16/08/2026
Sometimes the person who looks the toughest on the outside is fighting a very different battle underneath.
Former St Kilda footballer Steve Baker speaks openly about losing his football career, the death of his father, the later loss of his close mate Shane Warne, and the periods when grief and isolation took him to some very dark places.
One of the biggest lessons he learned was also one of the hardest:
asking for help.
“Putting your hand up and saying you’re struggling, that was hard and tough to do.”
For Steve, rebuilding involved movement, connection, good mates and finding a new sense of purpose.
His story is a reminder that mental fitness isn’t about never struggling. It’s about continuing to build the things that help us respond when life gets hard.
Read What It Really Means to Be Tough, the latest Community Story from Darren Templeton.
https://darrentempleton.com.au/steve-baker/
