Gil appoints two new heads to tackle player mental health

Gillion McLachlan has appointed a Head of Health and Wellbeing and Chief Psychiatrist following a comprehensive review into mental health.

This year alone, multiple players have stepped away from the game to focus on their mental health.

Aaron Hall, Lin Jong, Matthew Broadbent and Jack Steven, among others, have put their AFL careers on hold to tackle the ever present issue.

Most astonishingly Tom Boyd, a promising young Bulldog, retired from earlier this year citing mental health issues at just 23 years-old.

The AFL CEO said he hopes to transform the industry’s support of mental health and wellbeing for current and past players, umpires and administrators of the code.

In a statement released, McLachlan named Dr Kate Hall as Head of Health and Wellbeing and Dr Ranjit Menon as Chief Psychiatrist.

“The mental health and wellbeing of everyone involved in our game is a key focus, we know it is one of the biggest issues facing the industry.” Mr McLachlan said.

“The combination of a clinical psychologist in Dr Kate Hall and psychiatrist in Dr Ranjit Menon is a world-first for a professional sporting organisation, positioning the industry towards a best-practice model.”

Dr Hall and Dr Menon will officially resume their roles in the AFL from mid-September 2019.