weakness in your team side, [laughs] in your, in your good players, or you keep it a wrap and let the state lose.

So the reason I bring up 2008 is because I got absolutely embarrassed in game one in, in Sydney against Mark Gasnier, and at the time Mark Gasnier was one of the elite athletes.

Well, we'll have a look at the highlights of game two, but what do you remember about the, about the, the game one, game overall and, and what you, as you say, the clash with you and Gaz?

You remember, you remember the weird dynamic around all that?

I do, but you know, one thing that we always did at club land is when you're back in club land, you're there as, you know, in this, in this instance was Melbourne Storm.

So I think, yeah, Brett White, Ryan Hoffman, couple other Storm players in New South Wales.

And I think we had, uh, I think we had about 10 reps, you know, out of Melbourne Storm itself.

But when we got back into Melbourne Storm HQ, it was just all about Melbourne Storm.

Uh, and I know Craig, I remember Craig coming out and say, "I just don't wanna coach against them.

I hate it because it's in a conflict." And I think that's why State of Origin coaches probably can't coach at club land because it's either you're gonna expose your weakness in your team side, [laughs] in your, in your good players, or you keep it a wrap and let the state lose.

Well, we'll have a look at the highlights of game two, but what do you remember about the, about the, the game one, game overall and, and what you, as you say, the clash with you and Gaz?

Do you remember the weird dynamic around all

I do, but one thing that we always did at Clubland is when you're back in Clubland, you're there.

In this instance, it was Melbourne Storm.

So I think Brett White, Ryan Hoffman, a couple of other Dorn players in New South Wales, and I think we had...

I think we had about 10 reps out of Melbourne Storm itself.

But when we got back in the Melbourne Storm HQ, it was just all about Melbourne Storm.

And I know Craig, I remember Craig coming out and saying, I just don't want to coach against them.

But what do you remember about the Game 1 game overall and, as you say, the class with you and Gaz?

Do you remember the weird dynamic around all

I do, but one thing that we always did at Clubland is when you're back in Clubland, you're there.

In this instance, it was Melbourne Storm.

So I think Brett White, Ryan Hoffman, a couple of other Dorn players in New South Wales, and I think we had...

I think we had about 10 reps out of Melbourne Storm itself.

But when we got back in the Melbourne Storm HQ, it was just all about Melbourne Storm.

And I know Craig, I remember Craig coming out and saying, I just don't want to coach against them.

But what do you remember about the Game 1 game overall and, as you say, the class with you and Gaz?

Gio, what have you learned on your journeys in terms of the most important thing if you're struggling with mental health, like the support or what's something that you've really learned that stood out that you can share?

Well, it's obviously taking that first step and being vulnerable, to be honest.

I know, you know, in the sport that we are in, we don't speak about it because we're men and we've been taught that.

But now times are changing and, you know, it's a new generation that's coming through where even as adults, male figures, and all, to be honest, that we can actually lead the way and actually open up conversations, make it safe places for people to have a chat with, stick by your mate, which is why I stick with it.

You know, if you're going through something, stick by it.

If your mate's going through it, stick with them with it because, you know, everyone's life's important, everyone's life matters and everyone's life is worth living.

So it's just having that first step, to be honest, it's that vulnerability.

Just give us, I guess, a bit of an insight into what Bellamy was like to be coached by on the inside, because he's had a phenomenal career.

Gio, qu'est-ce que tu as appris sur ton voyage en termes de la chose la plus importante si tu souffres de la santé mentale, comme le soutien ? Qu'est-ce que tu as vraiment appris, que tu as appris et que tu peux partager ? Bien sûr, j'ai pris

mes premiers pas et j'ai été vulnérable, pour être honnête.

Je sais que dans notre sport, on ne parle pas de ça parce que nous sommes des hommes et nous avons été enseignés à faire ça.

Mais maintenant, les temps changent.

C'est une nouvelle génération qui est en train de se passer, même en tant qu'adultes, des hommes, des filles, et tous, pour être honnête, que nous pouvons en fait conduire la voie et en fait ouvrir nos conversations, faire des endroits saufs pour que les gens puissent avoir un chat, rester avec eux, c'est pourquoi je reste avec eux.

Si vous allez traverser quelque chose, prenez soin de vous.

Si vos amis vont traverser quelque chose, prenez soin d'eux.

Est-ce que vous l'aimez au centre et ce qu'il a pu faire pour la Soudanie au début de l'année ? Oh, regarde, il est un joueur naturellement gifte, il n'y a pas de