GOODBYE MITCH CLARK

[timD 994]

I treat people with depression every day and have done so for a while now. I have heard in the media this idea that the only way to recover from depression is to leave the context in which it has arisen - to completely change one's environment. Let me guarantee everyone that this is obnoxiously stupid. If Mitch has been advised to do that - and his agent confirmed that he had - then he is being poorly treated to say the least.

IF the advice is more nuanced, then I can understand it, to a point. What I would like to say is that much of the issue with depression is the internalised stuff - and changing environments may well do little to alter that. Depression is episodic. Most people recover. A significant proportion are vulnerable to relapse, but that can be managed too in many cases. Especially if you have the financial resources and supports that Mitch has. I've been curious from day one about this and nothing is reassuring me about this situation atm.

[rjay 24,887]

I treat people with depression every day and have done so for a while now. I have heard in the media this idea that the only way to recover from depression is to leave the context in which it has arisen - to completely change one's environment. Let me guarantee everyone that this is obnoxiously stupid. If Mitch has been advised to do that - and his agent confirmed that he had - then he is being poorly treated to say the least.

IF the advise is more nuanced, then I can understand it, to a point. What I would like to say is that much of the issue with depression is the internalised stuff - and changing environments may well do little to alter that. Depression is episodic. Most people recover. A significant proportion are vulnerable to relapse, but that can be managed too in many cases. Especially if you have the financial resources and supports that Mitch has. I've been curious from day one about this and nothing is reassuring me about this situation atm.

It's the old story of "You take yourself wherever you go".

[jnrmac 20,055]

That is incorrect.

Still tweeting this evening @mitchjclark

He simply removed the number '11' from his twitter handle.

[P-man 13,366]

He simply removed the number '11' from his twitter handle.

Such a subtle move from Mitch that one.

[Dr evil 1,185]

It's just my opinion, so I'm sorry if it offends anyone

I'm glad Mitch is feeling better but I find it absolutely gobsmacking he isn't desperate to repay the club for all the money, effort, support they have provided, and I think people jump straight to the idea he is disloyal because he hasn't come out and said I will only play for the demons.

we have absolutely no idea if the MFC even wants Mitch, I think the most likely scenario is the MFC knowing they have big dollars spare is in serious talks with other players, and as such can't offer him a sizable contract like his last one, plus wouldn't take that sort of a risk, have probably offered him a rookie contract or very low pay and he's decided to look elsewhere,

the club also possibly has a pitch for special assistance locked up in the idea that Mitch is gone, and any trade for Lamumba could potentially see Mitch used rather than a precious draft pick that could net us another player.

I really hope Mitch does get 100% again and has a great career, just hopefully not against the MFC, if it's for the MFC then that's fantastic.

[P-man 13,366]

^ if this is the case then I think there's been a gross underestimation of the boost it would give the team and supporters to have Mitch running out with the boys again.

I can't see why they wouldn't be making concerted efforts to get him back if he is physically and mentally fit, as has been suggested.

[Dr evil 1,185]

^ if this is the case then I think there's been a gross underestimation of the boost it would give the team and supporters to have Mitch running out with the boys again.

I can't see why they wouldn't be making concerted efforts to get him back if he is physically and mentally fit, as has been suggested.

There is also a big possibility he may never play again, his foot injury or his depression could both prevent him, if we can get a bloke who is going to be a solid performer in our best 22 for the next few years for him I think we are better taking the safe road, he might get back to 100% but he might not play a game and retire again

[Demon_JB 1,376]

Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't depression and anxiety go hand in hand?

If he was told the best way to deal with his depression would be to move on from Melbourne and play for another club.. I don't see how that would be a positive move in terms of someone dealing with this illness. If anything the speculation and the media spot light is now smack-bang in the middle of Mitch Clark which would make someone suffering from depression a lot worse with the anxiety it comes with...Reporters and sporting legends ridiculing Clark saying it's disgusting how he can simply walk away from the club and not repay the faith we entrusted in him just piles on top of the anxiety Mitch must be feeling...Not only that, but EVERY Twitter message he posts or Instagram picture the public are either having a go at him or backing him in... It's an absolute basket case what is happening...

For his manager and himself to come out and say he wants to return to footy but not at Melbourne.. to me is simply the complete OPPOSITE way of going about someone dealing with depression.

