How are you keeping mentally fit? How can you play to your strengths?
These are the conversation starters featured on AFL Play’s new Team Talk Balls to help encourage young people to check in with their friends when they’re having a kick.
One thousand bright green Sherrin Team Talk Balls will be rolled out around the country as part of the AFL and Movember’s free youth mental health program, Ahead of the Game.
Now running in every state and territory, Ahead of the Game uses football to help young players and umpires gain the skills and knowledge that underpin mental fitness and resilience.
Ahead of the Game includes sessions for parents, coaches and volunteers, and teaches everyone at the club how to recognise mental health challenges in young people and know where to get help.
More than 160 clubs took part in the program last year, reaching more than 18,000 workshop participants. In 2025, there are 85 clubs that have already signed up to host a session across all states and territories.
Each club that takes part in the program will keep a Team Talk Ball to enable players, coaches and volunteers to continue having important conversations with family and friends, as the ball becomes a symbol to support mental fitness.
AFL Head of Mental Health and Wellbeing, Dr Kate Hall, hopes the new Team Talk Balls will mean conversations about staying mentally fit on and off the field become an everyday part of having a kick.
“Our Team Talk Balls are another tool in our Mental Fitness Charter and we hope clubs will keep one in their kit to recognise the important role footy plays in looking after your own wellbeing and supporting your mates,” Hall said.
“Having a chat about the mental side of the game and speaking openly about staying mentally fit while having a kick can also make it easier for people to have the courage to open up and get support from their mates when they’re facing challenges.
“Our Mental Fitness Charter recognises that football clubs can play a pivotal role in enhancing the mental wellbeing of their members and steps out five quick wins that clubs can initiate, including booking in their free Ahead of the Game sessions.”
Brisbane Lions co-captain and dual Brownlow medallist, Lachie Neale, was one of multiple players who described how he keeps mentally fit for AFL Play.
“For me, I’ve learnt over a long period of time that the mental side of the game is so important, not only on the field but keeping your mental fitness steady off the field too,” Neale said.
“Meditation is a big part of my life, I do it every day each morning. I also jump in float tanks a couple of times each week – one for performance and one to just relax and try not to think about footy. I’ve got these things in place to keep me mentally well and keep my mental health strong.
“It’s a massive part of football but also a massive part of life and I wouldn’t be the player or person I am today without investing time into my mental fitness, and I hope the new Team Talk Balls encourage people to have a kick and check in with each other.”
GIANTS’ AFLW on-baller, Taylah Levy, is a Movember Ahead of the Game coordinator and said she keeps mentally fit by having a kick and leaning on her network.
“I keep mentally fit by playing footy with my teammates and building relationships that allow me to lean on them outside of football – it’s about finding a balance between sport, life, and work,” Levy said.
“Ahead of the Game provides a platform to help understand that tough conversations not only build personal relationships but inner workings of close friendships to help support one another in times of need.
“The Team Talk Balls will help initiate conversations and allow youth players to open up and recognise their own coping mechanisms but also areas of their life that may need a little more attention.”
Tom Mulvaney, Movember Director, Australasia Young Men’s Health is proud to see initiatives such as Movember Ahead of the Game and Team Talk Balls contribute real-world, positive impact on players and clubs both on and off the field.
“Movember’s Ahead of the Game program is all about equipping young players, parents, coaches, and volunteers with the skills to build mental fitness and support one another, both on and off the field,” Mulvaney said.
“The Team Talk Ball is a simple but powerful way to spark conversations about mental health, providing a practical tool to begin conversations and develop the confidence to talk openly about their challenges.
“Building mental fitness isn’t just about handling setbacks, it’s about developing tools to enable resilience, support others, and know when to reach out for help. By embedding these conversations into footy culture, we’re creating a generation that is more mentally fit and better connected.”
As part of the rollout to get people talking, more than 50 Team Talk Balls have been sent to key industry figures in the football community, with the boxes kindly donated by Sherrin.
The AFL encourages community football clubs to play their role in promoting their community’s mental health and wellbeing by signing a pledge to implement the five commitments of the mental fitness charter.
- For more information on Movember Ahead of the Game, click here
- To register your interest in hosting a workshop at your club, click here
- To read the AFL Industry Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, click here
- To read the AFL Mental Fitness Charter, click here
The first Australian Mental Health Guidelines for Community Sport have been published and will be presented by lead Author Professor Stewart Vella in Vancouver later this month at the iaymh2025 – 7thInternational Conference on Youth Mental Health. These guidelines feature the AFL's Mental Fitness Charter and support the work the AFL is undertaking in delivering programs to football communities like Movember Ahead of the Game.
As part of the AFL Industry Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, the League has also implemented the following initiatives at the elite level for AFL clubs:
- An AFL directive for every club to employ a club psychologist who monitors overall psychological health and wellbeing of the players – which provides immediate access to mental health expertise in every club for every player.
- Dedicated soft cap concessions for clubs – including all mental health spend as non-assessable under the AFL soft cap policy.
- AFL funded centralised player mental health referral network, so every club has access to specialist mental healthcare.
- AFL funded Indigenous psychologists network for culturally informed mental healthcare for First Nation’s players.
- Club Boards and executives briefed on their obligations and governance responsibilities in upholding a mentally healthy workplace for all staff and players.
- Dedicated wellbeing curriculum is delivered throughout talent pathways to build resilience and protective factors before entering the system.
About Ahead of the Game
Ahead of the Game uses football to teach young players, parents, coaches, umpires and volunteers how to talk about mental health. The program reviews how to recognise mental health challenges facing young players, what to do and when to get help. Players learn how to build resilience and overcome challenges in sport and life. This program is designed to engage the whole local community sport ecosystem. It includes interactive workshops and materials for community teams and their support network of parents, coaches and volunteers.
