Liam Picken’s wife says their three children witnessed their dad get knocked out during an AFL match

ANNIE Nolan, the wife of Bulldogs premiership hero Liam Picken, has opened up about her husband’s terrifying on-field concussion, witnessed by their three children, and his journey to recovery which she says has taken an emotional toll on the family.

AFL player Liam Picken and his three kids Malachy, Delphine and Cheska. Picture: Alex Coppel

EXCLUSIVE: The wife of Bulldog’s premiership hero, Liam Picken, has opened up about the impact of her husband’s concussion on their family.

Speaking exclusively to the Sunday Herald Sun this week, Annie Nolan admits that Picken’s journey to recovery has taken an emotional toll on the family, but that she can “see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

Nolan, who has been married to Picken for over two years says she has struggled with the fact that she wasn’t present at the match against Hawthorn in the JLT Series on March 3, when Picken was stretchered from the ground after a sickening clash with teammate Josh Dunkley.

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Liam Picken lies on the field injured after a collision with a teammate. Picture: Getty

Liam and Annie with their three children Malachy, Delphi and Cheska. Picture: Hamish Blair

There is obvious emotion in her voice when she recalls the day, and how the couple’s three children, Malachy, 7, and twins Cheska and Delphine, 5, were in the Ballarat crowd when the nasty knock occurred.

“The worst thing for me is that when he actually had the knock, I wasn’t there, but all three of our kids were in the cheer squad, so I’ve heard the story through the cheer squad,” she says.

“Mally knew straight away, and apparently he was saying, “Get up Dad, get up Dad,” but the cheer squad members all circled the girls to protect them from seeing it.”

“The girls didn’t see it was Liam, but then as Liam got carried off Delphi asked, ‘Where are they taking that dead man?’”

“It sounds so dramatic, but it made me cry when I heard that, because she didn’t realise that was her dad.”

Annie says Liam’s recovery has taken a toll on the whole family.

Widely regarded as one of the most courageous players in the competition, the Bulldogs star’s exit from that game didn’t only mark a turning point for his career, it may also have been one for the sport, and proved that the gladiators on our football fields are also just human.

“Footballers are not the most hard-done by people in the world, I totally understand that,” Nolan says.

“But at the end of the day, this is the love of my life, and this is his brain.”

“I’m pretty exhausted to be totally honest, but then, there’s no good story without a little bit of hardship, so I really think that this is going to end in something great,” Nolan says.

While Nolan is adamant “this is not my story to tell”, the popular blogger and podcast presenter says she is “proud and excited” of the progress her husband has made since he was diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome, initially suffering from symptoms including light and noise sensitivity, ringing in the ears, vision impairment, headaches, migraines, memory function and impaired balance.

“Liam is doing so well; his commitment to recovery during the past few months is more courageous than anything he has done on the field,” she said.

“He is so good at looking after himself; he is probably the most proactive and positive person I’ve ever come across in my life, and I’m not just saying that because he is my partner, he is actually exhausting at times.”

Picken with his kids in a post from Instagram.

Picken suffered a concussion after a run-in with a teammate. Picture: Michael Klein

“He gets a bit hard to live with, in the fact that he is not happy to just sit back and accept things, so he is always researching, and that’s definitely helped. You know, knowledge is power,” she says.

“But I really do feel like this is his story to tell, so I am trying to play the supportive role,” she said.

“I know that Liam will continue telling this story, and I will just ride along with him. But I am so proud of how well he is doing and his progress is really exciting.”

Nolan says the Bulldogs and wider football group have offered the family unwavering support during the difficult time.

“The club have been fantastic; the Bulldogs have always been really kind to us. They have been very much like ‘Liam you do what you need to do’ and have also guided him with doctors and medical experts. I can’t speak highly enough.”

“The fans have also been amazing, not just from the Bulldogs but from the wider football community. I am so grateful for their support and understanding, and the messages they have sent not just Liam, but our whole family.”

Picken has been open about his recovery since being diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome, sharing footage of his rehabilitation exercises on social media this week.

Bulldogs star Luke Picken with his wife Annie Nolan.

Picken with with his son Malachy at the cricket.

Earlier this month, via another social media post, the highly respected player opened up about the uncertainty of his future career.

“One of the hardest aspects of post-concussion syndrome is not knowing when you’ll get better. People still ask what’s going on with me or why I’m not playing yet. And although it’s been made clear to me that I’m on the road to full health, the timeline is unclear,” he wrote.

Away from the debate of whether Picken will play again, at a time when brain trauma among football players has come under increased scrutiny, Nolan, has held the household together during her husband’s recovery and says the couple’s three children have been aware of Picken’s injury and health.

“One hundred per cent the kids understand it, obviously not the complexities of it, but they understand,” Nolan says.

“At the start, Liam had to have the blinds drawn because he was so sensitive to the light, and the kids were too much because of the noise, so he would be a recluse in his bedroom, trying to just keep his cool, and the kids would always be downstairs.”

“They would say, you know, to their friends, ‘My daddy’s got a really sore head’. It was pretty hard for them to ignore, you know, dad can’t get up, dad can’t have dinner with us; but it’s definitely got better and he is a great example to our kids with his resilience,” she says.

Picken with twins Delphi and Cheska.

Annie Nolan is starring in a new campaign for Cotton On for World Emoji Day.

So will Picken play again? Nolan has unwavering faith in her husband.

“Whether Liam plays again or not, he has my full support; but I think if anyone can do it, Liam can,” she said.

Taking some time out this week, Nolan and her children starred in a new campaign for Cotton On Kids, which has released a new Emoji capsule collection, allowing children to celebrate their individuality.

“I’m a big advocate for self-expression, and I think we all know that if a child has ever sent you a text message, emojis are part of their language and I think it’s another way to build confidence and self-identity,” Nolan says.

“My children have always chosen their own clothing and this emoji fashion makes it even easier to express how they feel through their clothing.”

“Kids don’t have all the words that adults have, and they get frustrated when they can’t communicate, and if we can break down one more thing, to help them communicate, then that’s for the good,” she said.

The Cotton On Kids July range is on sale now both in store and online.