{"id":300699,"date":"2023-11-27T18:09:04","date_gmt":"2023-11-27T18:09:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/?p=300699"},"modified":"2023-11-27T18:09:04","modified_gmt":"2023-11-27T18:09:04","slug":"the-words-from-wayne-bennett-that-set-greg-inglis-on-his-path-for-life-after-league","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/rugby-league\/the-words-from-wayne-bennett-that-set-greg-inglis-on-his-path-for-life-after-league\/","title":{"rendered":"The words from Wayne Bennett that set Greg Inglis on his path for life after league"},"content":{"rendered":"

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When Greg Inglis hung up his boots, he thought it would be a matter of simply kicking back and enjoying retirement.<\/p>\n

The three-time premiership winner didn\u2019t really know what to expect from his life after football, and it took a couple of years before he truly understood the meaning of a few wise words from seven-time premiership winning coach Wayne Bennett.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t know what I wanted to do. I thought I could just retire and move back home, live near the beach [or] live on a property,\u201d Inglis said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut Wayne Bennett said this to me, \u2018When you retire, you\u2019re a long way from retired\u2019, and I didn\u2019t understand that until I started going down that slippery slope.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just this week, former Socceroos captain Lucas Neill spoke about how quickly life can change for the worse after the curtain comes down on your playing career. Just two years after retiring from international football, the 45-year-old, who earned $76,000 a week at the peak of his career, was bankrupt.<\/p>\n

Inglis, meanwhile, battled with alcoholism and depression before he was diagnosed with bipolar II in 2019. He later told this masthead that \u201cthe best thing I ever did was going in and getting a diagnosis\u201d.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Greg Inglis takes photos with kids attending a Goanna Academy day in Sydney\u2019s west.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Edwina Pickles<\/cite><\/p>\n

In 2020, a year after calling time on his playing career, Inglis found a new purpose. He established the Goanna Academy, a program designed to help end the stigma surrounding mental health and encourage kids to speak up.<\/p>\n

At a clinic on Monday at Whalan in Sydney\u2019s west, Inglis, along with Rabbitohs star Cody Walker and NRLW winger of the year Jakiya Whitfeld, passed the footy around and spoke about the importance of mental health.<\/p>\n

\u201cCatch it [mental health struggles] early, and then don\u2019t wait till it\u2019s too late,\u201d Inglis said. \u201cActually go out, seek help, and let them [friends] know that it\u2019s OK not to be OK.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c[Mental health] wasn\u2019t spoken about [when I was young]. It never was spoken about, where now it\u2019s open. I\u2019m just glad I\u2019m doing my part.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Cody Walker throws the football around with kids during a Goanna Academy day in Sydney\u2019s west.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Edwina Pickles<\/cite><\/p>\n

Walker was more than happy to help his former Rabbitohs teammate.<\/p>\n

\u201cI played alongside Greg for a number of years, I debuted and he was fullback at the time,\u201d Walker said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been well-documented how he had his struggles and found a way to deal with those mental health issues he was faced with, and I was just asked to come on board. Come out and see various communities across NSW.\u201d<\/p>\n

Monday\u2019s program was run in partnership with Kimberwalli, the Aboriginal Centre for Excellence. It also served as a careers expo aimed to guide students who are at a crossroads when deciding what to do after school.<\/p>\n

Bringing together 18 schools from three local government areas, more than 280 students attended the program, which is aimed at years nine and ten.<\/p>\n

Walker understands the importance of ongoing education even while enjoying a successful football career.<\/p>\n

\u201cFooty was pretty much all I really wanted to do,\u201d he said. \u201cIt probably wasn\u2019t until I made first grade that [I realised] that education part of it [life] doesn\u2019t stop. I\u2019ve just recently completed a diploma of youth work, I\u2019m doing a little bit of study to do my coaches certificate.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think kids look for that end of year 12, and they think there\u2019s no more study, but I\u2019m 33 years of age, and I\u2019m still studying. So I don\u2019t think that education part will ever leave you. It\u2019s always good to keep educating yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

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