[GrandOld 367]

I treat people with depression every day and have done so for a while now. I have heard in the media this idea that the only way to recover from depression is to leave the context in which it has arisen - to completely change one's environment. Let me guarantee everyone that this is obnoxiously stupid. If Mitch has been advised to do that - and his agent confirmed that he had - then he is being poorly treated to say the least.

IF the advice is more nuanced, then I can understand it, to a point. What I would like to say is that much of the issue with depression is the internalised stuff - and changing environments may well do little to alter that. Depression is episodic. Most people recover. A significant proportion are vulnerable to relapse, but that can be managed too in many cases. Especially if you have the financial resources and supports that Mitch has. I've been curious from day one about this and nothing is reassuring me about this situation atm.

100% agree, I was diagnosed after our first child ( anxiety, depression ). Glad I didn't get the same advice, " best to leave my wife and kid and find a new environment"

[hardtack 10,517]

I thought he was clinically depressed and left the AFL because of the pressure he felt to perform. At least that was the reason quoted at the time.

MFC had shown enormous faith and trust in him, he was paid handsomely (presumably) for limited return, he was handed a #11 jumper proudly by one of the most respected and admired people in the community and given support to recover from his illness.

It is inconceivable that anyone who was genuinely depressed would want to go down the path that is now being suggested. Walking away from the MFC (unless they just don't want him there) for money or finals glory would generate so much additional pressure for him. I think that would be a mistake of epic proportions.

Alternative way of looking at that is that at any other club (apart from possibly St Kilda), he is going to be under far less pressure to perform. At Melbourne he was expected to virtually carry the entire forward line and to win games off his own bat - yes he was being paid a lot to do that, but there is another issue that obviously weighed on him...he no doubt felt badly about being paid a large amount of moolah, but being physically unable to get on the paddock and earn it. The pressure must have been enormous, and being given Jimmy's #11 would have only added to that weight of expectation.

I actually feel really sorry for him as he has no escape... play for the Dees and have all of that weight of expectation back on his shoulders or play anywhere else and cop abuse from disgruntled Dees supporters daily on his social media pages (this has already been happening despite no-one really knowing what he will do). He really is caught between a rock and a hard place.

[hardtack 10,517]

Such a subtle move from Mitch that one.

He was probably just hoping it might shake off a few of the "abusers"

[Jaded No More 68,867]

If Clark chooses to go elsewhere because he is chasing the money or premiership success, than it is an absolute poor reflection of him as a human, depression or no depression.

If he is leaving because we don't want him, or because he genuinely feels going back to where it all started would make him relapse, than so be it. Can't judge someone who is trying to get better.

It just all smells incredibly fishy to me. As a club we wouldn't spend time and money supporting Mitch through rehab and giving him a fitness program, if we didn't want him back and didn't think there was at least some remote possibility of this happening in the future. I can't believe that Roos and co. changed their minds, it seems much more likely that Mitch and his deadbeat manager are unhappy with the offer we made him, or worse, that Mitch has decided to use this as a convenient excuse to take himself to a more successful club. If either of those scenarios are true, then I wish Clark the best in his recovery from depression, but I hope he never ever plays again.

[Roost It 1,434]

It's quite likely Roos sees him as too big a risk,

The AFL wont let him walk to any club he wants. Trading will have to be done

We have pick 2

Frawley gives us pick 3

Clark will either play for us or we'll trade him to another club Pick around number 15

If we go into the draft/trading period with picks 2,3,15,20 then we are every chance to land 2 excellent midfielders, a half back and a key big man such as Frost.

Personally for the first time in years I feel the club is well enough managed to do very well out of the coming 2 drafts and start to push up the ladder

Just not sure I care anyway.

[wisedog 352]

To give Mitch the benefit of the doubt, I would assume that in his mind, he can't disassociate Melbourne from the darkness he's experienced in the past 18 months.

I think we've all been unhappy in jobs, schools or towns and can understand that well enough. The question is, how different is one football club from the other, really? If the emotional and physical demands are the same, if the same triggers are likely to exist. If he is this vulnerable, should he be considering a comeback at all?

If however, he is strong enough to play in the AFL again, is it morally excusable to treat Melbourne as he has or does his condition make any further decision beyond scrutiny?

