Former NRL head coach Matt Elliott on the Changeroom and helping people injured at work
NRL stars open up to people injured at work about life when your career ends
MAKING CHANGE: Former NRL head office Matt Elliott was in Albury for The Changeroom program working with people on workers compensation. Picture: JAMES WILTSHIRE
When Matt Elliott stopped being a NRL head coach, he felt like many people out of work do - lost.
"When you've done something for a long time your whole identity is attached to it, they might have skill-sets to go do other things but it's hard to go do other things when your identity is attached to [something else]," he said.
"I didn't know what I was going to do, then you fall into stereotypes.
"I'd been a head coach for 20 years but I didn't really know what I could do outside footy.
"I was a little bit confused so I do fully understand what it's like to come out of a career."
Mr Elliott shared his own experience with 16 people currently on workers' compensation during a wellbeing program The Changeroom held in Albury over Wednesday and Thursday.
He, along with former Roosters captain Anthony Minichiello, former Bulldogs captain Andrew Ryan and other sports figures, shared tips around mental health, diet, exercise and holistic wellbeing, to encourage the injured workers to return to capacity.
It was the first time the Changeroom program had been run in a regional area. Mr Elliott said 47 per cent of people on workers' compensation in NSW live outside Sydney.
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He said most people injured at work have a secondary psychological injury.
"Quite often with people like this, with the injuries they've had they can't go back to their jobs," Mr Elliott said.
"The reason athletes identify with them because you go from playing to not playing but your identity is attached to what you do."
Donna Galvin of Wagga, whose partner Rodger was injured in a workplace accident said she had seen a huge change in him over the two-day sessions.
"When we first came in I looked around and saw very serious faces, everyone had their guards up," she said.
"Now everyone is friendly and happy, there's a huge difference."
The program focuses on participants well-being and encouraging healthy practices.
Mrs Galvin said the course had given participants to take away and use to make positive changes.
Yolanta Ulich of Mildura had suffered a serious back injury in the workplace six years ago, but was able to keep working until 15 months ago when a surgical complication prevented her continuing.
She now suffers from chronic pain.
"I felt pretty shocking," she said.
"I felt like I'd lost my identity because for a long time my job was my identity.
"You feel empty, as if you have no purpose."
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