For 12 years, Craigie wrestled the daily demons of a gambling addiction that ultimately cost him everything that he had earned from playing rugby league.
In total, he lost more than $1.5 million. Houses, relationships, friends, family - Craigie went all in and lost the lot. If ever rugby league needed a reminder about the damage gambling can do, this is it.
Broken to the point where he contemplated suicide, Craigie turned to psychologist Phillip Hilder and Gamblers Anonymous for help.
Slowly, he's confronted his addictive personality and the triggers behind it to the point where he has rebuilt his life to work as a gambling education officer for Mission Australia in Newcastle.
"The topic of gambling in Aboriginal communities is just as big as your drugs, alcohol, domestic violence and your sexual abuse.
"Back in the day, I'd gamble every day. When you've got an addiction and a disease, that's what you do. There's no line, there's no limits; reality is you've got a problem.
Described by Andrew Johns as "the most naturally talented player I played with", Craigie made his NRL debut as a schoolboy aged 16 and won a grand final with Newcastle when he was 18.
During his 10-year, 153-game NRL career with the Knights, the Wests Tigers and South Sydney, he pocketed more than $1.5 million in earnings.
In between training and game days, his life was built around TABs and pubs in Newcastle, Rozelle and Redfern, always chasing the next big collect.
These days, instead of rushing to his local every Saturday to settle in for an afternoon of punting, you will find Craigie preaching the value of education.
As part of Mission Australia's Gambling Smart project, he has travelled to 11 Aboriginal communities in the past eight months and has nine communities still to go.
As far north as Tweed Heads, as far south as Nowra, west to Brewarrina and then in the Sydney suburbs of Redfern, Mt Druitt and Campbelltown, Craigie talks about everything from the stolen generation and alcoholism to the awful habit of sniffing petrol and glue.
Read the full article here
New ACT problem gambling service
Last week Mission Australia officially opened its new office in Canberra from where it is providing the ACT’s nation leading Problem Gambling Support Service, which commenced on 1 July 2011.
This service is an Australian first, with a focus on both preventing gambling problems and supporting those currently experiencing problems.
Clients can access the support service in a number of ways including face-to-face and over the phone. The number is 1800 858 858.
Read more about the launch here
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