1 week Ago By James Gardiner
Newcastle Jets championship-winners Jason Hoffman, Matt Thompson and Stuart Musialik and fellow club legends Ryan Griffiths and Tara Andrews will hit the road on Saturday to raise funds for mental health and hopefully spark conversations. Login or signup to continue reading The Jets contingent will join other high-profile personalities and community members in the M-Brace 20 for 20 charity walk, which starts at Stockton and finishes at McDonald Jones Stadium before the F3 derby against the Central Coast Mariners. M-Brace charirty was launched this year and is aimed at encouraging people to seek mental health help and raise funds to supply professional services, ensuring accessibility and inclusivity for all.
"About 2 million people in Australia aren't seeking the mental health they need," M-Brace spokesman Alex Souvechles said. "We looked at the reasons why. There is stigma around seeking mental health and, for a lot of people, getting help can be a financial burden they can't overcome.
"We are rasing funds through the sale of M-Brace braclets and through commnity events like Saturday." M-Brace have produced a limited edition Jets braclet to mark their partnership with the club. Jets striker Lachie Rose is an ambassador for the charity, which will have a stall at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday.
"M-Brace reached out to me and once I looked into the initiative, I thought it was a no brainer," Rose said. "A lot of people have an 'I'll be fine' attitude' towards mental health. The reality is that it is OK not to be fine, it is OK to speak up.
"M-Brace is very important in that regard. I wanted to be a part of it and promote it, not just in every-day world, but sport as well. "The point of the bracelet is to spark conversations.
If yu see someone wearing that bracelet, you can tak to them and perhaps open up." Rose said professional sports people often mask struggles they are expiencing. "Every athlete goes through highs and lows," he said.
"Things like injuries can take a toll mentally. "Everyone sees what happens on the field, but they don't see what happens behind closed doors. Sometimes the ones who you think are doing well, can be the ones who are struggling.
"Being able to talk about what is going on and how you are feeling is very important." Musialik has also joined M-Brace as an ambassador and has spoken openly about his battles with depression, bipolar disorder, and suicidal ideation. "I'm getting behind the M-Brace cause because mental health has had a devastating effect on myself and my family, and I want to help raise as much awareness as possible," he said.
The walkers will complete a 20 kilometres trek at McDonald Jones Stadium at about 6.30pm, before kick-off in the derby. The Jets are coming off a 2-1 loss to Weliington.
They shared the points with the Mariners in their last encounter from a 2-all draw at Gosford in round 10. They went down to the Mariners 2-1 in Sydney in round five. "A loss is never good, especially where we were in the season," Rose said.
"In any game when you have that many chances, it is going to frustrate you. Things just didn't fall our way. We have been putting our chances away.
It was just one game, where we didn't capitalise. "It was tough, but we just have to focus on the F3 derby and geting a result." A crowd of nearly 9500 flocked to McDonald Jones Stadium for the round 26 derby last season.
A record attendance of more than 28,000 were at Turton Road on Monday night for the Matildas' 2-0 win over South Korea. "There is a big football fanbase here," Rose said. "We saw that on Monday night.
It was an unbelievable atmosphere. "That is what we want to buld. We want to turn this ground into a fortress.
I think we are on the right trajectory. We just have to keep going, keep geting results, keep performing. That gives the fans faith and they want to get around the team.
" Donations to M-Brace can be made via the m-brace.org.au website or by purchasing M-Brace bracelets.
James Gardiner, chief football and rugby writer at the Newcastle Herald. James Gardiner, chief football and rugby writer at the Newcastle Herald. Daily Today's top stories curated by our news team.
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