Ultimately, no one knows what he's experienced and he has to look after himself, I strongly believe that. If he said, "I need to be with my family and friends", took less money and played for a W.A. club or even had a year out of football, I think we would all understand that and say, "good luck, no hard feelings."

However, skipping out on a club that had made an enormous investment in you and showed such respect and care in your recovery, only to spark a bidding war among powerhouse clubs in Melbourne. Well, I think people would have every right to be sceptical of that.

[DemonOX 8,790]

The more interest in MC the better it is for us when it comes to a trade.

Bring it on.

[nutbean 8,838]

For his manager and himself to come out and say he wants to return to footy but not at Melbourne.. to me is simply the complete OPPOSITE way of going about someone dealing with depression.

This is what I find interesting.

I have heard his manager speak a few times and MC once and I am yet to hear either of them say that MC doesn't want to play for the MFC - in fact MC stated in his channel 7 interview exactly the opposite.

The problem with all of this is that many sources are reporting it ( that he doesn't want to play for the MFC.) Posters keep taking the leap that because others are reporting it then it is so.

However - the language and signs from Roos do indicate to me that he wont play with us next year

Edited September 12, 2014 by nutbean

[timD 994]

Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't depression and anxiety go hand in hand?

If he was told the best way to deal with his depression would be to move on from Melbourne and play for another club.. I don't see how that would be a positive move in terms of someone dealing with this illness. If anything the speculation and the media spot light is now smack-bang in the middle of Mitch Clark which would make someone suffering from depression a lot worse with the anxiety it comes with...Reporters and sporting legends ridiculing Clark saying it's disgusting how he can simply walk away from the club and not repay the faith we entrusted in him just piles on top of the anxiety Mitch must be feeling...Not only that, but EVERY Twitter message he posts or Instagram picture the public are either having a go at him or backing him in... It's an absolute basket case what is happening...

For his manager and himself to come out and say he wants to return to footy but not at Melbourne.. to me is simply the complete OPPOSITE way of going about someone dealing with depression.

Depression and anxiety can and frequently do go hand in hand...but they don't always and personality x situation makes a huge difference in this.

[SaberFang 7,151]

That rumour that he was trying to get out last year, only for Roos to convince him to stay, somehow makes a great deal of sense in light of everything that's transpired this year. Jaded summed up my thoughts pretty well. The more that comes out, the clearer it becomes that Mitch is both a fairly classless individual, and also perhaps more mentally unwell than we initially thought (see R. Lyon's undoubtedly 'ín the know' via Roosy comments).

And if that's the case, he should not be pursuing an AFL career.

[loges 6,767]

If Clark chooses to go elsewhere because he is chasing the money or premiership success, than it is an absolute poor reflection of him as a human, depression or no depression.

If he is leaving because we don't want him, or because he genuinely feels going back to where it all started would make him relapse, than so be it. Can't judge someone who is trying to get better.

It just all smells incredibly fishy to me. As a club we wouldn't spend time and money supporting Mitch through rehab and giving him a fitness program, if we didn't want him back and didn't think there was at least some remote possibility of this happening in the future. I can't believe that Roos and co. changed their minds, it seems much more likely that Mitch and his deadbeat manager are unhappy with the offer we made him, or worse, that Mitch has decided to use this as a convenient excuse to take himself to a more successful club. If either of those scenarios are true, then I wish Clark the best in his recovery from depression, but I hope he never ever plays again.

Good post

[Little Richard 6,262]

That rumour that he was trying to get out last year, only for Roos to convince him to stay, somehow makes a great deal of sense in light of everything that's transpired this year. Jaded summed up my thoughts pretty well. The more that comes out, the clearer it becomes that Mitch is both a fairly classless individual, and also perhaps more mentally unwell than we initially thought (see R. Lyon's undoubtedly 'ín the know' via Roosy comments).

And if that's the case, he should not be pursuing an AFL career.

Was this wide spread or was it just suggested by someone on Demonland? I didn't hear anything about that.

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,693]

For some reason I decided to listen to that link - they start discussing Clark at approximately 45:00

Edit: the money shot's around 46.30 - he says we pushed him to make the decision to retire, says the challenge for the MFC is to get something for him in the trade period as he will enter the PSD otherwise. Says nothing about a payout or why. When asked why it hasn't been reported that way "I've put it out there a few times".

