L-R: Bree Vallance (Regional Talent Operations Lead, Sandringham Dragons), Oliver Mangoni (Sandringham Dragons), Dr Kate Hall (AFL Head of Mental Health and Wellbeing), Jon Myer (General Manager, Orygen Digital), Nina Pound (Sandringham Dragons), William Pyle (Wellbeing Coordinator, Sandringham Dragons). Photo: Josh Chadwick/AFL Photos
The AFL and Orygen have partnered to connect young people and their families with trusted, evidence-based mental health support that extends beyond the game and into everyday life.
The partnership will see Orygen’s innovative digital mental health platform, MOST, integrated into AFL PLAY’s mental fitness offering, providing young people aged 15–25 with free access to MOST’s personalised, self-directed program of evidence-based activities and coping strategies for common challenges like anxiety, depression, sleep, and body image.
Through the partnership with AFL PLAY, MOST will support players off field for “everything in between”, whether it be stress or challenges from school, football, work or life, providing direct access to a live chat with a qualified mental health practitioner to support overall mental fitness.
MOST also has a safe, moderated peer network where users can connect with others, share experiences, and receive support from trained youth peer workers.
First rolled out through the AFL Talent Pathways program last year, MOST has reached more than 2000 players in the Talent pathways, with Talent League Wellbeing Coordinators already embedding MOST into the dedicated wellbeing curriculum.
Sandringham Dragons’ Wellbeing Coordinator William Pyle said: “Our role as Wellbeing Coordinators is to support players’ wellbeing on field and off, and a
key part of that is empowering players and teaching them skills to know how and when to get support for mental health challenges.
“MOST gives our players direct access to safe digital mental health services that are engaging, personalised and evidence based, and it’s great to see this offering being extended to the broader community through AFL PLAY.”
The free digital resources will be available via the AFL PLAY website, for community clubs, parents and young people to access whenever they need to. With nearly six million annual website views, AFL PLAY will bring MOST’s resources into the homes of millions of young people across Australia, as well as families, carers and community leaders.
Dr Kate Hall, AFL Head of Mental Health and Wellbeing, said the partnership ensures trusted and safe mental health services for young people are integrated into football, as a core commitment of the AFL’s community Mental Fitness Charter.
“Part of the AFL commitment to young people involved in our Talent Pathways is that they will graduate from our programs with strong mental health literacy skills, including having the skills to offer and receive help for mental health challenges and knowing where to seek trusted and safe support. This partnership now extends that offering to the wider community, not just our elite junior athletes,” Dr Hall said.
“The free resources available on the MOST app and through the AFL PLAY website are accessible to all young Australians, whether they are involved in football or not, with AFL PLAY’s audience reaching far and wide beyond traditional football communities.”
Jon Myer, General Manager of Orygen Digital, said the partnership reflects a shift towards making mental health support more accessible, timely and relevant to young people’s lives.
“We know that many young people aren’t engaged with traditional services, even when they need support, for a wide range of reasons,” Myer said.
“MOST is designed to meet young people where they are and when they need it, providing trusted support that’s accessible, evidence-based and built around their needs.
“Partnering with AFL PLAY allows us to connect this digital mental health support with young people and key adults at scale in a trusted environment.”
The partnership will be delivered through a combination of local, digital and education initiatives, including:
- resources available in football clubs (from grassroots through to AFL Talent program level)
- digital campaigns designed to engage young people across AFL PLAY channels
- education for coaches, volunteers and other key adults
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