Trickett throws support behind Thorpe

Depression sufferer Libby Trickett has thrown her support behind Ian Thorpe after the five-time Olympic champion left a Sydney hospital on Friday.
Thorpe's management, however, denied the swimming great had endured the latest round of a decade-long battle with "crippling depression" and alcohol abuse.
News Corp Australia had reported that Thorpe left rehab on Friday morning after being under medical supervision since Wednesday night.
But Thorpe's management SEL said the former world champion had undergone shoulder surgery.
"Ian is not in rehab," a SEL representative said late on Friday.
"Ian was in hospital for an operation on his shoulder and is pleased to let his friends and fans know that he is now out of hospital and on the mend."
However, friends claimed Thorpe had struggled to adjust to life after a failed pre-London Olympic comeback.
And Thorpe released an autobiography last year in which he revealed his battle with depression.
Four-time Olympic gold medallist Trickett said she could empathise after exorcising her own inner demons.
Trickett battled depression after her initial retirement in 2009 and again last year when a wrist injury forced her to walk away from the pool for good.
"Hopefully this a positive first step that he had to take on his journey," Trickett told AAP.
"From being one of the world's best athletes to life away from the pool - it is a difficult transition to make.
"I had to do it twice to get it right."
Thorpe gave up on contesting this year's Glasgow Commonwealth Games and the 2016 Rio Olympics due to a shoulder injury.
"The dissolution of that team support structure and routine is a big thing," Trickett said of depression triggers.
"Learning to understand who you are outside the sport, managing your expectations in the real world is also important.
"We were the best in the world at something and (in retirement) we may never be that again - sometimes that is very confronting.
"Where do you go from there?
"I am very happy and healthy now but I still know the triggers I need to look out for.
"I see people compete and would love to be doing that but the universe had other plans."
Thorpe wrote in his autobiography last year that he had also used alcohol for "self medicating".
"Not even my family is aware that I've spent a lot of my life battling what I can only describe as crippling depression," he wrote.
"I think everyone wishes him all the best because it's hard to see our greatest Olympian go through such a difficult time," said Trickett.
"He has obviously reached somewhere very low but hopefully this is the start of the path forward for him."
Meanwhile, two-time Olympic champ Kieren Perkins said there should be more support for retired athletes after admitting he struggled away from the pool.
"I was not surprised at all (about Thorpe report)," he told Fairfax Media.
"I think there needs to be some cultural change to better support people through this and recognise that the fundamental change that someone goes through in their life when they retire from elite competitive sport is significant and is very difficult for all of us to contend with."