Fremantle Dockers superstar Caleb Serong has opened up about a deeply emotional moment with his partner at the end of last season, confessing, "I can't do this anymore."
A Raw and Honest Conversation
In Wednesday night's episode of Seven's Unfiltered, Serong admitted he struggled with his identity being tied so closely to his performance on the football field, despite being widely recognised as one of the best midfielders in the AFL.
"I sat down with (his now-wife) Chloe and we were having a bottle of wine, as we do at the end of the year, sitting around and she just goes 'how do you reflect on the year?' and I just broke down," Serong said.
"I just said, 'I'm exhausted, I can't do this anymore. I can't do it like this.' For me, I don't think I was at a point where I can't do footy anymore, it was just like I can't do it this way."
Timing Felt 'Weird'
The Fremantle vice-captain admitted the timing felt "weird" given he had just taken home his third Doig Medal as the Dockers' best and fairest player and earned his third straight All-Australian selection. The Dockers had also returned to finals in 2025 after two seasons on the outer, before being knocked out in the elimination final.
"I was lucky enough and so proud and grateful to be All-Australian again, best and fairest again, and that means so much to me and I'll reflect more on how much that means. But that feeling was fleeting, it wasn't lasting for me," Serong said.
"In the moment, it's amazing. You celebrate with the people around you and you celebrate with your teammates and family and they're so happy for you. But you get to the next day and you're almost thinking, 'OK, what's next?' and it's almost that wait again."
Seeking Help
Serong said the emotional revelation led to "a lot of different conversations" and reflections, and ultimately a visit to Fremantle's Head of Leadership Andrew Sturgess. "But he's a lot more than that," Serong said of Sturgess. "He's a life coach for me now. And we sit down and speak every week and he's guided me on this journey over the last six months."
Serong is set to return for Fremantle in a blockbuster clash with Geelong at Optus Stadium on Thursday night following a month on the sidelines with a calf injury. Unfiltered with Caleb Serong airs on Wednesday night following The Front Bar on Seven and 7plus Sport.
