Never wear another teams colours.
It’s something we’re taught from an early age, especially in Melbourne where football is nothing if not tribal.
But for Frank Vella, a lifelong Magpie, who’ll receive a Western Bulldogs hoodie for graduating the 2016 men’s health program on Wednesday, he’ll be proudly sporting the red, white and blue of the Dogs in honour of what he and his fellow participants have achieved over the past couple of months.
“I’m really proud of what I’ve done, and I’m really proud of achieving it, Vella told westernbulldogs.com.au during a photo shoot for local newspapers.
“I’m just rapt to be part of the program, just for what it can do for people.
“I’m fortunate, I don’t feel like I’ve got any major issues but there are blokes out there that do have, and just by being here is getting them to the doctors or getting them to talk to people, getting them to talk to health professionals.”
Of the 800 men who took part this year, over 500 will graduate the program in ceremonies across Melbourne’s West, as well as Ballarat. That is up from 230 last year and 90 in year one.
Vella said one of the keys to the programs’ success was creating a space where men could go and feel comfortable being themselves.
Whether they wanted to exercise, whether they wanted to talk through some problems, or just wanted to meet a few people, Sons of the West has created that environment.
“There’s a lot of blokes that I’ve spoken to who said that they enjoy the company of other blokes, he said.
“A lot of guys don’t spend time with other men as they get older, and I think that’s important.
“I’ve found that just by walking around and talking to people, it’s an opportunity to open up about things they don’t want to talk to their workmates about because it might be a bit personal.
“Just the other day I was talking to a guy about the a marriage break up. He just wanted to vent.
“As blokes we tend to keep things in but everybody here makes you feel so part of the group. That you don’t mind opening up, someone to listen to, you know.”
This is Vella’s first year in the program, having joined after watching the positive impact it had on his great mate, Jonathan Manallack over the past two years, and he wants to return the favour to other men next year.
“The goal is to continue with the program, bring more people in and hopefully contribute in some other way.
“A goal for next year is to bring ten people.”
Sons of the West will be back in 2017.
