And he knows that he can make a difference to help kids that struggle with the same mental demons he faced as a teenager, thanks to his profile as an Australian and NSW representative.
"I was an obese kid and I used to come home and be in some pretty dark places," Merrin said. "I was lucky enough to have family and friends around me to really motivate me and steer me in a good direction. And I always had rugby league as an outlet.
"I faced a lot of mentally tough times as a kid growing up and I still do today. It's something you can't knock on the head. There's no quick cure. But you can talk about it and approach people."
Quietly in the background for months on end, Merrin has been working on how to shine a light on the country's teenage mental health battle.
On Sunday, he will finally launch his #moveoutofyourhead social media campaign to get young Australians talking – and dancing – to combat mental health. He's studying for a Bachelor of Psychology, on top of establishing a website in his own name to kick-start his mental health pitch.
Campaign: Trent Merrin in his element for the Panthers.
Photo: AAP
Appropriately, the man whose funky post-match victory dances in the Panthers' sheds have gone viral wants music and movement to be the cornerstone of his own internet campaign.
"Everyone has issues in their life – whether it's big or small – and it's OK to talk about it," Merrin said. "We have to speak about how we feel emotionally. A lot of people are too proud to talk about that and what's going on in their lives.
Everyone has issues in their life – whether it's big or small – and it's OK to talk about it
Trent Merrin
"We're in a world where we're so out there – everyone puts their lives out there on social media – but they hide their feelings. It should be the other way around. We need to speak out about how we feel and what's going on in our lives.
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"We're not all promised tomorrow. We lose track of who we are and it's a beautiful thing to be your own individual. It's something I'm very passionate about, the future of our kids."
So Merrin is asking people to dance. It doesn't matter how good, how bad, how indifferent. Just dance.
It will start with just one person filming themselves busting a move before uploading it to social media, then challenging a friend. Those who don't want to dance are encouraged to donate to the Kids Helpline.
At the end of it, Merrin wants adolescents to realise how quickly any negative energy can be transferred from the head into positive energy in the body.
“We work hard to put services in place to support those needing help, but this is an issue for the whole community," Kids Helpline chief executive Tracy Adams says. "It’s great to see projects like #moveoutofyourhead getting behind this issue, encouraging young people to speak up and get help when they need it.”
Merrin adds: "Whenever you have a dance and put some music on you enjoy that particular moment and don't worry about the voices in your head. It doesn't matter how goofy you feel or if you can't move, just have a dance. There's no judgment, just put some music on and be true to yourself."
#moveoutofyourhead: www.trentmerrin.com.au
Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800
Lifeline: 13 11 14
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Adam Pengilly is a Sports reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald.
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