Dennis Armfield is a former player with the Carlton Football Club competing in the Australian Football League. Born in Canberra, Dennis was raised in Perth and drafted from Swan Districts in the 2007 AFL National Draft. He played his first senior game for Carlton in 2008 and reached the significant 100 game milestone in 2013. Odyssey House is one of Carlton Football Club’s ‘community partners’. Dennis first visited the Odyssey House residential facility in Melbourne in 2013 as part of the club’s community partnership program and immediately expressed a desire to have an ongoing role.
“My first visit to Odyssey House was amazing,” said Dennis. “Seeing everyone embrace the different stages of the program and be united as they strive to reach a common goal really showed that with the right help people are able to overcome anything. The fact that Odyssey House continues to help once residents have left the rehab facility shows great care…I have had personal experience with addiction through family and friends and it is disappointing to see many members of the public write the individuals off. Addiction is often the result of one simple misjudgment. More people should be aware of the causes and be prepared to help those affected to overcome their issues. Support can go a long way. I feel that I can play a role simply by being another person for the housemates to talk to, about anything — life, footy or the issue at hand. To have the opportunity to become an Odyssey House ambassador is an absolute privilege and I hope I can help even just one person because every individual is important.”