St Kilda recruit Liam Stocker has opened up on just how close he came to walking away from the game after his shock delisting at Carlton.
Stocker admits he was left “heartbroken” by the Blues’ decision to cut him loose at the end of 2022.
But after some soul-searching interstate with family, the 22-year-old says he’s ready to show the sort of form that saw Carlton controversially trade up in the draft for him in 2018.
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“(Saints coach Lyon) Ross scared the daylights out of me, which he likes to do when you have a one-on-one meeting, because he knows everyone’s a bit touchy around him. Ross just said, ‘look you’ve worked your bum off the last couple of weeks here and you’ve really proved to us that you’ve got the appetite to be here’,” Stocker revealed on Friday.
“I just wanted to prove to people that I’ve still got the desire to be here at the highest level.
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“I think it’s really difficult to put yourself through all this stuff if you don’t know why, particularly getting delisted and the heartbreak that comes with it.
“I was definitely heartbroken at the end of last year and wondering whether I wanted to put myself through it again. Essentially make myself vulnerable to these sorts of pressures.
“I got to the end of that week (with family) and said to my partner and parents ‘look I’m ready to go again. I’ve got the fire in my belly’. I really crave being in a competitive environment like this.
“I think it would have been remiss of me to give up that opportunity when I had it potentially there waiting.”
Stocker has endured a tough start to his AFL career, after he was famously brought to the Blues with high expectations.
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But he managed just 28 games for Carlton as a result of injury and form, while missing the Covid-hit 2020 campaign due to mental health reasons, before the axe fell under new coach Michael Voss.
“I had a bad year in terms of injuries and a bit in terms of form in a contract year (in 2022) – sometimes it can be that simple,” he said on 3AW.
“They had a few guys they wanted to re-sign over me and that was it. It sucked.”
After training with the Saints hoping for an AFL lifeline, Stocker says Lyon warned him how he returned post-Christmas could “make or break his career”.
And he was adamant he wanted to prove himself come the new year.
Now enjoying life under “a refreshing” Ross Lyon, Stocker says he’s ready to produce his best football.
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“(Ross) earnt my trust very quickly because he just told me the truth – as a footballer and particularly for me, it’s all I really wanted,” he said.
“He made it very clear to me he thought I had a lot of talent but maybe I hadn’t worked hard enough in my career so far to recognise it.”
Stocker was open about his ongoing mental health battle, after struggling with anxiety and depression for a decade, but revealed his commitment to help others find their way through.
“I know a lot of guys are in it for premierships and stuff like that and so am I but it’s not my driving factor,” he said.
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“The more time I spend in football, the more time I’ve got to destigmatise mental health.
“In the 2020 season it came to a head. I was really lucky I had some people in my corner.
“If I could give young men any advice it would just be to go and see a psychologist. It doesn’t mean you have a problem. You can get the best out of yourself.”
