Parramatta prop Micthell Allgood honours fallen mate and former Eels conditioner Sean Burns Parramatta Eels prop Mitch Allgood. MITCH Allgood was owned so often he believed his mate had no weaknesses. Bench press. Owned. Wrestling mats. Even in the boxing ring, a place this Parramatta prop has always been more than capable, he still finished second to club conditioner Sean Burns, whose previous life had been spent taking down far greater rivals as a SWAT officer. When Burns passed away, Allgood said: "It completely rocked me." And for this reason alone, the Eels will run onto Parramatta Stadium next Monday night wearing jerseys that carry the unmistakable insignia of the Black Dog Institute. Far from some cheesy PR campaign, the move is just the latest in an ongoing push by Allgood who, in 18 months since Burns passed, has been trying to honour his mate. Without the knowledge of Eels staffers, the 24-year-old bookend has already studied courses on mood disorder, joined Black Dog representatives on high school visits, even run the City to Surf in a bid to raise funds for the charity. An unshakable quest that proves, even with a wooden spoon, this season is anything but wasted for the Eels. Footballers against bullying at Kellyville Ridge Public School.The Penrith Panthers and Parramatta Eels will have players to talk about tackling bullying.Mitch Allgood with students against bullying. Picture: Peter Kelly "For me, it's the best way of paying tribute to a mate," Allgood continues. Burnsey was a guy who, in a relatively short time, had a huge influence on me and my life yet I had no idea that he was battling bi-polar disorder, battling depression. To me, the guy was invincible. He was a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu expert and whenever we did wrestling on the mats, he just destroyed the whole squad. He was a champion bloke and a real man's man ... but that's the thing with depression, it doesn't discriminate. Indeed, this year alone the NRL has lost a pair of Toyota Cup players to suicide while, elsewhere, the game's history is littered with tragedy. Which is why, in one of those rare wins that has nothing to do with position on an NRL ladder, the entire Eels club is now throwing its support behind Black Dog. "It's all about bringing change," Allgood says. I'm trying to arm myself with information and encouraging others, both in league and the wider community, to do the same. Blokes should be looking to help their mates. To know the identifying signs of stuff like bipolar and depression so that, if you notice something in your club, your school, your family, you can reach out. After Burnsy passed, I spent a while trying to work out the best way to remember him. Honour him. And this way ... mate, I just believe he'll always be there through my actions.