headspace

To be the best, LOL pro Brandon Defina has to spend 10-12 hours a day staring at a screen. Yet to keep his mind sharp & in the game, rather than stressed, there are other things that he has to do, too.

Few AFL players have copped the criticism that Dale Thomas has at Carlton. Within a few days at the Blues, he had the toughest time of his career and the best moment of his life.

Usman Khawaja counts his Muslim faith as 'the most important part of my identity'. He explains how religion has kept him level through an at-times tumultuous career.

He did his ACL in his NRL debut. And he was booed in a loss against his old team to start this season. Here is how NSW Blues star James Tedesco dealt with setbacks that he couldn’t keep out of his head.

I was seven when I moved from Iran to Australia and only 14 when I left home for the AIS… It was a tough time and I needed to rely on close relationships to get through it. I learnt that my mental health is just as important as my physical health, and focused on activities to make sure I’m in a good headspace.

I have had to find ways of dealing with challenges in my life on and off the field… I do this by relying on close relationships and keeping a positive mindset. This helps my mental health just as much as my physical wellbeing.

Tom Boyd was an AFL Grand Final hero for Western Bulldogs. Yet that fairytale season covered up mental health problems with frightening symptoms.