Dedman and his organisation have implemented a league-wide mental health policy that insists each club appoint a welfare officer as a first port of call for players needing help.
That welfare officer will be responsible for assisting any such players initially, and will be equipped with a list of in-person and 24-hour services with which to link them.
Dedman said the policy was not specifically related to the season being postponed for Covid-19, but acknowledged the lack of community support at this time would be troubling some members of society.
“All clubs are community centres and safe places for people,” he said.
“Generally, when we have a normal year, there’s a really positive social connection at clubs and, without that, there’s some real concerns about our players’ mental health and well-being at this time. All you need to do is look at the news, and the stats, searches for domestic violence and mental health help have gone up an absolutely absurd amount.
“That’s country-wide, but looking at the KD there’s some real issues, there’s plenty of farmers that are doing it tough, they’ve been through drought, there’s employment issues and now they’re hit with this.
“The key for us is when we get back, there will be some people not doing okay, and this policy is about making sure clubs have a welfare office there that knows how to help them.”
Dedman could not overstate the importance of sport as a support vehicle, citing his own experiences with mental health issues as the perfect example of how a team environment can help an individual.
“For myself, I had some struggles last year with mental health, and travelling to Albury to play basketball, that car ride, training with the team and just being with the team, I think that was what helped me out of that darkness,” he said.
“I can personally recommend the benefits of playing sport.”
Dedman reminded clubs to stay connected with their players as much as possible through these trying times.
Football and netball across Victoria has been postponed until May 31.
“Even if we’re not back playing, we will be working hard to find a pathway and an outlet that means clubs can come back together as a whole,” he said.
● If you or someone you know need help or information, phone Lifeline on 131 114, or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.
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