Married At First Sight star Jake Edwards has detailed severe injuries that he suffered in the past, and has used his experience to raise awareness to the situation.
Trigger Warning: This article has graphic photos of violence.
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Taking to Instagram on Tuesday night, Jake shared a close-up photo of him being treated for brutal injuries to his head, and followed up with a detailed explanation about what happened.
“I was involved in an unprovoked assault in the city as I was leaving to go home,” he said.
“I was king hit from behind and knocked clean out. I was then beaten by 3 other men. I suffered a broken nose, stitches and I was knocked out for almost 2 minutes.”
“Due to the seriousness of my vertebrae and concussion I did not play anymore football that year,” he went on to write.
“This is awareness around the importance of looking after your mates when you are out drinking.
“Alcohol causes more damage than any other drug and the men who assaulted me that night I am sure wish they had their time again,” he said.
He went on to say that if there hadn’t been a taxi behind him when it happened, his head would have hit the cement and he “could have died”.
“My bones have healed. My scars have faded. But the impact this night has had on me emotionally and mentally still sits with me today. Almost 2 years in court hearing to get a verdict,” he said.
“I had other people with me that night who were also assaulted and I have never forgiven myself for their suffering.”
He ended his message off with: “So… when we can finally get out and have a drink… don’t end up in jail like these guys did.”
After his own AFL career was cut short due to injury, Jake has been a vocal advocate for mental health, and he even developed a program that helps sporting clubs understand and care for the mental health of their employees and players.
Despite his amazing work in this field, Jake is still plagued by mental health issues, and recently took time off social media to spend time at a retreat of sorts, where he worked on his anxiety issues.
“One of the toughest things in life is to put your hand up and admit that you need help and I was fortunate enough to be able to come away to a place like this with the full support of my family and friends,” he said.
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