Where once dark clouds swarmed, Dylan Pietsch now closed his eyes and saw dots. It was 2020 and the Western Force and Wallabies winger was painting the boots of each of his Australian rugby sevens teammates before the Tokyo Olympic Games. Thousands upon thousands of dots, the songlines of Pietsch\u2019s ancestors: forests and flood plains, rivers and water holes, all connecting back to his country and culture.<\/p>\n
\u201cTraditional art compels you to be present for each and every dot,\u201d the 27-year-old Wiradjuri-Burray man says. \u201cBut after three days of dotting 30-odd footy boots my vision was swimming. Might\u2019ve been the paint fumes \u2026 maybe the smell coming off those boots. But I knew I\u2019d also left the intensity of rugby far behind and let my creativity and spirituality flow. Painting really keeps my head level.\u201d<\/p>\n
The year before, Pietsch\u2019s world was upside down. Growing up in Riverina country in south-west New South Wales, Pietsch was a teenage star on the sevens circuit, travelling the world with the Australian side. But behind the scenes he was spiralling. Sleepless nights. Crying jags. Long walks in the wee hours. Lingering on bridges.<\/p>\n
Footy boots painted by Dylan Pietsch. Photograph: Dylan Pietsch<\/p>\n
Those mental health battles and a 2019 suicide attempt are experiences Pietsch now shares with schools, charities and Indigenous communities all over the country. \u201cPeople think professional athletes are hard-nosed and mentally strong but the truth is we\u2019re as vulnerable as anyone,\u201d he says. \u201cI still deal with depression all the time but I\u2019ve got my tools \u2013 my painting, meditation, journaling \u2013 to keep me grounded.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a man you feel like you have to hold it in and deal with it. But releasing it, telling family and friends what you\u2019re going through, those discussions are really authentic. To get it off my chest was life-changing. Mental health still carries a stigma but if my speaking up can help one kid make some changes or protect themselves, I\u2019m proud. I try to be a rubber band in life \u2013 often stretched but flexible enough to bounce back.\u201d<\/p>\n
In 2024, Pietsch became the 15th Indigenous man to wear the Wallaby gold. When he scored a sensational first try in Australia\u2019s win over the British & Irish Lions in Sydney last year, he rose up with a celebration that lit a fire in the hearts of fans. Wearing a special Indigenous jersey he painted for the series<\/a> Pietsch roared and launched an arrow<\/a> \u2013 the Wiradjuri symbol of survival, resistance and connection.<\/p>\n Dylan Pietsch celebrates after scoring a try against the British & Irish Lions. His art features on the jersey. Photograph: Cameron Spencer\/Getty Images<\/p>\n The bounce-back was complete. For good measure, Pietsch then laid teeth-rattling tackles<\/a> on Lions giants Tommy Freeman and Bundee Aki to inspire a 22-12 victory. \u201cI love the physical side of rugby \u2013 making big hits, running over people, carrying on,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cIt energises me, and I love how I can energise others. It\u2019s how I\u2019ve always been. Growing up, Dad was my coach, and he says I always tackled hard, played angry. That fire has always been in me. On the field I can let my emotions fly.\u201d<\/p>\n Pietsch was still going viral for his Lion-taming feats when he became trigger-man for the Wallabies\u2019 epic comeback over world champions South African in Johannesburg a fortnight later. Another flying try<\/a> arrested a dire 22-0 deficit and ignited a famous 22-38 fightback. Australia had a new hero: aggressive, authentic and lightning-fast.<\/p>\n Alas, Pietsch had a broken jaw after coming off second best in a typically aggressive tackle on Springboks captain Siya Kolisi. Instead of dots, he was now seeing stars.<\/p>\n