VAFA Clubs celebrate mental health awareness during Tackle Your Feelings Round

Round 2 saw the VAFA community unite to support mental health awareness through the annual Tackle Your Feelings Round, an important initiative aimed at changing the game around mental health in community sport.

Tackle Your Feelings is a free mental health training program specifically designed for community football clubs. The initiative provides players, coaches, committee members, and support staff with the tools to Understand, Recognise, and Respond to signs of mental ill-health. Delivered by local psychologists, the sessions are based on education developed for the AFL industry and supported by high-profile player and coach ambassadors.

As part of the TYF Round, the VAFA introduced TYF Best on Ground medals for clubs who have scheduled a TYF session in 2025. These medals were presented post-game by coaches to a standout player from the opposing team, encouraging connection, recognition, and mutual respect. More importantly, it opened the door for players and staff to engage in open conversations about mental health—helping to normalise these discussions across all levels of football.

A special shoutout goes to Penny Heath (Past President) and the St Mary’s Salesian committee for their continued leadership in this space. The club once again embraced the TYF Round through their Under 19s match against UHS-VU, with strong support from opposition coaches and players. St Mary’s Salesian has made mental health a priority in recent years, notably through the creation of custom TYF-themed jumpers for their U19s, which also double as their clash jerseys. The players proudly wore the jumpers again this year, reinforcing their ongoing commitment to the cause.

As we wrap up this year’s TYF Round, it’s inspiring to see so many clubs participating and taking the next step by committing to host a session in 2025. So far, 10 clubs have already locked in TYF sessions for the upcoming season, underscoring the growing recognition that mental health education is just as important as physical preparation.

Together, we’re building stronger, more supportive clubs—one conversation at a time.

If your club is interested in getting involved in this amazing workshop for VAFA community clubs, please fill this form here or reach out to Pranav Menon at [email protected].

2025 TYF Medal Winners

• Chadstone v Swinburne Division 3 Seniors – Daniel Marquison (Chadstone) and Nicholas McKenna (Swinburne)
• La Trobe v Parkside Div 2 Women’s – Kate Bond (La Trobe #32) and Annabelle Crisp (Parkside #26)
• La Trobe v Box Hill North – Jonty Randall (La Trobe University #53) and Beau Parthenides (Box Hill North #6)
• Wattle Park v Box Hill North Div 2 Women’s – Morgan Biggar (Wattle Park), Lilly Griffiths (Box Hill North)
• Wattle Park v North Brunswick Div 3 Men’s Reserves – Cameron Gardner (Wattle Park), Jackson Bellingham (North Brunswick)
• Wattle Park v North Brunswick Div 3 Men’s Seniors – Harry Davis (Wattle Park), Adam Tsardakis (North Brunswick)