Bold opening: The pressure to look a certain way in sports isn’t just outdated lore — it can ruin lives. And this is where the story gets controversial, because what started as a push for performance spiraled into an unhealthy culture around body image.
Former Essendon captain Dyson Heppell has opened up about his troubling early years in football, describing a “horrendous” environment around body image and food. He explains that players were shuttled into a group nicknamed the fat club if they didn’t hit strict offseason targets, which meant extra cross-training or other methods to strip fat. Heppell recalls the group being celebrated by teammates but felt the label was cruel and damaging, especially when he was dealing with a broken leg and still labeled as needing to lose weight before preseason.Д
Heppell’s honesty continues: he would obsess over meals, even pre-preparing his food and avoiding eating when the team was away. He describes his early career as creating an unhealthy relationship with food, a form of disordered eating rather than a full-blown eating disorder. He recalls a feeling of reluctance to go out for meals, driven by fear of how his choices would be perceived.
The issue isn’t isolated to one club or sport. Luke Bateman, a former NRL player who represented the Canberra Raiders, notes that unofficial fat clubs were present across rugby league as well. Back in 2016, Carlton’s “fat club” program drew attention, with players measured by skin folds and those above a 12% body fat threshold sent into a strenuous “fat club” phase before rejoining the main squad. The initiative drew criticism from sports administrator Brian Waldron, who called the naming socially irresponsible and warned about the impact on impressionable fans and young athletes.
Over time, the AFL and its clubs have faced scrutiny for how they handle weights and body image. In 2024, the AFL banned skin-fold testing on prospective draftees, a move that drew mixed reactions from media and critics. For AFLW players and other female athletes, options to opt out of weighing have been part of broader conversations about privacy and health. In addition, clubs now emphasize expert oversight — body weights are to be measured only by qualified high-performance staff in private settings, with strict data privacy.
Despite reforms, the culture surrounding weight and body image persists. Former premiership-winning coach Paul Roos criticized the idea that players who worry about skin folds should simply “find another job,” underscoring that systemic change is needed. And more players are speaking out about body dysmorphia and disordered eating, including Cooper Hamilton, who has been vocal about social pressures that can lead to under-fueling and social isolation around food.
Context from recent reporting shows that elite athletes across sports still struggle with body image and eating concerns, including new data focused on elite female athletes. While progress has been made, the core issue remains unresolved in many clubs: the fixation on weight and appearance continues to shape players’ mental health and daily lives.
Final note: When Heppell was asked whether fat clubs still exist, his answer was blunt: yes — it’s still a thing. The conversation isn’t just about yesterday’s practices; it’s a reminder that any culture that equates worth with weight needs ongoing scrutiny and reform. Would you be comfortable sharing your thoughts on where the line should be drawn between fitness targets and healthy, supportive team culture? What changes would you want to see in professional sports to protect athletes’ wellbeing while maintaining performance?"}
