A chance invite from the sponsor of his theatre show began actor Steve Bisley’s passion for the red and white.

Best known for his roles in Mad Max, The Great Gatsby and Water Rats, Bisley was performing in a theatre show in Melbourne when the sponsor of the show invited him to their box at the MCG to watch a game of the then VFL.

To that point Bisley, a New South Welshman who had grown up a rugby league supporter, knew very little about Australian Rules football.

As it happened, South Melbourne and Richmond were playing that day and South Melbourne snatched victory.

Bisley fell in love with the game and decided the winning team would be his from that day on. The match seemed even more fitting when the Swans moved north to Sydney.

Over his Swans journey Bisley says he has too many highlights to recall – including every time Buddy is “on fire” – but he rates the 2005 Grand Final victory as a day he will always treasure.

Now a Sydney Swans Ambassador, Bisley is about to embark on a journey of a different kind, riding his motorbike around Australia to raise funds and awareness for suicide prevention.

Bisley will be riding as cult figure Jim Goose, the police officer he played in the first Mad Max movie.

After losing a close friend to suicide last year, Bisley felt compelled to act and shine a light on what is a devastating and confronting issue, that is the leading cause of death for Australians aged 15 to 44*.

Celebrity riders will take part in each leg of the journey, and together with Bisley’s small support team, they will stop in towns along the way to engage in speaking events and fundraisers.

The Ride of Your Life will depart Sydney for Newcastle on Saturday January 30, 2021.

Bisley has set up a GoFundMe page with the aim of raising $50,000 to support the campaign.

If you or someone you know needs support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

*According to Black Dog Institute