St Kilda great Justin Koschitzke has revealed the shattering effects of how multiple concussion injuries and battling with his mental health led him to secretly hope that his team would often lose matches.
The 42-year-old enjoyed a glittering career in the AFL, joining the Saints alongside his good friend Nick Riewoldt as a pick one and two swoop in the 2000 National Draft.
The New South Wales-born forward, who would also play as a ruckman for the Victorian outfit, would go on to boot 247 goals across 200 appearances or the footy club before hanging up his boots in 2013.
Koschitzke has been open on his struggles with concussion and mental health following his retirement, having stated back in 2022 to 3AW that he doesn’t remember multiple AFL games that he played in.
This week, the 42-year-old has again been reflecting on his career and revealed to Hamish McLachlan on Channel 7’s Unfiltered, that there were some occasions where he hoped his side would lose games.
‘It was here at the MCG, it was an elimination final that year against Melbourne,’ he said to the legendary broadcaster, during an episode of the show which is set to air on Wednesday.
St Kilda great Justin Koschitzke (pictured) has opened up on how the shattering effects of concussion and battling mental health issues caused him to hope his side would lose
The 42-year-old (right) enjoyed a glittering career in the AFL , joining the Saints alongside his good friend Nick Riewoldt (left) as a pick one and two swoop in the 2000 National Draft
Koschitzke would go on to suffere multiple head knocks in his career, including a fractured skull in 2006
‘Melbourne got three or four goals up in the third quarter or late in the fourth.
‘Internally, I was the happiest person in this stadium, or anywhere in Australia, that Melbourne were going to win and I didn’t have to play the next week.
‘Twenty years ago, that’s the first time I’ve publicly said that. It became the worst two hours of the week.
‘Then the shame you carry with that. I’ve got the best job in the world and you try and convince yourself (you do).’
After joining the Saints in 2000, Koschitzke would go on to be crowned the AFL’s Rising Star in 2001, but the following season, he suffered a hamstring injury that plagued him for the 2003 and 2004 seasons.
During the 2006 season, he suffered a devastating fractured skull during his side’s Round Six victory against the Western Bulldogs. He was subsequently ruled out for a large chunk of the season, having struggled to retain hearing in one of his ears.
Speaking on The Agenda Setters, Riewoldt also spoke on his mate’s mental health issues, but added the former footy star was in a ‘much better place now.’
‘I’m aware of Kosi’s struggles, we’re still really good mates,’ Riewoldt told The Agenda Setters.
The forward, who made 200 AFL appearances for the Saints said there were times he hoped his side would lose games, adding they would be the ‘worst two hours of the week’
Riewoldt (left) added though that his friend, Koschitzke (right), ‘was in a much better place now’ but said the footy pitch ‘had just become a really dangerous place’ for his team-mate
‘It’ll be a really confronting watch for people. Kosi’s in a much better place now. But in reference to that, the footy field had just become a really dangerous place for Kosi on the back of head knocks and concussions and stuff like that.
‘It just shows you never quite know what’s going on in the minds of some of the people you think you know really well, including some of your teammates.’
Having sustained several head injuries during his career, Koschitzke opened up in 2022 about how his mental health was, several years after having retired from the sport.
‘There’s multiple games I can’t remember finishing the game or driving home and that’s just ludicrous when you think about it,’ he said on 3AW’s Footy Then and Now Podcast.
He added: ‘[My] mental health goes up and down, there’s memory loss, there’s mood swings, there’s all sorts of things.
‘And I’m sure there’s a lot of other players out there that feel the same.
‘It’s just a management thing, knowing how to work on it and navigate through a lot of stuff.’
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