Caravella, now 35, travelled the world as a footballer playing in Australia, New Zealand, Italy and Holland.

Like many professionals at the elite level, he experienced highs and lows but loved the “buzz”  and structure of life as a professional sportsperson.

However, as the former Socceroo and A-League legend Archie Thompson revealed this year, once the rollercoaster is over and you transition from being an elite athlete to an ordinary member of the public, mental strength is needed to cope with your new life.

Luckily for the popular Caravella, he had football to fall back on after retiring in 2015.

He set up his own academy in his home town of Cairns (the Caravella Football Academy) and it has been a huge success in catering for the explosion of grassroots numbers in North Queensland.

He has even dabbled in an online wine business (Red, White and Bubbles) prior to retiring.

And with the support of his growing family and wife Kat, a writer, he has been able to transition relatively easily into life of an ex-professional footballer. However, that doesn't mean it wasn't a challenge, as he revealed to FTBL.

"Well, for me to be honest, it was very, very difficult. I had a very difficult time," he said. "And I had a lot of dark moments in my transition."

Fortunately, his family gave him the support he needed. 

"Look, my wife is been incredible, Kat has been incredible for me," he continued.

"But it wasn't easy, and I don't say it lightly, it was a very dark time for me I think.

"You need to realise that the feelings that you got from playing, the buzz you get, is not the same as going into an office every day.

"As much as I go to work every day here I don't get goosebumps.

"You train or you play in front of a big crowd and you get goosebumps. You have these amazing feelings as a professional, but I don't get them when I go to work now.

"My academy keeps me involved in the game which is especially important.

"I'm still involved with a lot of players I've played with who have now retired as well. I think it's really important to stay in touch with the game in your own way.

"It's important for a number of reasons, one being people's mental health when they retire. That's a really important thing for me."

 

 

Stories of mental health issues are rampant among former footballers, and it's something Caravella is keen to spotlight.

"It's very, very important to have something to focus on after your career is over," Caravella said.

"The work the PFA is doing to help players transition from professional sport into the real world is fantastic. The PFA is doing a fantastic job.

"It is important for the players to have that responsibility themselves to look beyond just what they're doing at this point in time in their football career.

"As we all know a football career doesn't last forever and you do need to be aware that you have to have something else to fall back on.

"If you can fall back on football then fantastic, but if not but it's important to have a plan.

"You need to prepare yourself mentally to make it as softer landing as possible.”

 

Caravella made 147 appearances in the Hyundai A-League.

Caravella is a onetime Adelaide United Club Champion and Gold Coast United’s Coach’s Player of the Year. He was on the fringes of the national team in 2011. The stylish midfielder retired in 2015 after 15 years in the professional game, which included a season in Holland.

In 2016, Caravella was given a special accolade by the FFA at the A-League Grand Final for his 'Outstanding Contribution to the A-League'.

"I would say mental issues are a lot more prevalent than people realize in ex-footballers," he added. 

"It's not easy to go from something that you commit to 100% every day in every way. You wake up, you train and you play in front of crowds.

"I guess the adulation that you get from people, to then go back to when you retire, and I guess being part of the normal workforce. Being a normal worker as it were.

"It's very difficult to have that change because it happens so quickly. It's black and white the way it happened so quickly for me. Your career is finished and you have to quickly begin again.

"It is hard but you have to have a good support around you.

"The PFA is doing a lot of work around having a plan B or succession plan after football. That's important for players to think about even when they're playing."