When he moved to Orange in 2019, he unpacked at his new house on a Saturday and was at Emus training on the Tuesday. He knew no one. But with Endeavour Oval as his home away from home, he had what he felt like was a safe place to go.

Now, as part of the club's board for the 2022 Central West Rugby Union season, Mr Henley is looking to ensure, if people need it, the Emus club can be there for them, too. Basically community first, rugby second, Mr Henley says.

Turning that philosophy into action and after participating in a course run by Man Anchor, Emus has appointed both Archie Weston and Kate Trudgett as its first mental health welfare officers.

Mr Henley, Mr Weston and Ms Trudgett will be joined by Davina Wright, Harry Cummins, Mark Buttenshaw, Bec Bryden, Shae Annis-Brown, Al Hattersely and Ella Barrett as accredited standard mental health first aiders at Emus.

Mr Henley said the idea behind the appointment was to ensure Emus can be a place where people build on their mental fitness, not just their physical fitness.

"We had a session last year with Gus Worland and Gotcha4Life and it was eye-opening for the club," Mr Henley said.

"He focused on the stats around suicide. It brought the club together."

Australia loses nine people - seven men and two women - to suicide every day. While there's 65,000 suicide attempts across Australia every year. Those are the stats Gus Worland referred to when he came to Emus last year.

And the Gotcha4life founder is thrilled to see the club taking the next step and doing its best to become a "community hub".

"Clubs are more than just cricket, netball or whatever, it's about more than just the activity," Mr Worland said.

"It's time clubs became a place where people think 'this is a home'. People can talk to each other and build that relationship. It's not just about learning how to pass, tackle or learning the rules anymore.

"We've got to get better than this. We have to look at emotion as a strength, not a weakness. What does it mean to have someone in your life that's gotcha-for-life?

"Clubs have a responsibility to be a safe place. It's great to see Emus there doing this as a bit of a beacon."

Mr Worland said men in their 20s now, more than his generation, were becoming better at expressing themselves and opening up about their mental fitness.

"They're more likely to give each other a hug than a handshake," he said.

"They're looking out for each other, which is so important. Slowly but surely, we're turning the boat around."

Mr Henley said he's used his time at Emus to reach out for help and would encourage anyone battling to do the same, with the club now well equipped as a mental fitness hub.

"I've spoken to the guys about issues I've had, and I've then had a number of guys feel comfortable enough to do the same with me," he said. "All of us are committed to helping out."

Man Anchor founder Steven Gamble said the program is designed to help clubs and communities get a better level of understanding when it comes to mental health.

"It's all about creating opportunities where people can reach out," Mr Gamble said.

"We're going to stay close with Emus - we're planning on running programs with the club's youth, the parents and the players as well. It's about providing education to empower the community to create action."