Lozza71
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- Aug 11, 2004
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- ADELAIDE
BREAKDOWN: Estranged wife tells of McLeod's rift with coach Ayres
By REBEKAH DEVLIN Adelaide Advertiser
08feb05
ANDREW McLeod almost walked out on the Crows just days before his 200th game, his estranged wife Rachael has revealed.
"He broke down," she said yesterday of his May crisis. "He said 'let's go home, let's go back to Darwin'." She said the star midfielder's frosty relationship with then coach Gary Ayres had been the major factor behind his disillusionment.
"He couldn't stand Gary Ayres," Rachael said.
"He (Ayres) was very negative. If Andrew ever said anything to him, he wouldn't talk to him for a week, he'd hold a grudge."
Even though she knew the depth of his resentment towards the coach, her husband's plea to pack up their family and head north still came as a shock. "I knew it had been tough, it had been building up for a while, but when he said he wanted to quit, I still couldn't believe it," she said.
She was the first person McLeod had confided in and immediately called former club captain Mark Bickley to enlist his help.
"I rang Mark Bickley and made him come over straight away," she said. Rachael then enlisted the help of a sports psychologist to try to re-motivate her husband. "I got the best sports psychologist I could," she said of the appointments that she still has marked in her diary. "Andrew didn't want to involve the club at all so I did it all on my own."
The couple separated in October, after McLeod spent some time in the Northern Territory with good mate, tennis player Lleyton Hewitt.
Rachael said rumours she was to blame for his poor on-field performance were unfounded. "I was the one he turned to," she said. "I threw him a huge 200-game party to try to cheer him up, to encourage him to keep going. He wrote me a card when he got back from the country saying I'd saved his career."
When Ayres stepped down in June, Rachael was at Wimbledon, keeping the injured Kim Clijsters company while her then fiance Hewitt competed.
"Andrew called with the good news, he was pretty over the moon about it and we were too," she said of the resignation.
Despite the appointment of coach Neil Craig, McLeod still lacked motivation leading into the pre-season, so Rachael made a few calls to the new boss.
"I thought it may just help if he knew there were a few problems," she said.
Despite the appointment of coach Neil Craig, McLeod still lacked motivation leading into the pre-season, so Rachael made a few calls to the new boss.
"I thought it may just help if he knew there were a few problems," she said. "He had no idea any of this had gone on."
Indeed it seems very few at Adelaide were aware of how close they came to losing their superstar.
"It's not something we were aware of," Adelaide general manager of football operations John Reid said.
"I know many players have down spots in their careers and sometimes they think it's not worth continuing on.
"But in Andy's situation that seems to be in the past, he seems to be enjoying his football immensely." McLeod's manager Ian Gray denied his client was ever close to quitting.
"I have no comment except to say it's untrue," Gray said.
Bickley admits he took on something of a mentoring role with McLeod, an unofficial role he has with several players.
"I talk to two or three players in a mentoring role," Bickley says. "Andy was going through a few things and we talked at different stages about things that were going on."
However, Bickley tried to downplay the seriousness of McLeod's dissatisfaction.
"I wouldn't know," he said when asked if McLeod wanted to quit.
"He and Rachael would be the ones who would know about that."
That's correct Rachael would like to keep things private...... well shut your trap girl, enough already!
By REBEKAH DEVLIN Adelaide Advertiser
08feb05
ANDREW McLeod almost walked out on the Crows just days before his 200th game, his estranged wife Rachael has revealed.
"He broke down," she said yesterday of his May crisis. "He said 'let's go home, let's go back to Darwin'." She said the star midfielder's frosty relationship with then coach Gary Ayres had been the major factor behind his disillusionment.
"He couldn't stand Gary Ayres," Rachael said.
"He (Ayres) was very negative. If Andrew ever said anything to him, he wouldn't talk to him for a week, he'd hold a grudge."
Even though she knew the depth of his resentment towards the coach, her husband's plea to pack up their family and head north still came as a shock. "I knew it had been tough, it had been building up for a while, but when he said he wanted to quit, I still couldn't believe it," she said.
She was the first person McLeod had confided in and immediately called former club captain Mark Bickley to enlist his help.
"I rang Mark Bickley and made him come over straight away," she said. Rachael then enlisted the help of a sports psychologist to try to re-motivate her husband. "I got the best sports psychologist I could," she said of the appointments that she still has marked in her diary. "Andrew didn't want to involve the club at all so I did it all on my own."
The couple separated in October, after McLeod spent some time in the Northern Territory with good mate, tennis player Lleyton Hewitt.
Rachael said rumours she was to blame for his poor on-field performance were unfounded. "I was the one he turned to," she said. "I threw him a huge 200-game party to try to cheer him up, to encourage him to keep going. He wrote me a card when he got back from the country saying I'd saved his career."
When Ayres stepped down in June, Rachael was at Wimbledon, keeping the injured Kim Clijsters company while her then fiance Hewitt competed.
"Andrew called with the good news, he was pretty over the moon about it and we were too," she said of the resignation.
Despite the appointment of coach Neil Craig, McLeod still lacked motivation leading into the pre-season, so Rachael made a few calls to the new boss.
"I thought it may just help if he knew there were a few problems," she said.
Despite the appointment of coach Neil Craig, McLeod still lacked motivation leading into the pre-season, so Rachael made a few calls to the new boss.
"I thought it may just help if he knew there were a few problems," she said. "He had no idea any of this had gone on."
Indeed it seems very few at Adelaide were aware of how close they came to losing their superstar.
"It's not something we were aware of," Adelaide general manager of football operations John Reid said.
"I know many players have down spots in their careers and sometimes they think it's not worth continuing on.
"But in Andy's situation that seems to be in the past, he seems to be enjoying his football immensely." McLeod's manager Ian Gray denied his client was ever close to quitting.
"I have no comment except to say it's untrue," Gray said.
Bickley admits he took on something of a mentoring role with McLeod, an unofficial role he has with several players.
"I talk to two or three players in a mentoring role," Bickley says. "Andy was going through a few things and we talked at different stages about things that were going on."
However, Bickley tried to downplay the seriousness of McLeod's dissatisfaction.
"I wouldn't know," he said when asked if McLeod wanted to quit.
"He and Rachael would be the ones who would know about that."
That's correct Rachael would like to keep things private...... well shut your trap girl, enough already!
