The past decade has showcased the glorious highs and deflating lows of football.
The game of Aussie Rules is filled with ecstasy and agony both on the field and off it, testing the emotional strength of its fans.
Collectively we have compiled a list - in no particular order - of the most passionate, heart-breaking and compelling moments in the AFL from the last 10 seasons.
7. The death of Danny Frawley
Danny Frawley died in a car crash in Ballarat, Victoria in September 2019, one day after his 56th birthday.
The death of the St. Kilda legend shook to entire AFL community, players and fans alike.
It has recently come to light by his wife Anita that Frawley was suffering from stage two chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) which is โa progressive degenerative disease of the brain found in people with a history of repetitive brain traumaโ.
Anita also revealed Danny had a history of depression and hopes of helping others speak out so that no one else would "go through what we did".
Frawley was a beloved radio host and was quite open about his struggles with mental health over the years.
Announced in 2020, St. Kilda will be opening the Danny Frawley Centre for health and wellbeing in hopes of spreading awareness on mental health within the AFL hub and encourage others in the community to come forward and help themselves.
โAs is widely known, Danny had experienced and lived with depression dating back a number of years. But to his credit, he had put up his hand and accepted psychiatric treatment, counselling and medication. He recovered and returned to being the Danny of old," Anita Frawley said in a press statement short after her husbands death.
โThe road leading up to last Mondayโs events began eight months ago when Danny made the decision to take himself off his prescribed medication. At this point Danny felt invincible, like the true competitor and proud man that he was; he felt that he had beaten the disease.
โIn fact, he felt bullet proof, which contributed to his decision to remove himself from his support network including his psychiatric care and not continuing to work with his team of mental health professionals.
โThe reason I am making this public is that I want this to be a reminder to all those grappling with mental health conditions and to those whom have made progress with their wellbeing that you should always seek help from professionals when considering making decisions surrounding your mental health, even when you feel as though you have fully recovered.โ
