Football poised for return in the Great Southern with the headspace colts super round set to connect football and mental health

The inaugural headspace colts super round will mark the return of competitive football in the Great Southern this Sunday. The round robin carnival is sponsored by headspace Albany and will not be played for premiership points, instead being used as pre-season games and to help raise awareness of mental health among young men. Royals, Railways, North Albany and Albany will compete in the round-robin format while a combined Denmark-Walpole and Mt Barker team will also take part. There was hope a sixth team featuring players from Gnowangerup and Tambellup along with some additional players from the Kangas could have been made up by the weekend but it was unable to happen. The carnival will consist of three rounds. Each game will be two 15-minute halves with no time on. Headspace football jumpers will be given out to deserving players from each team while every footballer will wear specially made green headspace socks. GSFL director Brett Turpin said this would become a yearly event and they would include the under-16s next season. “Headspace have been the colts sponsor for the last few years and the colts number have dropped off so we thought this is a way to kick-start the season,” Turpin said. “We want to get that awareness out there, over the last few years we have lost some footballers and mates so it’s an important message to get out there. “This is a way to get everything cranked up and get something positive happening. “Hopefully with the new restrictions we can get a few people there and support the kids. “Andrew (Wenzel) is very supportive and he will have a display set up throughout the day and then talk to the kids at the end of the games.” Andrew Wenzel, manager of headspace Albany, will have a display set-up at the event and will talk to the players about mental health in young men. “Mental health often starts in the 15-25 age and a lot of fellas are reluctant to speak out,” he said. “We have been planning a colts round for years, this year was going to be a big year before COVID. “I’m glad we can still have an impact in a shorten season”