An 18-year-old whose soccer partner suddenly took his life in his last year of school reveals how he constantly felt like a piece was missing.
Joseph Anderson, from Bondi, met Nick Munsie at primary school in Armidale, in rural NSW, before they both ended up at the same secondary school: St Joseph’s in Hunters Hill, Sydney.
The couple, both boarders at the school, were classmates and played together on the school soccer team.
“Nick was a popular guy, everyone loved him,” Joseph told news.com.au.
“He was a special guy who was outgoing and had friends from all different schools.”
Nobody expected the news that Joseph and his team received after playing a game.
Mental health and suicide are not easy topics to deal with, but news.com.au wants you to know that you are not alone. News.com.au Not only will raise awareness of these issues and provide you with the resources you need to seek help.
Nick hadn’t shown up for the game as expected, but the game had to go ahead anyway.
Then, after the game, Joseph’s coach gathered all the boys in the group.
He broke the news to the team that Nick, just 18 years old, had taken his own life and many of his teammates burst into tears.
“My whole system was in complete shock, I couldn’t believe it,” Joseph revealed.
“I didn’t cry until I saw my mother on the bench.
“You always hear about it, but you never think it’s going to happen to someone you know.”
He added that Nick was the first person close to him to pass away.
The school cohort was forced into lockdown with the rest of the state shortly after Nick took his own life. He left them feeling that they hadn’t been able to heal together from the tragic loss of Nick’s death.
“It was such a bad year with Covid and we had a couple of other people from our year group pass away,” Joseph revealed.
“It was just heartbreaking dealing with the stages of grief and what we can do about it.
“There were a lot of flashbacks about things that I missed, like graduation and formality, and all the things that would have been.
“It was like a wish for everything that could have been, almost like a piece was missing.”
Distraught, one of Joseph’s classmates, Harry, came up with the brilliant idea to put his weight behind mental health awareness and raise money to help benefit the sick.
The group decided to participate in the Black Dog Institute’s Mullets for Mental Health, which runs throughout September, is in its third year and has so far raised $9.6 million in total.
Throughout the month, people farm mullet and collect donations for mental health support schemes.
Joseph said the group taking part grew quickly, with footballers including NRL Sydney Roosters player James Tedesco sharing the boy’s efforts on social media.
The team, named ‘Mullets for Munz’ after his friend, raised $337,470 with Joseph as the top fundraiser contributing $8,700.
Joseph shares his and Nick’s story to encourage others to start a conversation about mental health.
“Mental health is such an important topic that it is always brought up,” said Joseph.
“Just look at Paul Green the other week, the influence and devastation he left behind.
“We just wanted to do as much as we could and I think it’s a great campaign, especially now that mullet is also back in fashion.”
Enrollment is currently open for the third year of Mullets for mental health.
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