Penrith Panthers coach Ivan Cleary has provided a brave new insight into his mental health battle, while also lamenting the fact he didn’t initially share his struggles with his wife. Cleary is a four-time premiership-winning coach having led the Panthers to grand final triumphs in all of the last four seasons.
The 53-year-old is probably the happiest man in the NRL, but he wasn’t always that way. In his recently-released memoir ‘Not Everything Counts but Everything Matters’, the Panthers legend opens up on how he was struggling mentally back in 2019.
After two years coaching the Wests Tigers he made a return to the Panthers after leaving the club back in 2015. And when success didn’t come immediately, the coach felt the weight of the world on his shoulders. Cleary admitted he struggled coaching superstar son Nathan, and the poor initial results affected his mental health.
The 53-year-old has previously revealed how he struggled to get out of bed at times and would cry for no apparent reason. He writes in his book: “I’m looking at the box of anti-depressants in my hand wondering whether I should take them or not. I can’t take much more. It feels like the weight of the world is closing in on me.”