AFL 2020: Lachie Hunter fiance Maddie Sullivan-Thorpe drama before alleged crash

A row with his long-term partner reportedly “rocked” AFL star Lachie Hunter before an alleged drink-driving smash in Melbourne.

A row with fiance Maddie Sullivan-Thorpe is reported to be the trigger behind Western Bulldogs star Lachie Hunter’s alleged drink-driving incident.

Hunter has been fined by police for breaching public health orders and is facing further charges after he allegedly drove a vehicle into several parked cars on a suburban street, according to multiple reports.

Police discovered Hunter’s training bag inside a car at the scene before finding the 25-year-old a short time later in a different location, reported to be the home of teammate Billy Gowers.

Hunter was reportedly then breathalysed where he blew a reading of 0.123 – more than twice the legal limit.

He will be charged on summons with drink driving and other traffic matters. Police also found him in breach of the coronavirus restrictions and fined him $1652.

There was a twist later on Friday morning when it was reported by AFL.com.au a teammate of Hunter’s drove him from the scene of the alleged drink-driving incident.

Damaged cars are seen on Wright street in Middle Park.

The report identified Bailey Smith as the teammate who drove Hunter from the scene.

He is reported to have taken Hunter to teammate Gowers’ house in South Yarra.

It emerged on Friday afternoon, Hunter had a row with his long-term partner on Thursday afternoon.

The Herald Sun reports Hunter and his childhood sweetheart were involved in a big fight. According to friends quoted by the newspaper, Hunter then left to seek an escape from the dispute and was travelling to Gowers’ house when he allegedly crashed a Toyota SUV into parked cars in the suburb of Middle Park.

The Herald Sun reports the argument with Sullivan-Thorpe “rocked” Hunter and left him in an out-of-sorts headspace.

The report claims Hunter was lucky to bump into teammate Smith at the scene with one of the cars allegedly damaged in the crash reported to be a vehicle belonging to Smith’s parents.

Smith then drove Hunter to Gowers’ house, where police caught up with him.

“We found out about the incident in the last couple of hours and we’ll obviously take the time to investigate it,” the AFL club’s president Peter Gordon told SEN radio on Friday.

“Football is very prominent in people’s lives ... but this isn’t the message we want to send out there.”

Lachie Hunter of the Bulldogs.

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan confirmed the league’s integrity unit was also investigating the incident.

“I’m not going to go into this specific case because I need to establish exactly what the facts are, but drink driving is completely unacceptable in any aspect of the community,” McLachlan told 3AW.

“As is breaching lockdown laws ... these are things which are pretty cut and dried.

“I’m not going to go into discussions I’ve had but in the broader context people make mistakes and he’s made, it seems at this stage, a significant mistake here but young men do that.

“He’s vice-captain of the club, he’s a leader, but he’s clearly made a mistake here.”

Hunter is reportedly expected to strongly consider fighting the drink-driving charge.

— with AAP