AFL great’s wedding evacuated after emergency order
A recently retired West Coast Eagles footy star’s wedding was cleared out by emergency personnel as a fire raged.
Married life for Eagles veteran Andrew Gaff got off to a hot start after his wedding guests had to be evacuated as a raging bushfire razed a popular City Beach park.
The West Australian understands Gaff and his partner, Emma Van Woerden, said their vows at the Quarry Amphitheatre on Sunday in the hours before a fire started at Bold Park about 9pm.
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Guests are understood to have been quickly ushered out of the venue as the blaze quickly took hold, Perth Now reports.
A witness described seeing guests leaving in a taxi — one of them holding an uncut wedding cake.
Sources say the attendees had to relocate to Elliot Yeo’s pub, the Broken Hill Hotel.
West Coast teammate Jack Darling and wife Courtney were also among the guests, while premiership Eagle Scott Lycett also attended.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services issued a “watch and act” alert at about 10.30pm on Sunday after the fire started in Bold Park.
Residents in parts of City Beach, Floreat and Mt Claremont were warned there was a possible threat to lives and homes and “conditions were changing”.
The fire was contained and controlled by 10am on Monday.
Gaff, 31, had a turbulent year with the Eagles, averaging only 20 disposals in 23 games — his lowest return since 2013.
The two-time All-Australian almost found himself dropped after recording only six disposals against Brisbane in round 17, his lowest disposal output in a game since starting as a substitute in the early games of his first-year campaign in 2011.
Gaff was handed a lifeline when he was named as the sub against Richmond the following week and he finished with 24 disposals after coming on early for the injured Reuben Ginbey.
His celebrated career included a series of awards, but he has most recently been best known as the player that sensationally punched Fremantle rival Andrew Brayshaw — an act that resulted in him receiving an eight-week suspension.
— This story originally appeared on perthnow.com.au and has been republished with permission
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