St Kilda Saints Tim Membrey speaks about mental health after pulling out of 2023 elimination final

St Kilda forward Tim Membrey masked his mental health battles throughout last year rather than seeking help in the lead-up to his shock withdrawal from the elimination final against the Giants.

The 29-year-old said he resisted the pleas from his wife Emily to speak to someone about how he was feeling until he reached the point in September when the issues needed to be addressed immediately.

His absence stunned concerned teammates and supporters as the club revealed on the day of the game that the 29-year-old was “receiving appropriate care and treatment due to a personal health matter”.

Six months later, Membrey is now in “a good headspace” and set to line up against Geelong at GMHBA Stadium on March 17.

“Looking back on it now, it’s something that I had been probably dealing with for a long time, and probably putting a mask on at times as well,” Membrey told St Kilda’s website on Thursday.

“I didn’t know how to deal with what I was going through, who to speak to, who to trust, you know. My wife certainly knew what was going on, and she was pushing me to get help, but at the same time, you know, push as hard as you want, but I didn’t really know what to do. I didn’t know how to get help.

“Ultimately, it just came down to … yeah … I had to get on top of it pretty quickly and thank God, I did.”

Membrey did not detail his experience but said he was proud of what he did to return to good health and grateful for the support he received from his family and the club.