Sports Focus is partnering with Tackle Your Feelings to bring the free mental health training program to our local football and netball clubs, starting 2023 off in Rochester.
The 2003 Brownlow medallist will be visiting Rochester Football Netball Club on Tuesday, February 28 at 6pm for a training session, followed by a Q&A session at 7.15pm, before the Tackle Your Feelings program commences.
A Collingwood Football Club Hall of Fame inductee and life member, Buckley won six Copeland Trophies as best and fairest at Collingwood, along with seven All-Australian team honours in a storied playing career that included being named the Norm Smith medallist in the 2002 AFL Grand Final, a rare feat considering he was a member of the losing side.
Buckley is set to join in the Tackle Your Feelings session with the coaches, committee and key leaders of the club, which is being delivered by a trained psychologist and facilitated by Sports Focus Project Coordinator, Lauren Fawcett.
The program aims to give coaches, committee and club support staff the tools to understand, recognise and respond to signs of mental health issues in their players and members.
Other Tackle Your Feelings ambassadors include Melbourne defender Neville Jetta, Fremantle Dockers AFLW captain Kara Antonio, as well as coach ambassadors Alistair Clarkson and Leon Cameron.
Following his playing career, Buckley coached Collingwood for 10 seasons, guiding the Magpies to a Grand Final appearance in 2018, and is now a prominent media figure as part of the Fox Footy team, providing special comments for games.
Other football netball clubs interested in the program should visit www.tackleyourfeelings.org.au