Latest news with #NathanBuckley
Sky News AU
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
Nathan Buckley's ex-girfriend Brodie Ryan makes jaw-dropping claim that 'being a WAG is harder than being a CEO' just three months after their high-profile break up
Nathan Buckley's former partner, Brodie Ryan, has spoken out about life behind the label of a WAG, claiming it can be "harder than being a CEO". The 36-year-old business operations manager dated the 52-year-old AFL legend for three years before they publicly confirmed their split in May. Speaking on the Smile: The Makeover Scoop podcast, Ryan defended the role of a partner in elite sport, arguing that what happens behind the scenes is far more demanding than most people realise. "No one sees each other as a WAG," she said. "You are a wife or a girlfriend, and you are supporting your partner. And what they do is tough for a job." Raised in regional Victoria around Mildura and now based in Melbourne, the spiritual home of AFL, Ryan said professional athletes "need that support at home" and that criticism of WAGs often misses the mark. "I guess a lot of the trolls out there will say they're just a WAG- they're not just a WAG," she said. "They work really hard at home, and they look after a home, which is hard. "Sometimes I would say, seeing my mum do it, seeing my friends do it, being a stay-at-home mum and keeping a home and supporting an AFL footballer would be harder than being a CEO of a company. That is a job within itself." Ryan has held various roles throughout her career, including working as a dental nurse, a professional singer, and a seasonal firefighter who responded to the devastating Black Saturday fires. She currently works as an operations manager at a security company. However, she described how her world was turned upside down during her relationship with Buckley. "My life completely changed. I lost all my autonomy," she said. "Everyone knew everything about my life. I think it's really important to understand that there's a woman or a person behind that label of a WAG." Nearly three months on from the split, Ryan said she is beginning to reconnect with herself and prioritise her own wellbeing. "I'm having so much fun getting up and doing my walks in the morning, going to the gym, eating well. It's not a lot of lasagnes anymore," she said. "I think I lost myself a little bit in what someone else needed in me or what I thought they needed in me because of what they were going through at the time." Ryan first confirmed the breakup in May with a heartfelt message to her Instagram followers, addressing fans of the "Brodes and Bucks" relationship. "Thank you for your kind messages and support over the past couple of months of heartache. I am truly grateful for your kindness and consideration," she wrote. "After much reflection and consideration, Nath and I have decided to part ways." Speaking to The Herald Sun in June, Ryan admitted that while "break-ups are always horrible", she was beginning to find her feet again. "I wanted that responsibility and revelled in that of being a housewife and a little family's support, but unfortunately it didn't end the way I'd hoped," she said. "Time heals all wounds. The heartbreak is real, but we'll both be OK." Buckley separated from his wife Tania, with whom he shares two sons, in 2020 after 18 years of marriage. He later dated cosmetic nurse Alex Pike for a year before that relationship ended in January 2022.
News.com.au
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Buckley's ex reckons being a WAG is ‘harder than being a CEO'
Brodie Ryan, the ex-girlfriend of AFL star Nathan Buckley, is copping backlash after claiming that being a WAG is 'harder than being a CEO'. The 36-year-old, who works as a business operations manager in Melbourne, dated the Collingwood legend for three years before the pair confirmed their split in May. Now, nearly three months after the break-up, Ryan has been reflecting on her former life as the 52-year-old's other half, claiming that being a WAG is more difficult than many realise. 'What they do is tough for a job, so you need that support at home. And I guess a lot of the trolls out there will say they're just a WAG — they're not just a WAG,' she told the Herald Sun. 'They work really hard at home, and they look after a home, which is hard. 'Sometimes I would say, seeing my mum do it, seeing my friends do it, being a stay at home mum and keeping a home and supporting an AFL footballer would be harder than being a CEO of a company.' But her candid comments appear to have fallen flat among Aussies, with many taking to social media to brutally roast Ryan, claiming the statement was 'tone deaf'. 'Such a hard life …' one person commented. 'Harder than a CEO? You have no idea how people without money survive,' remarked another. Someone else suggested she was 'delusional', and another asked: 'This is a joke right?' 'These poor WAGs have no idea,' chipped in one more. Despite assumptions online, Ryan's LinkedIn profile shows she was employed as a business manager for a health centre during her three-year romance with Buckley. But that didn't stop the criticism coming in thick and fast. 'Spare me,' lamented one frustrated Aussie. As another argued WAGs have 'no concept of reality'. 'Entitlement in one sentence,' mused someone else. Ryan announced her separation from Buckley with a heartfelt message on Instagram Stories addressed to 'the followers of the 'Brodes and Bucks' journey'. 'After much reflection and consideration, Nath and I have decided to part ways,' she said. 'This decision was not made lightly, and we are grateful for the time we shared, the memories we created, and the support we received from each other.' Buckley, 52, did not share the same message to his social media platforms. The pair met in 2022 and had a 16-year age gap. They were regularly spotted out together in Melbourne's social scene. Buckley separated from his wife Tania Buckley, with whom he shares two children, in 2020. He later referred to his marriage breakdown as 'the most traumatic thing that's happened to me' in a candid interview. 'Whilst it was a bloody tough period, I learnt a lot about being more open, being more vulnerable and that I actually couldn't hold it all in,' he told the Herald Sun at the time. 'At the same point, my footy family, and then close friends, just rose to the surface. I'd never really understood the absolute value of friendship until I had nowhere else to turn, and I needed them.'
