The best thing that I did was get myself out of an environment that was toxic to me and to my mental health. That was through retiring from football.

You need to understand how you lead, and in my case it is through my actions and the way I bring others into the game and also how I am able to form relationships. I am somebody who can earn people's trust, and that's crucial to how I try to lead the team.

I'm not afraid of confrontation. It doesn't have to be an argument. We all have a voice. And they are all worth listening to.

The football field was a place where I could express myself and just be me. Play the game as well as you can and that's what you're judged on. Not the colour of your skin, or your beliefs, or the conversation you have around racism.

Growing up, I knew I was different. But I didn't know what it meant to be Aboriginal. I just knew that I had a really big, extended family. I was taught nothing about who we were or where we came from.

When I retired I was done and it was instant relief. Instant.