Latest news with #AlexMcKinnon
ABC News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- ABC News
More than 50 authors withdraw from Bendigo Writers Festival and celebrating the best poetry of the century
More than 50 writers pulled out of the Bendigo Writers Festival over the weekend, as did the festival's official bookshop, after organisers sent a code of conduct to some speakers less than 2 days before the festival was due to begin. The code included advice that speakers 'avoid language or topics that could be considered inflammatory, divisive, or disrespectful'. It also included the Universities Australia definition of anti-Semitism. Randa Abdel-Fattah, one of the festival headliners, explains why she was one of the first to withdraw. And journalist Alex McKinnon shares his reporting about behind-the-scenes lobbying ahead of the event. And in the middle of Poetry Month and with voting for the Top 100 books set to kick off in September, poet and author Maxine Beneba Clarke shares her favourite poems of the Century so far and reflects on the enduring power of the form Our track of the week is The Highway Knows by Molly Tuttle.
Daily Mail
09-08-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Paralysed footy star Alex McKinnon receives personal apology from NRL supremo Peter V'Landys
Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V'landys has issued a personal apology to paralysed footy star Alex McKinnon after learning that the ex-Newcastle player had been paying for tickets to NRL matches. Last month, it was revealed that McKinnon - who was left paralysed by a horrific on-field accident in 2014 - had been paying for tickets to watch the Knights play at McDonald Jones Stadium for over a decade. V'landys wasn't impressed by the revelation and has acted swiftly to make things right, offering McKinnon free lifetime tickets to NRL matches and an apology. McKinnon expressed his gratitude at the gesture from V'landys. 'I've bought my own tickets for 10 years and it was never about that,' he told News Corp. 'I don't want to be asking for stuff. I see myself as a fan and I enjoy it on the hill with my kids with general admission tickets. Alex McKinnon (pictured with partner Lily Malone and daughter Harriet) said being offered tickets for life was a very nice gesture 'But I really appreciate Peter reaching out with the email offering the tickets for the rest of my life. 'It's not something I would have asked for but I'm really appreciative. It's a very nice gesture.' McKinnon, a father-of-three had faced an uncertain future 11 years ago after one of the most shocking incidents in Australian sporting history. McKinnon fractured his C4 and C5 vertebrae in a horror tackle during that game against Melbourne in 2014. He'd played 49 NRL games before tragedy struck - and as he later revealed, he knew as soon as he hit the ground that his life was about to change forever. 'I knew straight away,' he told ABC journalist Stan Grant in 2020. 'I remember hearing the noise, I remember trying to move but not being able to, I remember players surrounding me and looking at me - clear conversations, I could hear everything. 'I really just felt embarrassed ... I suppose it takes you back to being a man and what your identity is there - strong, unflappable, unwavering - I just felt that it was embarrassing that I was laying there, unable to move, and I just felt like a real failure.' Five days after the tackle, he woke up to a medical practitioner pricking him with a pin to determine where his paralysis began and classify the injury. On the sixth day, doctors at The Alfred Hospital gave Mr McKinnon, his parents and then-girlfriend Teigan Power the devastating news that it was very unlikely he would ever walk again. In his emotional biography, Unbroken, McKinnon wrote: 'I began to yell and sob as tears streamed down my face.' 'I'm f***ing over this,' he yelled to his parents. 'I don't want to be here, this is making me sick to my stomach, why can't I just die? Why can't you just kill me? Why are you going to put me through this? How can you let me live like this? Is it just for you? I'm happy to die. I want this over.' He would later split from wife Teigan Power in 2022, but has found love again with new partner Lily Malone. The pair are understood to have started dating while the 33-year-old was studying at university.
