“IT’S A STATE of disbelief.”

Carlton assistant coach Ash Hansen spent seven seasons playing alongside Adam Selwood at West Coast, which then developed into a lifelong friendship.

After Selwood’s unexpected passing on the weekend, Hansen struggled to process the news of what he described as a leader on and off the field and a very good mate. 

“It’s certainly a time of reflection and the ones that are missed are probably the ones that give so much to others – that summed Adam up,” Hansen said.  

“He made us a Premiership team on the field through his ability and desire, accept the team role and support others in bringing out their best on the field.

“Off the field, such a man of high integrity, high in values, that then led into leadership positions and the coaching space. 

“Post-football, he was a pioneer in setting up the AFLW program at West Coast and then giving back as a development coach. His life was about supporting others both on and off the field.”

The devestating news once again brings up the topic of mental health in the AFL space, with many calling for a ‘mental health awareness’ round to be added to the regular fixture. 

Hansen agrees that awareness around mental health needs to be brought to the forefront to avoid tragedies like Adam and his twin brother, Troy. 

Reflecting on last week's clash with the Saints, Hansen noted the existing measures that clubs are taking to educate the wider community on the growing issue.

The game last week between the Saints and the Blues raised money for the Danny Frawley Centre in an attempt to bring the AFL community together to spark life-saving conversations and break the stigma around mental health.

“I think the awareness and the severity of the problem is growing, it probably needs to be brought to the forefront and certainly a large proportion of the football audience it’s starting to affect,” he said.

“It was only last week our Club was involved with Spud’s Game, we probably need to grow that to a wider audience than just the Carlton and St Kilda Football Clubs. 

“We need to have these conversations and bring awareness to what people have available to them and the support needed.”

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