From an everyday piece of sports tape, rugby league great Greg Inglis and the Goanna Academy are leading a powerful mental health campaign, 'Stick with It', to fight the stigma surrounding mental health.

Running from July 2 to August 4 across NRL's Round 22, 'Stick With It' transforms sports strapping tape into a national symbol of resilience. Appearing across TV, radio, print, digital, social, and live events, it aims to raise awareness and prevent suicide amid Australia's ongoing mental health crisis.

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, suicide is the leading cause of death for Australians aged 15 to 44, with males aged 18 to 44 most affected. Among young Australians aged 15 to 24, suicide rates have surged by 68 per cent over the past 15 years, and are twice as high in First Nations and regional communities.

'Stick With It' encourages participants to wrap tape around their wrists in solidarity with those struggling with mental health - a visible icebreaker to start much-needed conversations.

"We all want to do something positive. And this is just one way that I believe I can help them," said Mr Inglis.

Mr Inglis is a Dunghutti man and former NRL player described as "a once in a generation talent". He has played for clubs such as the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Melbourne Storm.

Now retired, Mr Inglis is the founder of the Goanna Academy, Australia's first Indigenous-owned, accredited mental health education provider. Having already supported over 40,000 people, the academy delivers evidence-based mental health and wellbeing tools for both youth and adults nationwide.

Mr Inglis has been open about his mental health struggles, using his experience to inspire others and create impactful programs, such as the Goanna Academy and now 'Stick with It.'

"It all started when I retired. I didn't know how to transition from the structured life of playing sport to the workforce - it felt like I was in limbo for a year," he shared.

"Before I knew it, I was turning to a lot of drinking, then sleepless nights, then prescription drugs. I found myself in a bad place where some days I couldn't even get out of bed."

"One day, I went missing for five days. My family was desperately trying to find me — calling hospitals, police stations, anywhere they thought I might be. Eventually, I resurfaced. My sister picked me up, I went home, detoxed for two weeks, and then returned to Sydney, where I checked into a rehab facility."

It was this journey that inspired the 'Stick with It' campaign.

"Because mental health issues aren't really visible, right? So sporting tape is a way to bring it to life," he explained.

Reflecting on stigma in First Nations communities, Mr Inglis said: "You know, we've been brought up to be warriors and leaders, so we don't want to show that weak side of us."

"Especially as young men, we're told to suck it up and keep moving forward. That we shouldn't be able to be worried about our feelings, and that's just being taught from generation to generation."

But Mr Inglis is determined to break the stigma for future generations.

"We gotta be better for our younger generations coming through. So again, we're spreading the word around it. Speak up about it, but when we're speaking up about it, it's not just a one-and-done thing. We gotta continue to check in with our youth, checking in with ourselves."

Since its launch, 'Stick with It' has grown into a nationwide campaign backed by over 40 footy ambassadors, fans, and communities. Mr Inglis describes the response as "overwhelming".

"To have all these voices come out and support it, I'm so happy, and I'm so grateful for it," he said.

One ambassador is Kennedy Cherrington, a Māori NRLW player for the Parramatta Eels, and current mental health facilitator with the Goanna Academy. Recently named one of rugby league's 50 most influential people, Cherrington is a positive role model on and off the field.

"I'm really passionate about mental health, but also being a big sister in the community," she said.

"I'm in a privileged position with a platform, and if I can use it to make a difference in the world, then it starts with 'Stick with it,'" Ms Cherrington continued, seeing the campaign as a natural progression to her work in the community.

She is honest about Australia's mental health situation:

"Mental health and everything that surrounds the conversation in Australia is a national emergency that we don't really pay attention to. Often, we see mental health and mental illnesses as an invisible fight," she said.

"And this stigma is just caused by a society that has its priorities backwards. Everyone experiences mental health. One in four people experiences mental illness in their life. So it doesn't discriminate," she continued.

Ms Cherrington believes that tough conversations are necessary to break mental health stigma:

"I don't like to sugarcoat conversations because they're already hard to have, so you've got to call it out, especially something like mental health," Cherrington shared.

"These things are a national emergency. They need to be acted on straight away. So if we can call out awareness, we can call out fundraising funds, if we can call out the conversation as it is, then hopefully we can actually legitimately break down that stigma."

While 'Stick with It' is in its last week, the campaign will continue to raise awareness and encourage important conversations surrounding Australia's mental health crisis even after its final day.

The West Tigers vs Canterbury Bulldogs game on August 3 at Comm-bank Stadium will see all players and fans observe 30 seconds of silence in memory of friends and family lost or suffering. The campaign officially wraps up August 8 at the Goanna Academy Gala at Sofitel Darling Harbour with special guest Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

To support the Goanna Academy, visit goannaacademy.org.au. Just $20 can help someone access life-changing mental health programs across metropolitan and regional Australia.