He kissed the trophy... six weeks later he was dead
The last memory Dean Jacobs had of Lachy Wells was the time he asked him to take a photo kissing the grand final trophy, something he will never forget.
Coffs Harbour
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The last memory team mate Dean Jacobs had of Lachy Wells was the time he asked him to take a photo kissing the grand final trophy, something he will never forget because six weeks later, Lachy was gone forever.
"It was quite a big shock what happened," he said. "We didn't know Lachy much outside of football. But he was there at every training session and he was the first one there in the change rooms getting ready for the game."
Dean was one of Lachy's longest team mates, who remembered him for his "huge strides" and sheer speed on the field, even recognising him as one of the best players on the team.
"You'd put the ball down and a flash of light would come past and we knew it was Lachy with the ball," he said.
Dean added that there was never any doubt that Lachy would be the first to sign up for the next season.
"In football he was at his happiest, we never saw any sadness in him. He'd always run around and shake everyone's hand at the end, even in games we played poorly. He was always upbeat, even in defeat."
The mark Lachy left after he took his own life was surely shocking, Dean said, but it didn't dampen the team spirit to continue his legacy.
"We said we'd give it another shot for Lachy, and make it two years in a row to win the final to thank him."
"As an example to others, anyone who's struggling in that way, they need to remember being around your mates is important," he said.
"That's obviously what happened with Lachy, he lost the camaraderie after the season stopped."
Originally published as He kissed the trophy... six weeks later he was dead
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