Welcome back to The Ebbs and The Flows: soft chats about hard stuff.

The Ebbs and The Flows with Simon Hogan, former AFL footballer, mental health advocate, community leader in the health sector and proud girldad.

Edited by The Ebbs and The Flows
Thank you to Chantelle Clark for designs used to promote this episode
We also acknowledge the idea of Ainslie Wills which we have adapted for the use in the segment 'Me and the world on a page/stage'

This week's guest is Simon Hogan, former Geelong Cat, mental health advocate, spokesperson and leader, public health expert, father, husband with a genuine love and care for those around him and the communities he belongs to. Simon Hogan played for the Geelong Cats throughout 2007-2012 before retiring at the tender age of 24. His football journey was a surprising one, having been a high academic achiever in Warrnambool and drafted in the same draft as Tom Hawkins and premiership captain Joel Selwood by the Cats. His career is highlighted by his openness and honesty in the face of immense challenges with his mental health. Simon speaks openly about his diagnoses, including Type 2 Bipolar, but also about the arrival of his first child, Maeve, and his beautiful relationship with his wife Kate and his mother. It is a conversation this podcast was built for: Brutality, fear, sadness and struggle tied into joy, curiosity, love, hope and wonder and awe. We cannot begin to express our gratitude for this wonderful man being so transparent on this episode. It's a beauty.

As always, this episode includes segments such as 'A Note to Self', 'Work in Progress' and 'Weird Fishes', and a new segment called 'The Art of The List', which features five things Simon has learnt about mental health, and ME AND THE WORLD ON A PAGE/STAGE. His note to self is not to be missed, found around the 50 minute mark of the episode.

The Ebbs and the Flows is an emotional health movement focused on openness and transparency about the light and the shade of the lives we led and journeys we encounter. The Ebbs and the Flows is not a licensed mental health service and therefore if you are seeking mental health advice, assessment or treatment, you should seek expert advice with a GP, psychologist, psychiatrist or call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

For The Ebbs and The Flows Instagram page head to https://www.instagram.com/theebbsandtheflows/

Weird Fishes:
Film: Captain Fantastic
Book: Limber Lost by Robbie Arnott and Stolen Focus by Johann Hari
Album/Artist: Jurassic Five
Local Recommendation: Laksa King in Flemington

At the end of the day, we are all just a work in progress.

The Ebbs and the Flows is an emotional health movement focused on openness and transparency about the light and the shade of the lives we led and journeys we encounter. The Ebbs and the Flows is not a licensed mental health service and therefore if you are seeking mental health advice, assessment or treatment, you should seek expert advice with a GP, psychologist, psychiatrist or call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

For The Ebbs and The Flows Instagram page head to https://www.instagram.com/theebbsandtheflows/

At the end of the day, we are all just a work in progress.