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Message: [QUOTE="Super Freak, post: 2790926, member: 8536"] FORMER NRL player Chad Robinson suffered from crippling depression he believed was triggered by too many head knocks playing rugby league for a decade. The 36-year-old father of two, found dead in his silver Subaru after it plunged down a rock face after he went missing, failed to make peace with his demons when he walked out of his Kellyville home on November 26. A robust figure on the field, he played 174 games in the NRL and English Super League from 2000 till his retirement in 2009, but behind closed doors he fought mental illness he feared was caused by concussion from years of heavy contact. His body was discovered at the base of a cliff in Kenthurst by electricity workers on Thursday, ending an extensive search to find him. “He had depression and sometimes it was crippling and other times it was manageable,” his girlfriend, Rani Morris, 42, told The Saturday Telegraph. “He often wondered if his mental illness was brought on by head injuries from being tackled head-on over the years and he had struggled with depression for years. “Chad was opening up about being depressed in the weeks before his death. I was so proud of him for not thinking he had to be the tough guy all the time. “He was a father, a sportsman, a kind soul and he was soft and gentle, too. “Sure, he had retired from the sport he loved but that was not something he was consumed by. “Depression among footballers is not new, there are many people in the sport who struggle with this.” NRL players have spoken about their battles with depression in a bid to destigmatise it. When Newcastle Knights winger James McManus announced his early retirement from the sport in August, he urged fellow sportsmen to make use of the NRL’s concussion guidelines set up to protect players. “I suffered plenty of confusion, short-term memory recall problems and it was something the doctors told me would take time as my brain finds new ways to do things,” he said. “It really is important that the rules are there now to protect players because there can be some really bad side-effects that can come from head injuries.” Meanwhile, tributes poured in for former Eels and Sydney Roosters forward Robinson. His sister, Monique Brennan, and brother Tim Robinson, who plays for the Sharks, led an extensive public appeal and social media campaign to find him. “There are no words for our whole (family’s) loss and especially his two beautiful kids. Thank you everyone ... for your support the last few weeks,’’ his family said. Ms Morris was with the father-of-two on the night he went missing a month ago, prompting an extensive police search. “He had a beautiful day, swimming at our friend’s place and we shared some moments before he left that I will cherish for eternity,’’ the mental health support worker said. “He was strong and comforting. “He was also fighting mental illness like a warrior as he had been for many years. He was even supporting others through their own mental anguish. “To live beside someone you adore and watch them wake up with pain and push themselves every day to fight it can be unbearable. “It breaks you and it certainly tests your resolve but it never stopped me loving him to the core. There was just so much to love. “The list is endless and I will always crave just one moment with him, he knew how cherished he was. He even said it before he went.” The mother of three dismissed suggestions Robinson was struggling to come to terms with the breakdown of his marriage from which he had two children, Kiara and Cooper. In a Facebook post, Morris wrote: “His gorgeous children have been very lucky to have two loving parents who I admire for how they have kept their friendship close to support their children. “I hope his passing is not in vain. I implore anyone struggling with anything in their life to speak out ... Don’t be ashamed.” [URL]http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/ex-nrl-star-chad-robinson-feared-his-depression-was-caused-by-head-knocks-during-career/news-story/4ccfa583cff59355d0c14473f880a198[/URL] [/QUOTE]

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