News.com.au
16-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Alex McKinnon swipes ‘insensitive' Newcastle Knights blunder
Former Newcastle Knights enforcer Alex McKinnon has taken to social media and labelled the club 'insensitive' after farcical scenes unfolded at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle on Saturday. McKinnon, who became a quadriplegic from a tackle gone wrong while playing for the red and blue in 2014, purchased his on ticket and sat on the hill with his family as the club locked horns with the Melbourne Storm on Saturday. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. Prior to the game getting underway, ambassadors from Stronger Together - a spinal support organisation that provides support for those affected by spinal cord injuries - were out on the field promoting their charity work. Not only was he not asked to be part of the day, he was also not informed that the promotional activity would be taking place ahead of the contest. On Wednesday morning, McKinnon took to Instagram to let his feelings known about the situation. 'In short, I wasn't personally upset by the weekend's events, if anything I found the irony of it being against the Storm a bit funny,' he wrote on social media. 'It felt like a missed opportunity to connect with the Storm and back a great cause, raising funds and awareness for those living with spinal cord injuries. 'David and Kath from Stronger Together Foundation are incredible people. I caught up with them on Thursday and knew their charity was the match day partner. 'They kindly asked me to be involved, but I had other commitments. I fully supported them from afar. 'What disappointed my family (and many who reached out) was the club's lack of communication and awareness. In my view, not reaching out beforehand was an insensitive oversight. 'As for tickets, I regularly buy them for my family to sit on the hill, I have for years. 'I love the game day experience and sharing it with my kids. I'm a fan.' Veteran journalist David Riccio unleashed on the club while pointing the finger at CEO Phil Gardner for being out of touch. 'It illustrates how out of touch Gardener is with what makes Newcastle great. It's history. It's passion. It's people,' Riccio wrote in an article for Code Sports. 'Of all the home games this season that the Knights could have chosen, they selected a home game against the Melbourne Storm to promote a spinal cord charity. 'The Knights have had eight previous home games and still have three more to go.' Members of the Newcastle staff reportedly contacted McKinnon to personally apologise for what they described as 'an oversight'.
Daily Mail
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Alex McKinnon hits back after copping a stunning snub from his NRL club on a day that brought back stark memories of the game he was paralysed in
Former NRL star Alex McKinnon has lashed out at the treatment he received from the Newcastle Knights when he was left out of a club initiative to help a group that aids people with severe spinal injuries. McKinnon - who was left paralysed by a horrific on-field accident against the Storm in 2014 - watched the Knights slump to their 11th loss of the season when they played Melbourne last Saturday, with the match sure to bring back memories of the night his life changed forever. The one-time backrower sat on the hill at McDonald Jones Stadium, and paid for his own general admission ticket. Newcastle also chose that home game against the Storm to promote a spinal support organisation called Stronger Together. To add to what many fans would see as highly insensitive timing, the club did not ask McKinnon if he wanted to be involved in the initiative with Stronger Together. On Tuesday, McKinnon took to social media to address the 'oversight'. 'I wasn't personally upset by the weekend's events,' he posted on X. 'If anything I found the irony of it being against the Storm a bit funny. It felt like a missed opportunity to connect with the Storm and back a great cause, raising funds and awareness for those living with spinal cord injuries. 'David and Kath from the Stronger Together Foundation are incredible people. I caught up with them on Thursday and knew their charity was the match day partner. 'They kindly asked me to be involved, but I had other commitments. I fully supported them from afar.' 'What disappointed my family (and many who reached out) was the club's lack of communication and awareness. In my view, not reaching out beforehand was an insensitive oversight.' McKinnon said buying tickets wasn't an issue as he loves sitting on the hill with the fans at McDonald Jones Stadium. 'As for the tickets, I regularly buy them for my family to sit on the hill, I have for years,' he wrote. 'I love the game-day experience and sharing it with my kids. I'm a fan.' Last month, it was announced that McKinnon would be taking a big step forward in his new career with healthcare company, Alike Health. The 33-year-old joined the specialist healthcare firm as its Head of Growth and Partnerships, having previously worked with the organisation as a Lived Experience Consultant. The firm revealed that McKinnon's role is now changing within the company, with the former footy player now offering Psychosocial Recovery coaching. 