It is with a heavy heart that I have to inform you that I’m severing all ties with the Geelong Cheer Squad and Geelong football club. I want to live a life where I’m surrounded by people that love me.
I don’t want to be around negative influences and I feel I need to take control of the Catman persona that I’ve worked hard to create.
I’m an openly gay, confident, loud, abrasive, energetic,creative, colourful and popular person and that sometimes isn’t what some sections of the community like.
I need to be around people that love me for who and what I am. People who get my humour and people I love back equally.
I have been through a hellish time and I feel that it’s time that I must take steps to look after my mental health as I have been at breaking point.
I’ve grown up surrounded by homophobia, prejudice and being targeted. I’m at a stage in my life where I don’t think I should be around elements of that nature. In ANY area of my life.
I want to take control of my freedom. Free to do and say what I want without retribution.
Becoming very well known and a high profile fan has brought me many rewards and incredible experiences with fans and the fun in the media. But with fame within the AFL Community, there are drawbacks.
There’s another side of life. There’s the constant online hate on footy forums. It’s not fun when a video of me goes viral and I read through 20,000 comments of absolute hate, abuse, homophobia, discrimination and the worst things imaginable you can say to people.
I do respond with aggression and say some things in response as I struggle to ignore things.
I just don’t get why people can hate me so much when they don’t know me. There just isn’t room in this day and age for an outrageous colourful gay man with a big witty mouth.
I’m old school. I’m not politically correct. I wasn’t brought up that way. I struggle to adapt to the new cancel culture that’s insidiously infiltrated society.
There are just too many people out to get me. I no longer wish to be under such scrutiny.
Thank you to all my friends, fans and supporters who have stood by me through all of these hard times and supported me over the last 16 years.
Without your love and support, this wouldn’t have been possible. I appreciate you all.
I will still come to the footy but only as a general member. I can not be part of this organisation any longer.
I don’t agree the way it conducts itself in regards to what I’ve experienced. I have never been supported or protected.
Never been endorsed, asked to do a family day event or ANY event. Never once have I been utilised in any way. Never acknowledged. Only punished and suspended.
For my own sanity, I need to move on.
Because of all this , I have lost my passion for the game, for Catman and I struggle to even get to games at the moment. I feel like burning my Catcave to the ground .
I have loved the Geelong Football Club all my life. My full back premiership dad made sure it was in my DNA for life. I love this club so much but unfortunately they don’t love me back in return.
Sometimes members of the hateful public win. They’ll think they have here. But they haven’t. I’m just taking control of my public persona and removing the power they’ve had over me with what I say and do.
I don’t wish to be under anymore stringent behavioural regulations that aren’t bestowed on every one else as well. It’s unfair and in my opinion, discriminatory.
Things got so bad and I was self medicating to sleep. I just have to take control of my life. This is not conducive to a healthy existence.
The ongoing issues for the last few years has made me grow increasingly angry and saying inflammatory things on Facebook that don’t reflect who I am in real life. I don’t like the person this anger has turned me into.
I’m a very warm and funny person in real life and these problems have made me into a bitter raging bull.
I’ve hurt friends and family with my anger and fallen out with many people. It has to stop. I want the lovely Troy back in my life. AND YOURS lol.
I’m extremely sad that I’ve let you down by ceasing the weekly Catman and I hope you will stay my friend and stay on my wall and chat because I’m not going anywhere.
I love all the interaction with you all and I truly love you for being my friend and supporter of what I do.
I’m crying as I write this. It’s not something I thought I’d be doing but I need to retain what sanity and happiness I have left.
I used to seek that by going to the football. Now it’s sadness. My happiness now comes from my great life outside football. So with that, a fond farewell from your loving crazy cat. Thank you.
As Frank Sinatra once sang
‘For what is a man, what has he got?
If not himself then he has naught
Not to say the things that he truly feels
And not the words of someone who kneels
Let the record shows I took all the blows and did it my way’.
PS; A footnote. I just want to say that this isn’t the Cheer Squad in it’s entirety. There are great people in there trying their guts out to get it going again.
In my years of efforts of spending thousands of dollars of my own money buying material and poles and getting my mum to spend hundreds of hours sewing them, and myself also, I got to a stage where we were looking fantastic.
With the help of people sharing my same progressive vision, we were there. But I guess, some were threatened by that and things went downhill from there.
My only legacy isn’t to see the cheer squad’s demise because of a select few but I’d love to see younger( or any age), vibrant and energetic people who can join up and change the culture and demographic so we can see them look fantastic and be an amazing positive environment.
Also, I love the club more than anything in this world. I hope more people sign up and more people join the cheer squad and we become the best club in the land. Go Cats.
AND PLEASE DON’T TEXT ME OVER THIS WANTING MORE DETAILS. I HAVEN’T GOT THE ENERGY TO BE ANSWERING OR CHATTING ABOUT THIS OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND SAYING THE SAME THINGS.
Just give me a few weeks to process the fallout from this and then start messaging me to check on me or chat. I’m fine. I’m strong and resilient. I am Catman, hear me roar
