Dean Laidley Wife Joanne Laidley, Details About The Married Life Of AFL Legend

Before transitioning to Dani, Dean Laidley was married to her ex wife Joanne Laidley. The two, however, separated after she announced her transition in November 2020.

Dani's transition made news for a multitude of reasons, but one of the more quiet story to come out of it is her relationship with her former partner.

Joana as well as their children, have been respectful towards her and have taken a step back from appearing on the media for attention. This shows how the two shares a respectable and loving relationship.

Who Is Joana Laidley and Is She Still Married?

Dean Laidley's wife Joana Laidley is an Australian entrepreneur, homemaker, and celebrity from Melbourne. She is also famously known to be the former wife of Dani Laidley.

Joana has three adult children with her ex-husband, who now has an estranged relationship with their father. Dani's relationship with Joana has also taken a hit as she feels betrayed and has a sense of loss and understandably so. However, she has never made a comment on the situation. 

Besides, her two daughters Molly and Brooke, and son Kane have also been distant from their father; however, the former AFL coach hopes to bring back her family soon.

A large blow to the family occurred after images of the AFL player wearing a wig and makeup were released on to news from the Victorian police force. This was a blatant invasion of privacy, for which Dani later filed a complaint. 

Dani later admitted to 60 minutes that she regrets that she had to put her family and children through such public scrutiny due to the images. The 'transgender activist' is confident that there is plenty of time to mend her relationship with her children. As of her former wife, she did not make any comments.

Dean's parents and siblings are not revealed to the media yet, however, after his arrest in 2020 on alleged stalking charges, the coach sort of had mentioned his mother, Carmel Freiburg.

Dani Laidley is currently in a romantic relationship with her childhood friend and girlfriend, Donna Leckie. The couple started seeing each other on November 9, 2020. They have been together ever since.

After her Instagram cleanup, most of her posts are about or with her current partner Donna. Dani feels much more at peace as the broader community is accepting her decision to transition, including the AFL community. 

Donna reconected with Dani in 2017 and they rekindled their past relationship in February of 2022.

Their relationship can be seen as having a fairly positive impact on her. Donna has helped Dani find confidence as well as her standing as she enters the world as a brand new person. Their first official appearance as a couple was on the Brownlow Medal red carpet, stunning guests in a white gown.

Dani Laidley and Donna Leckie are childhood pals who found their way to one another after a long time. She has been a support system for Dani as she moves on and faces the world. The two were partners in high school as well as pre-school as they were placed together in class because both of them are left-handed.

Who Is Donna Leckie?

Donna Leckie is a highly regarded aged care specialist who has more than two decades of experience in the field.

She is also a proud mother and grandmother who manages her vocation as chief operations officer at Compatible Care and personal life with Dani. Her positive influence on Dani is easily visible as her presence in Dani's life has let her take many strides forward. 

Several media outlets claimed that the couple was engaged after Leckie was seen with a ring on her finger. The AFL player, however, refuted the rumor by saying that the two aren't getting married and they aren't engaged either. Donna did move from Melbourne to Perth to stay with Dani for a two-week holiday and has stayed with her since.

Dani Laidley and Joane Laidley together have three children, two girls and a boy. Throughout her life living with an AFL coach and player, Joanne maintained a low profile.  They had their first daughter, Molly Laidley, and their second was a son Kane Laidley.

Finally, their third and last children came much later, giving birth to a second daughter Brooke Laidley. Not much is known about Dani's children but what we do know is his son Kane Laidley is a musician.

Dani's Transition and The Affect On Her Children

Dani Laidley had a sit-down interview with 60 minutes Australia where she talked about the affect of her transition and the unsolicited images had on her and the family.

She said, "It was brutal for me. But it was even brutal for my kids." She has nothing for love and respect for his children who through this tough journey have been kind to her. Her transition was obviously difficult on her children but she is hopeful that they will be a family again.

Dani was in her twenties when she got married to Joane and had kids. She had to take time away from the family to relish in her true self. But she is grateful for her journey that she had to take in order to become the person that she is today.

As Dean Laidley, Dani played over 150 AFL games for North Melbourne and West Coast Eagles, along with coaching 149 games with the Kangaroos. Born on March 27, 1967, Dani grew up in Balga, Northern Perth. 

Prior to joining AFL League, Dani played Victorian Football League for the West Perth Football Club. In VFL, she made her senior debut as a professional footballer. After retiring from professional football, Dean worked as a coach for North Melbourne for six years after 2003.

Dani coached North Melbourne from 2003 to 2009, Port Adelaide for a year in 2010, St. Kilda from 2011 to 2013, and finally Carlton for two years after St. Kilda. She made her coaching debut with Weston Creek in the AFL Canberra from 1998 to 2002. 

The Junkyard Dog, a nickname she received for being aggressive in the field, has gotten herself into several controversies throughout his professional and personal career. The Junkyard Dog has opened up about her lifelong secret as she transitioned into a female in 2020. Dani suffered from gender dysphoria in 2017 and started transitioning in November 2019.