Jak Willcox and Cricket ACT set for mental health charity day

What if they had picked up the phone? What if they had just asked to see how things were going? And really asked.

Ginninderra Tigers bowler Jak Willcox had heard that question plenty of times. How are you going? Easy enough to brush it off and say "I'm fine."

Things changed the moment he decided it was OK to say "you know what, I'm not fine." The tone of the question changed.

But how are you actually going?

So why wait? Change the tone of the question. Help before it is too late.

"The best thing for me was breaking it to my family, and the best thing after that was breaking it to the public in the hope I could make a difference," Willcox said.

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The weight of the world was lifted from Willcox's shoulders the moment he spoke about his battle with depression, which left him wanting to take his own life after the refuge cricket provided fell apart.

What about those guys for whom cricket consumes their life? Shouldn't the thing you love make you immune to such internal struggles?

No. Not even close.

Victorian young gun Will Pucovski has withdrawn from calculations for the opening two Tests of Australia's home summer. It is the second time he has done so this year, a tough call for a 21-year-old.

Little more than a week ago Nic Maddinson withdrew from Australia A's tour match against Pakistan. Before him it was Glenn Maxwell stepping out of the national Twenty20 side.

"It just shows, even at the top of your game, there are still things outside of cricket going on," Willcox said.

"From local all the way to international, there is this ongoing mental health problem that is affecting people. By the looks of it, it's starting to really make an impact on the wider world."

Willcox felt that little more than 11 months ago when he reached out in a bid to make a difference.

On the outside he was known as little more than a larrikin. On the inside, he was fighting a battle he feared he would lose. Until he realised something.

He was not alone.

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"I did receive quite a few messages from blokes you play against on the weekend and you see them as a bloke that you need to get out or a bloke you need to beat," Willcox said.

"You see this soft side to them, just to say 'I've been there, it is a struggle, let us know if you need anything'.

"[They said] 'I would never have the courage to do that, I'm struggling enough to work out how to tell my close friends and family'.

"They just asked for ways that made it easier for me. There is no real easy way, the hardest thing to do is talk. Once you do talk, it becomes a lot easier."

So today?

"Mate, I think I'm tracking quite well. You definitely do still have your down days and your days you still struggle," Willcox said.

"The easiest thing you do is speak out, so when you do have that down day, you can turn to a mate or a family member and say 'listen, I'm struggling a bit today'.

"Straight away they know and say 'no worries, let's have a chat, let's catch up'

"Once you do make that first step to say 'I'm struggling', it gets so much easier."

Now Cricket ACT will go into bat for mental health with a charity day at Phillip Oval to raise funds for Lifeline on Sunday.

Willcox drove the project alongside Cricket ACT chief James Allsopp, Ginninderra coach Mick Delaney and Jono Dean, who has had his own battle with anxiety.

Dean will captain the Southside All Stars against Willcox's Northside All Stars in a clash boasting the region's best cricketers and a sprinkling of special guests like Canberra Raider Sam Williams, former ACT Brumby Ben Alexander, and musician Jack Biilman.

Then comes a clash between ACT Comets Old Boys, skippered by Mark Higgs, and an SCG XI led by Stuart MacGill.

So what will be going through Willcox's head the moment he leads the Northside All Stars onto the park?

"I don't know. I'm still trying to work out what is going on, because I've had one of those weeks," Willcox said.

"I'm still pinching myself and going 'this is actually happening'. I'm going to go out and enjoy every minute of the game and enjoy every minute looking around and seeing people smile."

CRICKET ACT ALL STARS FOR MENTAL HEALTH

Sunday: Gates open at 12pm. Northside All Stars v Southside All Stars at 2pm. SCG XI v Comets Old Boys at 6.30pm. All at Phillip Oval.

Northside All Stars: Jak Willcox (Ginninderra), Caden Helmers (The Canberra Times), Ben Alexander (former ACT Brumbies), Matt Condon (Western Districts), Daniel Leerdam (ANU), Lewis Evans (ANU), Rhys Healy (Ginninderra), Esam Rahman (North Canberra-Gungahlin), Josh Staines (Western Districts), Ben Mitchell (ANU), Scott Murn (Western Districts), Blake Dean (Western Districts). Coach: Mick Delaney (Ginninderra)

Southside All Stars: Jono Dean (Weston Creek Molonglo), Sam Williams (Canberra Raiders), Jack Billman (musician), Tom Henry (Eastlake), John Rogers (Weston Creek Molonglo), Ollie Anable (Tuggeranong Valley), Paul O'Malveny (Eastlake), Sam Taylor (Weston Creek Molonglo), Shane Devoy (Tuggeranong Valley), Tom Vane Tempest (Tuggeranong Valley), Tyler Van Luin (Queanbeyan District), Djali Bloomfield (Weston Creek Molonglo). Coach: Adam Tett (Eastlake)

Comets Old Boys: Mark Higgs, Heath Axelby, Michael Spaseski, Ian Garrity, Darryle MacDonald, Rob Regent, Randall Starr, Simon Mann, Stuart Karppinen, Colin Smart, Adam Heading, Greg Lemin.