Dani Wants to Coach the Girls

It's Doubtful Dean Would Have Been Allowed

Dani Laidley wants to coach the West Coast Eagles AFLW team.

Dani used to be Dean. And Dean was a pretty handy football coach.

Dean coached the North Melbourne men’s team from 2003 to 2009 and served as an assistant coach at Port Adelaide, St Kilda and Carlton between 2010 to 2015.

But then Dean ran afoul of the law.

In November 2020 Dean pleaded guilty to stalking a woman.

Melbourne Magistrates Court heard that Dean loitered outside and took photos of the woman’s home.

Dean also attended her workplace over the course of a week and, on one day, rang her 43 times.

Despite pleading guilty, or maybe because of it, Dean was spared a conviction.

And, in return for writing a letter of thanks to police, a drug charge for methamphetamine that Dean had on him when he was arrested was dropped.

But that was Dean.

And now, thanks to the wonders of gender transitioning, Dean is Dani.