How does this even make sense? If Melbourne wants him, we'll redraft him through the PSD if St Kilda don't take him first. High risk option for Clark I would have thought. And if Melbourne doesn't want him, why wouldn't we engineer a trade to at least get a draft pick?

Whatever Clark's motives, I don't see how there's a downside for us compared with where we were just a week or two ago. Then we had a retired player freeing up a spot on the list. Now we either have Clark playing for us or an extra draft pick earlier in the draft order than we would otherwise have had.

[Machsy 2,858]

I think there's a distinct lack of class in those who openly doubt Clark, and a propensity to be blinded by their allegiances.

The situation at its most basic, with emotion removed:

- one of the best 3 players at a poor club with great expectations placed upon him, also due to his salary
- attempting to make a longshot recovery from clinical depression and chronic niggling soft tissue injuries
- the opportunity to go to a club where he won't be expected to drag it out of the mire
- being somewhere the focus will be on many others to perform and the pressure of winning won't be placed upon him
- he's a bloke suffering from depression trying to get his life back on track and probably would have expected more compassion, and dare I say it, he may have got that at a club where the supporters weren't so chronically tormented
- also hasn't made any statement about jumping ship, but is being roundly criticised based on conjecture
- has not tried to jump ship leaving MFC with nothing, and would presumably be keen to ensure we get fair compensation, or would have been before the tide of vitriol from shallow thinkers

[Jesse Christ 2,884]

I think the deleting of references to the club from his twitter accounts is when a lot of people started to get a little worried.

It's a small thing, but a conscious decision to disassociate himself from the club.

Does anyone know if he changed his twitter accounts before or after the shrink told him to change environments?

[Dr evil 1,185]

I think there's a distinct lack of class in those who openly doubt Clark, and a propensity to be blinded by their allegiances.

The situation at its most basic, with emotion removed:

- one of the best 3 players at a poor club with great expectations placed upon him, also due to his salary

- attempting to make a longshot recovery from clinical depression and chronic niggling soft tissue injuries

- the opportunity to go to a club where he won't be expected to drag it out of the mire

- being somewhere the focus will be on many others to perform and the pressure of winning won't be placed upon him

- he's a bloke suffering from depression trying to get his life back on track and probably would have expected more compassion, and dare I say it, he may have got that at a club where the supporters weren't so chronically tormented

- also hasn't made any statement about jumping ship, but is being roundly criticised based on conjecture

- has not tried to jump ship leaving MFC with nothing, and would presumably be keen to ensure we get fair compensation, or would have been before the tide of vitriol from shallow thinkers

Based on the assumption his manager is stupid enough to think he could make a comeback and go to another club without copping the tidal wave of criticism for leaving the MFC high and dry after they supported him.

FACT: the AFL community generally doesn't deal in facts, speculation is always enough for people to get on their high horse, I would suggest his manager would have to make him aware that a comeback at any other club despite having the benefits you have listed above would also bring on backlash from the AFL community even if uninformed, it still wouldn't be great for his depression I wouldn't have thought.

MFC supporters could presumably be very disappointed in Mitch departing and rightly so, this is the members club, significant amounts of the funds come from the AFL's most generous members, Mitch has been paid a significant amount of money to grace the rehab group for the majority of the last two years as well as brief patches of amazing form. I personally would find it very difficult to not feel as though I owed the Melbourne football club in this situation, but as you are aware, we don't have all the facts so we can't make a judgement.

I feel personally that Mitch and his manager aren't doing all they could to put a stop to the negativity being shown towards him based on this speculation, that may be because of a confidentiality agreement associated with the retirement agreement they had earlier this year where the details couldn't be disclosed to the public, mind you that hasn't stopped Barrett reporting that so clearly not everyone is on the same page with how a confidentiality agreement works if his information is correct.

[mdemonski2 403]

It's quite likely Roos sees him as too big a risk,

The AFL wont let him walk to any club he wants. Trading will have to be done

We have pick 2

Frawley gives us pick 3

Clark will either play for us or we'll trade him to another club Pick around number 15

If we go into the draft/trading period with picks 2,3,15,20 then we are every chance to land 2 excellent midfielders, a half back and a key big man such as Frost.

Personally for the first time in years I feel the club is well enough managed to do very well out of the coming 2 drafts and start to push up the ladder

Just not sure I care anyway.

No chance in hell we would get 15 for Clark in a trade.

More likely to get a comp pick at end or mid first round than a trade.