BY DAN

Adrian Proszenko of the Sydney Morning Herald provided us with an article over the weekend that should raise an eyebrow of every Canberra fan.

The piece was a tale of Corey Horsburgh’s terrible year, the self destruction and the disintegration of his relationship with Ricky Stuart. In the piece Corey reveals that he didn’t react well to Coach Stuart telling him he wouldn’t be in the starting 17 at the beginning of the 2024 season. This was during the pre-season, and what followed was Horsburgh effectively giving up, gaining weight, not trying at training. In his words:

It was a bit hard to take. It started in pre-season. He told me I lost my spot and I took it the wrong way. I stopped trying at training, got a bit fatter than usual. It’s what happens, you take things the wrong way sometimes. I didn’t go the right way about things, sabotaged myself in a way

He and Stuart didn’t talk for what appears to be months, and it took Horsburgh taking several steps (including seeking outside help) in order to get himself in order. This was rewarded by Stuart with a return to first grade, and everything is hunky dory now according to the article.

In a sense we’ll all see what we want in this. Most of us will be warmed at Corey’s journey, his commitment to his three year old daugther, and his willingness to drag himself back from the abyss. His message around seeking mental health support is an important one that all of us (young men in particular) should heed. The only thing darker than the night is the corners of your mind. It’s hard not to be excited to hear Corey so focused on getting back to his best.

And many will see this as a vindication of Horsburgh needing to get his house in order. They’ll see this as Stuart holding Horsburgh accountable for an off-season he himself admitted was poor, seeking to arrest this decline, and then rewarding him when he got himself straight. The equivalent of ‘leave your shit at the door, no one is promised anything’. Professional sport will chew up and spit out the strongest. Perhaps one might even consider the length of silence between the two as more evidence of Stuart knowing what buttons to press and when, eventually landing on bringing him back at the right time, and allowing him to flourish. If you landed there I understand.

But for me this was concerning. The lack of engagement from the club, and Stuart, painted by the article when Horsburgh was at his lowest is confusing. As Horsbugh put it

No one was talking to me or anything. I didn’t think I would ever play for [Stuart] again, that he had just put a line through me.

and

I’m a stubborn person, he’s a stubborn person, and we just stopped talking

He only sought professional help because at his manager’s behest, who according to the piece saw that Big Red felt isolated, and arranged that he meet with a therapist. This obviously was a critical intervention in allowing Corey to find a more stable approach. Again, as Horse said:

It was a chance to talk some things out because no one was talking to me at the club, so I needed someone to talk to

While I’m happy the outcome was good, this is more a cautionary tale than redemptive arc. Presuming Horsburgh’s version is accurate, Corey was isolated and was not engaged by the club. It took him seeking support outside the Raiders’ own infrastructure to get well. While his manager no doubt knows his client as well as anyone, that there was no help from the club while someone was clearly struggling is worrying.

From a purely personal perspective I would have hoped however Corey was going on the field that the club had an apparatus to ensure he was supported. Many have been there before, and sometimes we need to reach out to make give people the hand they need to come back to the light.

From a football perspective it’s critical to a functioning organisation to have your players fit, both physically and mentally. If the club really is intent on turning the host of young men it has brought into it’s stable in a premiership winning force, this is the kind of thing they’ll need to get better at. I don’t know if this is an isolated incident or ‘how things are handled’. If it’s the latter I’d recommend a more engaged approach.

I’m keen to hear the club’s version of events. Perhaps Horsburgh’s language in the piece was more colourful than factual. Even if Stuart wasn’t having conversations with him there may have been other ‘non-football’ staff like welfare officers reaching out to Red, and that just may be a distinction he makes between the ‘club’ and the club (cos in the club, we all fam). The Raiders may have identified things in the Horsburgh situation that they want to do better. We simply do not know from this piece. I’d love to hear more, including what the Milk would normally do, and how often they consider their processes in that regard.

But I’m definitely surprised. Even if the cold war between Red and Stick was raging, there should have been plenty to ensure that Horsburgh got the support he needed. I’m glad his manager stepped in and that Horsburgh is in a better place. I just wish it didn’t come that.

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