Western Bulldogs have hired singer and life coach Josh Piterman in a bid to help their players’ mental wellbeing.
The West End performer, who has starred in shows like Cats and Les Miserables, has had a role with the club as a community foundation ambassador since 2024.
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But he is now working alongside the players as an additional member of the mental health support team.
Piterman, 40, specialises in breath work and his experience as a life coach has proved useful for the squad.
“As long as players feel like they’re being cared for, that’s really important,” said Dogs coach Luke Beveridge.
“The AFL provide a number of third party options, and we’ve been through that with some of our players who aren’t here anymore.”
The dogs also have an appointed psychologist, Andrew Watson, though he does not meet the AFL’s new mandate of being full-time.
The league introduced the new rule on full-time club psychologists on Tuesday in light of the Elijah Hollands incident, where Carlton were fined $75,000 for failing to administer proper care after he experienced a mental health episode on the pitch.
And while Piterman will not be able to assist on the clinical side of things, his presence could aid mental wellbeing.
The actor describes himself as being “hardwired for human connection”, and his experience singing on stage has helped him build up a strong knowledge of breathwork and meditation while learning how to deal with pressure and anxiety.
In a social media video he states one of his goals is to “help others by finding out who they are behind the mask, and what they are here on this planet to share”.
His podcast ‘Behind The Mask’ has reached No.2 on the Self-Improvement chart on iTunes, and he is a current member of the ‘House of Wellness’ presenting panel which airs nationally in Australia on Channel 7.
His work at the Bulldogs could prove valuable, with the team in need of every bit of help they can get to turn around a four-match losing streak.
