Dean Laidley arrested and remanded until May 11

[Twodogs]

Surely you can't add Walsh in there. He had a son with a mental illness who killed him.

Yeah but how much of that was abandonment syndrome from barely ever seeing his dad? If you are already a little bit do-lally and your dad seems to value his job more than his relationship with you, well then...

[GVGjr]

Surely you can't add Walsh in there. He had a son with a mental illness who killed him.

It's Ploughs list but I think Walsh had some other challenges.

[GVGjr]

Thanks. I wasn't sure if I missed something with Walsh.

Grant Thomas commented after he retired about his issues with sleeping and self medicating with wine a lot to make the music stop pretty regularly.

He apparently would often wake at 2am and go into work. He could never switch off

[Twodogs]

Those things have been happening for the last 150 years. Terry is just talking rubbish.

Plough isn't given to talking rubbish so why would he start now? I would think he has a much better handle on this situation than the rest of us.

[GVGjr]

Those things have been happening for the last 150 years. Terry is just talking rubbish.

Not sure you would say that as he seems to be genuinely concerned why coaches are stuggling

[Twodogs]

It's Ploughs list but I think Walsh had some other challenges.

Tunnel vision. Not the actual medical meaning of tunnel vision but the other one where you can't see anything but the target and everything else (personal relationships especially) suffers.

[ledge]

None of the charges mention drugs that I have seen, it’s mostly been AVO related.
Reading the media/social media drugs is mentioned.. bullshit rumours?
Is there a list of charges or they haven’t finished with all the charges ?

[bornadog]

None of the charges mention drugs that I have seen, it’s mostly been AVO related.
Reading the media/social media drugs is mentioned.. bullshit rumours?
Is there a list of charges or they haven’t finished with all the charges ?

Don't believe he has been charged with any drug related offences.

As it stands:

Laidley faces seven charges, including one each of stalking, committing an indictable offence while on bail and persistent breach of a family violence order and four other intervention order breaches.

All looks like domestic issues.

[Axe Man]

None of the charges mention drugs that I have seen, it’s mostly been AVO related.
Reading the media/social media drugs is mentioned.. bullshit rumours?
Is there a list of charges or they haven’t finished with all the charges ?

Might not have been charged with anything drug related but it's clear they play a part of his issues from the reports. Friends were trying to get him into rehab.

[Twodogs]

None of the charges mention drugs that I have seen, it’s mostly been AVO related.
Reading the media/social media drugs is mentioned.. bullshit rumours?
Is there a list of charges or they haven’t finished with all the charges ?

I read that his mum and Corey McKernan begged him to go into rehab. Ironically I was in rehab myself last week and if he had done his stint we would have been in together! That would have been interesting.

[comrade]

I read that his mum and Corey McKernan begged him to go into rehab. Ironically I was in rehab myself last week and if he had done his stint we would have been in together! That would have been interesting.

Everything alright, mate?

[Twodogs]

Everything alright, mate?

I'm fine thanks Comrade. I just had to get my head down and break the cycle. Synthetic cannabis is a real bastard but now it's behind me. If there is one thing I am good at is staying on the wagon.

[comrade]

I'm fine thanks Comrade. I just had to get my head down and break the cycle. Synthetic cannabis is a real bastard but now it's behind me. If there is one thing I am good at is staying on the wagon.

Well done, facing it head on. Onward and upwards.

[Twodogs]

Well done, facing it head on. Onward and upwards.

Cheers mate.

[Axe Man]

I read that his mum and Corey McKernan begged him to go into rehab. Ironically I was in rehab myself last week and if he had done his stint we would have been in together! That would have been interesting.

I don't think that is quite right, sounds like this came as a shock to his poor mum back in Perth.

Hope you are doing well TD.

Dean Laidley’s friends ‘deeply concerned’ before former AFL star’s arrest

Friends of former AFL Premiership star Dean Laidley were deeply concerned about his out of control drug use a fortnight ago and urged him to enter rehab before his dramatic arrest on Saturday.

Laidley has now spent a third night behind bars as his mother told the Herald Sun she was “absolutely devastated” and wants him to know his family are sticking by him.

Speaking from her home in Perth’s northern suburbs, Carmel Friberg said she was “just as gobsmacked as everyone” that the 53-year-old former North Melbourne player had been charged with a string of serious crimes including stalking, committing an indictable offence while on bail and other offences.

Ms Friberg last saw her son in Perth at Christmas but spoke to him last week in the days leading up to the arrest.

She and the family were yesterday struggling to understand how the caring father-of-three — who has been checking in regularly with Ms Friberg during the coronavirus pandemic — fell from grace.

“He was here at Christmas time — he wasn’t well but he was OK and I spoke to him on Wednesday and he seemed to be OK,” said Ms Friberg, 75.

“I’m just absolutely devastated because it’s just not him, it’s not him at all,” she said.

Ms Friberg, who has not spoken to her son since the arrest, said she was at a complete loss as to what triggered his alleged behaviour.

The Herald Sun has been told friends of the fallen star had become increasingly concerned about his behaviour in the past two weeks and had urged him to seek professional help.

The former Kangaroos coach was seen dishevelled and dressed in women’s clothing when police arrested him outside a St Kilda home about 9pm on Saturday.

The Herald Sun can also reveal his lawyer told Melbourne Magistrates’ Court he was suffering from a psychiatric illness and requested an urgent mental health assessment during a hearing at the weekend.

In custody management records, Deputy Magistrate Jelena Popovic also noted Laidley could be vulnerable because it was his first time in custody.

Laidley’s premiership teammate Corey McKernan said former players were deeply concerned about him.

“He is someone who played at North Melbourne and did an incredible job as an under-resourced coach during his tenure. But he has lost his way and everyone is thinking of him and wants to see him get right,” he said.

Former North Melbourne player Mark Brayshaw, now the AFL Coaches Association chief executive, told the Herald Sun the body was determined to help the former senior coach.

“His issues haven’t escaped our attention. We are in conversations with North Melbourne and the players association to try to work out the best way we can help him,” Mr Brayshaw said.

The Herald Sun has been told many in the AFL community had known that Laidley had quirky lifestyle tendencies as early as his playing days, which continued when he was the coach of North Melbourne for 149 games between 2003-2009.

Some of Laidley’s alleged issues were known across the North Melbourne past players network but few were aware of the extent of them.

Past players spoken to yesterday were shocked and wondering if they could have done more to help him out.

But the man – commonly known by players as “The Bible” given he was so hard to read – was also seen as something of a loner who kept his own counsel.

In a podcast last week, Laidley said: “You are stuck at home because of the restrictions, then you don’t have footy so I’m actually breaking my neck for it to start.”

Laidley took over as coach at Essendon District Football League Premier Division club Maribyrnong Park in 2019.

The club is yet to make a decision about Laidley’s role as suburban clubs prepare for a potential return to the field amid the coronavirus crisis.

“At this point, the club has no comment to make. Our position is no comment,” president Andrew Brockfield said yesterday.

Laidley will return to court on Monday where he will appear via video link.