Brad has been sponsored by Grain Producers Australia to encourage farmers to talk about mental health and to support their mates.
The crowd that he was talking to was not turning off, but was reacting to something that was deeply personal.
“It turned out that a few of them wanted to talk to me afterwards and share their own stories, or about their mates,” Brad said.
Brad has taken to the speaking trail because of his own personal battles with mental health, and his commitments took him to the Elmore Field Days in October.
“A headline appeared in the paper referring to me and discussing suicide and so Lifeline rang me up and asked me to be an ambassador,” he said.
“I grew up on a farm and started to hear about a few mates going through problems.
“You could see it was making a bit of a difference when people started talking about their own issues, which was good.
“It’s getting tougher and tougher in the country regions. As you get more remote, communities are getting smaller, there’s less networking.
“Operations get bigger and I think of the last couple of years with Grain Producers Australia, it’s starting to make a big impact.”
Brad played all formats of cricket and was known as a left-arm wrist spin bowler and a lower-order left-handed batsman.
He acknowledges there is still some awkward moments when someone starts talking about mental health.
He recalls a conversation with someone he regarded as tough, “a brick wall”, nothing could knock him down.
“He shared a story with me and I was absolutely surprised,” he said.
“I think a lot of people don’t want to appear vulnerable.
“But you don’t have to share with the whole world, you just need a couple of good companions who you can share things with, to get them off your chest.
“When you can share it with someone, it takes a weight off your shoulders. You can see things a bit clearer.”
Asked about his most memorable moments in cricket, Brad named two experiences that both happened to involve team work.
“Andrew Symonds getting 100 in the first game of the 2003 World Cup. He saved the day for us. When he got that 100, the whole team erupted,” he said.
“It showed to me the need for team and the community.”
With the Perth Scorchers (Brad’s home state), he enjoyed seeing the juniors coming through and seeing the way they worked together.
“That group of kids created their own environment and turned it into something special,” he said.
And for those of us who struggle with issues that might not be as much pressure as a bowler, facing a world-class batsman with a crowd of thousands in the stands, Brad has some advice.
“Life can be a bit like playing cricket. When you are under pressure, a batsman is on top of you with the ball. You put the blinkers on. You don’t let yourself be in the moment. You start to worry about what if this happens, or that happens. So you need to say I’m in the contest,” he said.
“You can think, right, this bloke’s on top now. Where is the gap I can find to get back into the contest? Then you can relax and enjoy the moment rather than worrying about everything else.”
If this story has raised issues for you, contact Lifeline on 131 114 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.
