As part of that ambitious aim, the group will team up with the Wesley Mission to offer a free suicide prevention seminar and workshop in Katherine on February 12 and 13.

Mr Lewis has garnered support from his Brahmans Rugby Union Club teammates to promote the events and said sport had been identified as a good way to offer help to those suffering from mental illness.

“I suppose we’ve aimed it at sporting groups because you do interact with the same people a lot of the time and are good mates, inside and outside of the sporting club, and you generally interact with them at least six months of the year, a couple of times a week,” he told the Katherine Times.

“We would love to see, regardless of age or what sport it is, at least two or three people go through from each club so, if someone wants to approach them, it’s a friendly face they see on a regular basis.​

“It puts more people on the ground in the Katherine community.”​

Mr Lewis said many of his teammates had been affected by several suicides over the past few years, adding that he hoped the workshop would provide a basic understanding of how to support someone in crisis.

“If you’ve got a mate who you think is struggling a bit, a lot of the blokes will probably tell them to have a beer or something, which is one of the worst things you can do,” he said.

He explained that the purpose of the workshop was how to identify the signs of mental illness and assist with early intervention, not replace professionals.

“The biggest thing is most training pushes is how to get to the professional help, and that’s the next aspect we’re trying to roll out with Mental Mates,” Mr Lewis said.

“There is tonnes of professional help about in Katherine, but it can be very hard to find.”​

For more information about the workshop, visit the Katherine Mental Mates Facebook page.

For urgent support in a crisis, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyondblue on 1300 224 636.