AFL CLUBS are well equipped to deal with the mental health issues of their players, but League boss Gillon McLachlan says player welfare is still a massive challenge for the game.

Richmond star Chris Yarran became the latest player to succumb to personal problems on Tuesday when he was released from his contract with the Tigers to return home to Western Australia. 

The 25-year-old failed to play a game this year after moving from Carlton at the end of 2014, and struggled with injury and his own mental health throughout the season.

Yarran released after mental health battle

Speaking in Sydney, McLachlan said the AFL was doing everything in its power to ensure clubs had the programs in place to support their players, but he knew how important the issue remained.

"Whether it's been Chris Yarran or others that have gone public this year, there are also numbers that show a number of players, that are not known about broadly, suffer from mental illness in various forms," he said.

"It's a real issue, (and) we work with the experts on the right approach (to tackle it).

"All the clubs have incredible player welfare approaches and have people specifically tasked on dealing with it on a daily basis.

"We're aware of it and we work hard, but you're always going to have incredibly sad and difficult circumstances, like those with Chris Yarran. 

"We've got to make sure that the support is ongoing as he exits our industry, and as prevalent as it has been at Richmond, and Carlton before that."

Sydney superstar Lance Franklin missed the 2015 finals series to deal with mental health issues, while former Greater Western Sydney forward Cam McCarthy sat out of footy entirely this season, returning to be with his family in Perth before securing a trade to Fremantle in the off-season.