The Age
21-07-2025
- Sport
- The Age
Whatever happens to Steven May, response to bump shows language and attitudes are changing
'He was going to go and win that football,' Nathan Buckley said in commentary before adding that he was not sure 'our game can allow that any more'. Loading Jack Riewoldt offered on Fox: 'If you come in with that sort of velocity … this incident has a little bit of the Jackson Archer about it and that cost him three weeks. 'He came that fast into the contest, the collision was inevitable. Steven May has a duty of care because Francis Evans has the ball there.' David King added: 'What we had to do is look at it from the victim's point of view. What are we asking Evans to do?' Whether May's action is considered more akin to Archer or to Pearce will determine May's fate, but the bigger outcome has already been realised with the change in the language and the idea of what the game should tolerate. Dees earn scrutiny in bigger loser clash For a game that broadly meant nothing, this game meant something. Neither Carlton nor Melbourne can make the eight, but victory was in not being the bigger loser. Carlton did not turn the corner by beating the Demons, they just asserted a semblance of calm and settled themselves from the percolating discontent. Melbourne, in losing to the most pressured team in the AFL, consigned themselves to the sorts of questions that have plagued Carlton all year. What has gone wrong? And why? Simon Goodwin is contracted, just as Michael Voss is. But unlike Voss, he has won a flag at this team. That buys more time. Melbourne has generally this year avoided the sort of questions that have been asked of Carlton because, well, because of Carlton but also because those questions have been asked for three years now without ever settling on a satisfactory answer. How has yet another Melbourne year been allowed to slide by? Their slide is not new. They were not making the finals before this game, so the loss to Carlton is only salt to the wound. Tangibly, it changes nothing other than the idea of how far they are falling away again. Their problems are as well known as their mistakes. Not trading Clayton Oliver last year was a bad decision at the time and looks even worse now. Not because Oliver is playing badly but because he is not playing as he did when he signed the mega contract, and now they are stuck with him long-term. Christian Petracca's kicking effectiveness has now abandoned him. Luckily, they had Kysaiah Pickett, or the damage on the scoreboard and the broader sense of ennui about them would be severe. Time to topple Tassie roof The Tasmanian state election does not deliver a majority government, but logically it does deliver a majority of MPs who support a new football stadium. Liberal and Labor have both backed a stadium. Combined they have the numbers to now approve the stadium. Logic would say they do, though logic is rare in politics Don't waste a crisis is a truism of politics, which – if applied to Tasmania – would say that the new government, in whatever minority form it takes, has the chance to leverage its precarious political position to achieve what should have been the AFL and state government position from the outset and abandon the roof. The roof was a desirable, if expensive, luxury item the AFL added to the stadium as an ambit claim. The AFL logic was that, at the moment of their strongest bargaining position, they needed to ask for everything they wanted. The rationale was that if they didn't get what they wanted now, they would never get it. So they set a roofed stadium – not just a stadium – as a precondition. It was the sort of negotiating position Tony Soprano would've applauded. A roofed stadium would be an easier sell when recruiting players and for luring travelling fans to fly down to watch their team play against the Devils. But in making the demand, the AFL managed to turn what should have been a unifying moment for Tasmania and its football into an election issue and a flashpoint in a state that does not have to go searching for things to fight about. Infrastructure projects that come in on budget are as rare as Tasmanian tigers. The stadium will cost more than budgeted, and the federal government, which is committing every spare sports dollar it has to the Brisbane 2032 Olympics, has made it clear there will be no more money for the stadium. They put a ceiling on the roof. The AFL has said it won't throw in more cash, so if and when the costs run over, the state will be left scrambling for more. A roof in a cold but relatively dry state would be an excellent addition, particularly if combined with air conditioning/heating. But that would only add to the expense. And, yes, this idea of abandoning the roof is said in the knowledge of the foul weather experienced by Hawthorn and Port Adelaide at the weekend and after personally covering a North v West Coast game at Bellerive in horrendous conditions, with a wind so strong the ball blew back over players' heads. Let's not forget, football was played in Canberra in snow. No one demanded a roofed stadium for the Giants to come into the competition. If the Libs and Labor in Tassie don't join together and push the stadium through in its current state because they hate each other or maybe the minority Greens and independents demand concessions, what happens then? Is the AFL truly going to walk away from a team this far down the track, with funding offered by governments, a CEO and football staff employed, player movement rules and concessions drafted and clubs making decisions on the trading of players and draft picks in anticipation of the team's arrival? To go ahead requires the agreement of the majority of AFL clubs. Will they really cut and run on Tassie now with no roofed stadium? The AFL has the opportunity to pivot and reposition their brand in Tasmania, which has taken a hit even among the large number of Tasmanians who support a team and stadium. Rioli's revives Bosustow memories Peter Bosustow, who died earlier in the year, kicked goal of the year in his first season for a smother then recovering the ball and snapping a goal. He played in the era of Maurice Rioli. What Maurice Rioli Jnr (MJ) did against West Coast was very like Bosustow. His diving smother to then soccer the ball to himself, gather and chip to the goal square was superb. It was all Bosustow, right to the moment he didn't just kick the goal himself but passed it. Later he produced diving rundown tackle that was just as thrillingly team-lifting. It was one of those slow-motion moments where everyone but the ball carrier could see what was about to happen next. Poor Brady Hough. MJ has taken time to find his place in the Tigers' team. He is not a big possession winner, his skills can be loose, but his speed and pressure is elite. It's often said players, especially small ones, need to be elite at something to make it. MJ has elite speed and tackles like few others.