'With a background in Psychological Science, professional sport, and a lived experience of resilience and change, Alex brings genuine understanding and practical support to those navigating psychosocial disability,' Alike wrote on Instagram. In his new role as a Psychosocial Recovery Coach, McKinnon provides support to those suffering from psychosocial disabilities. The role aims to help individuals regain their independence and get back to doing things they enjoy. It came after McKinnon announced earlier this year that he was set to commence a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree at the University of Newcastle. He had previously obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology. McKinnon, a father-of-three had faced an uncertain future 11 years ago after one of the most shocking incidents in Australian sporting history. McKinnon fractured his C4 and C5 vertebrae in a horror tackle during that game against Melbourne in 2014. He'd played 49 NRL games before tragedy struck - and as he later revealed, he knew as soon as he hit the ground that his life was about to change forever. 'I knew straight away,' he told ABC journalist Stan Grant in 2020. 'I remember hearing the noise, I remember trying to move but not being able to, I remember players surrounding me and looking at me - clear conversations, I could hear everything. 'I really just felt embarrassed ... I suppose it takes you back to being a man and what your identity is there - strong, unflappable, unwavering - I just felt that it was embarrassing that I was laying there, unable to move, and I just felt like a real failure.' He would later split from wife Teigan Power in 2022, but has found love again with new partner Lily Malone. The pair are understood to have started dating while the 33-year-old was studying at university.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Alex McKinnon responds after former NRL club accused of 'disgraceful oversight'
Alex McKinnon has revealed he "wasn't personally upset" by an oversight from Newcastle Knights officials at their home game against the Melbourne Storm last weekend, but felt it was an "insensitive" mistake from his former club. McKinnon was in attendance for the game in Newcastle on Saturday, and paid for his own ticket to sit on the hill with his family. Questions were asked when McKinnon, who is in a wheelchair, wasn't involved in a pre-game event with spinal support organisation 'Stronger Together', who were the match-day partner on the day. journalist David Riccio labelled it a "disgraceful oversight" that McKinnon seemingly wasn't told by the Knights that ambassadors for Stronger Together would be at the game and on the field. At the heart of the issue is the fact the Knights were playing the Storm, and it was the same fixture 11 years ago in which McKinnon suffered life-altering injuries. Many found it insensitive towards McKinnon to promote the charity during the Melbourne Storm game, rather than any other home game this year. Riccio wrote on Monday: "Of all the home games this season that the Knights could have chosen, they selected a home game against the Melbourne Storm to promote a spinal cord charity. This is the disgraceful 'oversight' that proves the club CEO must move on." Knights officials have reportedly apologised to McKinnon, and the former player responded with a statement on Tuesday. Writing on social media, McKinnon said he wasn't overly offended that no-one from the Knights contacted him, but agreed the timing was insensitive. He said he would have loved to have been involved on the day, as it would have provided a chance to show he holds no lingering animosity towards the Storm. "I wasn't personally upset by the weekend's events," he wrote. "If anything I found the irony of it being against the Storm a bit funny. It felt like a missed opportunity to connect with the Storm and back a great cause, raising funds and awareness for those living with spinal cord injuries." — Alex Mckinnon (@mckinnon92) July 15, 2025 McKinnon said he was contacted by Stronger Together about being involved on Saturday, but not by the Knights. "David and Kath from the Stronger Together Foundation are incredible people," he wrote. "I caught up with them on Thursday and knew their charity was the match day partner. They kindly asked me to be involved, but I had other commitments. I fully supported them from afar." As for paying for his own ticket, McKinnon said he loves sitting on the hill and getting involved with the match-day experience of regular fans, and didn't have a problem with that aspect. "What disappointed my family (and many who reached out) was the club's lack of communication and awareness. In my view, not reaching out beforehand was an insensitive oversight. "As for the tickets, I regularly buy them for my family to sit on the hill, I have for years. I love the game-day experience and sharing it with my kids. I'm a fan." RELATED: Fury over Panthers star's ban after Parra rival cops season-ending injury Knights offer contracts to two State of Origin players amid Ponga blow McKinnon was left a quadriplegic after suffering spinal injuries during a game for the Knights against the Storm in 2014. The 33-year-old played three games for the Dragons before moving to the Knights and playing 46 more. But his career was cut tragically short when he landed on his head in a tackle gone wrong. Nice response Alex. You should be treated much better than that. Hope the club puts their hand up apologises. — Ivan the Tiger (@Ivanthewolf369) July 15, 2025 I often see you and the girls on the hill so didn't think this was unusual. Definitely poor form that someone didn't reach out to you about the day. — Maree Edwards (@MareeEdwards4) July 15, 2025
