I'm going to be tuning in on Monday night ABC1, 8pm to see this story.
Manton was interviewed on Grandstand by Simone Thurtell, which is how I heard about this.
This is from the ABC website about the story:
This week’s Australian Story is a harrowing but ultimately inspirational tale of sportsmanship, mentoring and redemption through three generations of Australian Rules football players.
Five years ago, David Conway, the ‘Rising Star’ and Captain of the NSW/ACT under 16’s AFL team, was on the brink of suicide.
A sinister revelation had torn his close-knit family apart. He was haunted by childhood demons and was entirely disengaged from life.
In an act of sheer desperation Fiona Conway cold-called the only person she believed may be able to help her son – David’s all time hero, Carlton premiership player GLENN MANTON.
It was a long shot, but when Fiona explained David’s story, Manton was compelled to act. In an extraordinary and most unexpected act of compassion, Manton took Conway into his own home for a week and turned his life around. Conway is well on the way to great success.
As it transpires, Manton (who has devoted his life to helping and motivating troubled youth) was simply ‘paying it forward’. As a troubled young man himself, he too had been mentored. It was Essendon* giant, ALEC EPIS – aka “The Kookaburra” – who was responsible for setting him on his own path to personal accomplishment.
What follows is a powerful story of impenetrable bonds and the immeasurable value of role models for our future generations.
Quote:
“I was in complete despair. I did not know where to go or what to do and I knew if I didn’t do anything we could lose our son, our only son. He embraced David unconditionally and the friendship that stems as a result of that first initial meeting is just amazing; it’s profound.” – FIONA CONWAY
“I’ve dealt with a lot of young people in troubled circumstances, but on a scale of one to ten, this was pushing twelve. You could tell that it was the eleventh hour. You could tell that something had to happen.” – GLENN MANTON, former AFL player and youth mentor
“I’ve dealt with a lot of young people in troubled circumstances, but on a scale of one to ten, this was pushing twelve. You could tell that it was the eleventh hour. You could tell that something had to happen.” – GLENN MANTON, former AFL player and youth mentor
There's also audio from SEN: http://sen.com.au/audioplayer/Audio/Glenn-Manton/620
Onya, Glenn.