Daily Mail
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Nathan Buckley's ex Brodie Ryan raises eyebrows with comments about the struggles of being a WAG following couple's split: 'Harder than a CEO'
Nathan Buckley's ex-girlfriend Brodie Ryan has raised eyebrows after suggesting that being a WAG is harder than being a CEO. The healthcare professional, who split from the AFL star earlier this year after dating for three years, sat down with the Smile: The Makeover Scoop podcast to discuss the difficulties of being on the footy sidelines. 'Sometimes I would say, seeing my mum do it, seeing my friends do it, being a stay-at-home mum and keeping a home and supporting an AFL footballer would be harder than being a CEO of a company.' She went on to praise the women behind sports stars who are so easily 'overshadowed' by what their partners do. 'I really take my hat off to women out there that do have the hard slog of being at home, keeping a nice house, looking after their husbands and keeping their day as smooth as you can, while keeping the mayhem of home at bay and looking after yourself and your mental health, your wellbeing and keeping yourself in good nick as well,' she said. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'Seeing these women do it and then get on a red carpet and smile, like it's been an easy year for them... I really take my hat off to them; they each do their own things in their respective fields.' Brodie and Collingwood great Nathan split earlier this year. In May, the brunette revealed she'd be moving out of the Melbourne home she purchased with Nathan following their breakup. She said goodbye to the bayside suburb of Elwood altogether in an emotional Instagram post that showed her enjoying a glass of wine at the local tavern. 'End of an era. Sad to say goodbye to my favourite little community of Elwood,' she captioned the post. Brodie and Nathan purchased the property together in the highly sought-after suburb and moved into the home in June last year. Her post came just hours after Brodie announced the pair had decided to part ways. 'To the followers of the "Brodes and Bucks" journey,' she began. 'After much reflection and consideration, Nath and I have decided to part ways,' she continued. 'Thank you for your kind messages and support over the past couple of months of heartache. I am truly grateful for your kindness and consideration. 'This decision was not made lightly, and we are grateful for the time we shared, the memories we created, and the support we received from each other and all of you. 'While we will no longer be a couple, I will always respect Nathan and the friendship that developed between us 3-4 years ago and have a lot of love for him and his boys, and our beautiful dog Tank.' Brodie concluded: 'We appreciate your understanding and kindness over the past couple of months and continuing through this transition period. 'We kindly ask for privacy as we navigate this new chapter in our lives. Thank you for your continued support and for being a part of our journey. With respect and gratitude, Brodie.'
News.com.au
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Nathan Buckley's ex opens up about ‘horrible' split
Brodie Ryan has opened up about her split from Collingwood legend Nathan Buckley, admitting that she was left heartbroken. 'The first few months were hard, and breakups are always horrible,' she told the Herald Sun on Thursday. 'Time heals all wounds. The heartbreak is real, but we'll both be okay.' The 36-year-old revealed she had intended to be a housewife, and was disappointed that the plans were no longer in effect. 'I wanted that responsibility and revelled in that of being a housewife and a little family's support, but unfortunately it didn't end the way I'd hoped,' she said. In April this year, Ryan said her goal for this year was to focus on herself, telling the Herald Sun, 'Focusing on mental health and the stable lifestyle that I'm used to, and doing things that make me happy. That's my plan for 2025 … to focus on me.' The pair, who met in 2022 and have a 16-year age gap, have been an item since 2022. Ryan shared the news of their split in an Instagram story in May this year. 'After much reflection and consideration, Nath and I have decided to part ways,' she said. 'This decision was not made lightly, and we are grateful for the time we shared, the memories we created, and the support we received from each other.' In Ryan's lengthy post, she also thanked supporters for their kind messages 'over the past couple of months of heartache', and said she will always have respect for Nathan and 'a lot of love for him and his boys and our beautiful dog Tank'. Buckley, 52, did not share the same message to his social media platforms. AFL legend Buckley separated from his wife Tania Buckley, with whom he shares two children, in 2020 and in a candid interview a few years later referred to his marriage breakdown as 'the most traumatic thing that's happened to me recently'. 'Whilst it was a bloody tough period, I learnt a lot about being more open, being more vulnerable and that I actually couldn't hold it all in,' he told the Herald Sun. 'At the same point, my footy family, and then close friends, just rose to the surface. I'd never really understood the absolute value of friendship until I had nowhere else to turn, and I needed them.'
