- Veteran’s injuries ruined his career
Former AFL star Orazio Fantasia has revealed the horror injury run that ended his career also destroyed his mental health and left him feeling like ‘a s**t boyfriend, a s**t mate and a s**t son’.
After being selected by the Essendon Bombers in the 2013 draft, the veteran’s career came to an end last year after stints at Port Adelaide and Carlton.
Fantasia’s career was marred by significant injuries, with soft-tissue and knee problems causing him significant distress.
He’s now confessed just how badly the setbacks affected him mentally as they restricted him to just 120 matches over 11 years.
‘Probably (I was) a s**t boyfriend, a s**t mate and a s**t son,’ Fantasia told The Soda Room podcast.
‘I think my way of dealing with it – and it definitely is the wrong way – but looking back on it, I went very insular.’
Orazio Fantasia (pictured) has opened up about his mental health battles
The former AFL player (pictured with wife Mikayla) was one of the league’s most exciting stars for more than a decade – but only played 120 games due to a horror run with injuries
Fantasia, who represented three clubs, became a father when his daughter Sophia was born in January last year (pictured together)
The 30-year-old’s relationships with his family and friends deteriorated as he cut himself off while battling to return to the field.
‘Mates would be calling and I just wouldn’t respond. Parents would be calling and I wouldn’t respond,’ he said.
‘And it’s not because I didn’t care or love those people, it was because I just knew it would be the same conversation.
‘I couldn’t just muster up the courage to deal with those conversations over and over again.’
Fantasia finished his career with 157 goals from his 120 games.
Although his time in the league was successful, he can’t help but think about what could have been if he’d stayed fit.
‘Guys I got drafted with – when I was at Carlton – “Crippa” (Patrick Cripps) is playing his 200th, 230th, 240th, Zach Merrett reached 250,’ Fantasia said.
‘Why couldn’t I play that many? I wish I could have, but it’s my journey at the end of the day.’
The 30-year-old (pictured with wife Mikayla) has confessed that he cut himself off from family and friends
Fantasia (pictured) excelled as a scoring threat after debuting with the Bombers in 2014
The 30-year-old averaged just 10 games per season across his career.
But remarkably, he still lasted more than a decade in the AFL system before being delisted by Carlton.
Fantasia will continue playing locally for Adelaide University in 2026.
The majority of his AFL career was spent at Essendon, with the star playing 80 games for the Bombers.