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From the age of five, Brad Hogg focused on one dream: playing cricket for Australia.<\/p>\n
Growing up on a sheep farm, he had plenty of space to practice, and cricket was his life for the next 32 years.<\/p>\n
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Former Australian Test cricketer Brad Hogg shares his experiences at AgQuip on Wednesday.<\/span><\/p>\n In 2010, two years after he retired from Test cricket for his family, Hogg found himself on the brink of divorce, arguing with his parents and struggling to see a way forward.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re living a dream where millions of people would want to be in your shoes, playing cricket for Australia. Then all of a sudden, you make a bit of a sacrifice and the wheels start to fall off, and you\u2019re digging yourself into a bigger hole,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll leave everyone to fill in the dots … there were a lot of thoughts going through my mind.\u201d<\/p>\n Hogg is now an ambassador for Lifeline WA and the Farmer Mates Mental Health program. He spoke publicly about his struggles at an AgQuip field day in Gunnedah on Wednesday to raise awareness about the mental health crisis facing rural communities.<\/p>\n Brad Hogg grew up on a sheep farm in Western Australia.<\/span><\/p>\n Almost half of all farmers have had thoughts of self harm or suicide and 30 per cent have attempted it, according to research published in March by the National Farmers\u2019 Federation and dairy group Norco.<\/p>\n Hogg told the farmers that he realised he needed to shift his thinking and did so through writing a list of 13 goals. A year later, he was in a new relationship and back playing cricket in the T20 competition.<\/p>\n He said it was critical farmers reached out to check in on each other regularly, given their isolation made it easier for negative thoughts to take root.<\/p>\n \u201cI probably had the issues as a youngster as well. Driving back after cricket [to the family farm, 200km from Perth] , sometimes it could be pretty lonely.<\/p>\n Brad Hogg trains at the MCG after annoucing his retirement in 2008.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Vince Caligiuri<\/cite><\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019d got out for a duck, or not done well, you\u2019d have these negative thoughts [while] going back to the farm … then all of a sudden the relationship with the old man on the farm, there was a bit more tension.\u201d<\/p>\n The Farmer Mates program consists of forums at events like AgQuip and Hogg said he was glad he could help others by sharing his own struggles and stories.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have had a couple of success stories with the tour so far \u2013 a couple of instances where people have come up and shared what they\u2019re going through. I\u2019m fortunate to help them get the resources that can help them out.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone copes differently. The biggest thing I learnt through cricket and life, and the experiences of people I\u2019m with, is that you have got to understand what makes you tick when you\u2019re at your best, and what are the [negative] cues that take you away from that.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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