Simon Hogan Biography

Simon Hogan opens up on his battle with depression that ended his AFL career.

"I felt really lost, and I guess I just couldn't see the end of the tunnel. I couldn't see a way to get out of this wreck that I was in," Hogan said.

"I remember one day, in particular, when dad was home.

"I remember sitting in my room on the floor for about two hours with this bottle of sleeping tablets, and sort of holding them to my mouth a few times.

"Not wanting my life to end, but wanting to end this pain and not knowing how to do it.

"Thankfully, dad came down and sort of broke the spell, and that was really another turning point in realising how serious this illness had got for me."

Geelong midfielder Simon Hogan says he hit rock bottom a year ago while battling depression.

"For me, it did go downward pretty quickly," Hogan said.

"I needed some pretty radical intervention and luckily I got in touch with some pretty good psychologists and psychiatrists and got on the right medication, which was appropriate for me."

A battle with depression has put Geelong midfielder Simon Hogan's football career in perspective.

"I learned a lot about myself last year; how I need to approach not only my footy but also my life in general," Hogan said.

"This time last year I was a completely different person. I wasn't in a good spot. It's actually quite refreshing to look back at that and compare it to where I am now and how much I now look forward to playing footy.

"It's a real positive, and I just look forward to getting out there and having a good year."

The retirement of Cameron Ling has opened the door for Simon Hogan to become the Cats' main run-with player.

"Simon Hogan has been on the list for a while, and he's really keen for that type of challenge," Geelong midfield coach Nigel Lappin said.

"He's a really good runner and a good contested-ball player. We've been working on his decisions away from the ball because he has always played in the past as a ball-getter."

Geelong midfielder Simon Hogan has revealed he was suicidal while battling depression during the 2011 season.

"I was pretty close to thinking I couldn't get any help and wasn't going to come out of it," Hogan told Melbourne radio station 3AW.

"I was quite suicidal. I had a few days where either my mum or my dad had to take days off work and make sure they were around me, because I couldn't trust myself. It was obviously really hard for the family."