NRL star and suicide survivor opens up about mental health journey: 'I could feel myself spiralling down'
A household name in the NRL, Foran will call time on a glittering 16-year career in footy's top flight.
He is admired by many as a journeyman, having begun his career playing for the Manly Sea Eagles. He'd later go on to make more than 300 NRL appearances, playing for all of Parramatta, the Warriors, Canterbury and the Gold Coast.
The 35-year-old also won a premiership in 2011 with Manly, was capped 31 times by New Zealand and represented the NRL All Stars on two separate occasions.
While he has always cut a positive and outspoken figure, Foran has been candid about his mental health struggles and revealed that he had once found himself on the brink of taking his own life.
During his career, the 35-year-old five-eighth struggled with addiction and explained he had felt shame at trying to hide those issues.
'I had always been a pretty upbeat sort of guy, pretty positive. From the outside looking in – I seemed to have it all – I was 25, earning good money, captain of an NRL team – achieving what I had always dreamt of,' the former Parramatta Eels and Manly skipper said to The Daily Telegraph.
'But inside, my world felt very different. I could feel my world spiralling down.'
The 35-year-old took time away from the footy pitch to address his mental health.
Ten years later, Foran, who has made a cumulative 314 NRL appearances for clubs around the league, has reflected on that period and revealed he is thankfully doing much better now.
'I say that now when I talk to people that the greatest satisfaction I have had from my life is how I have rebuilt it – step by step, layer by layer,' he told the outlet.
'That is one of my most important and greatest achievements, rebuilding a pretty broken life at stages, one that was filled with various battles and addictions and things I never thought I would be able to overcome.'
During that difficult period, Foran managed only 66 games between 2016 and 2020, while he was playing for the Eels, the Warriors and Canterbury.
He had questioned his future in the game, before Des Hasler offered him the chance to return to play for Manly in 2021.
'Over the course of time, there were certain moments of doubt and times where I wasn't sure whether I could keep going or should keep going,' he explained last week after his retirement announcement.
He added: 'There's always been an internal belief that I wasn't quite finished and quite done, despite a number of setbacks and surgeries.'
Foran would continue playing and went on to become one of 55 members of the 300-game club.
He has also seen firsthand the devastation that suicide can leave behind after his wife's son, Logan, died by suicide two years ago.
'They have no idea how much they are loved and how important they are – no matter what their circumstances,' he said.
'My wife is so strong and she is trying to do absolutely everything she can to still get through life but a part of her will always be gone now.'
After his retirement, the Manly great will continue to work as a mental health advocate.
Foran has also been announced as a new Heart On My Sleeve ambassador.
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A post shared by Heart On My Sleeve (@heartonmysleeve)
Heart On My Sleeve aims to provide support to those suffering from mental health issues by normalising emotional honesty and reducing stigmas about speaking about difficult subjects.
The not-for-profit organisation is encouraging others to be comfortable saying: 'I'm not OK.'
Lifeline provides 24-hour crisis counselling. Call Lifeline on 13 11 14
The Suicide Call Back Service provides 24/7 support. Call 1300 659 467
Beyond Blue aims to increase awareness of depression and anxiety. Call 1300 22 4636
MensLine Australia is a counselling service offering support to Australian men. Call 1300 78 99 78
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