Brodie Ryan former partner of Nathan Buckley on the unseen struggle of being an AFL WAG

Collingwood legend Nathan Buckley’s ex-partner has defended the perception of AFL WAGs, emphasising the hard work of balancing home life and public appearances.

Brodie Ryan, former partner of footy great Nathan Buckley, says being a partner to an AFL footballer is harder than being a CEO.

Ryan and Buckley separated earlier this year after a three year romance.

She has defended the perception of a WAG, saying supporting a person at home and smiling when you’re on a red carpet is a tough job.

“No one sees each other as a WAG,’’ Ryan said.

“You are a wife or a girlfriend, and you are supporting your partner. And 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.

“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.”

Former partner of Nathan Buckley, Brodie Ryan, has said being a partner to an AFL footballer is harder than being a CEO. Picture: Supplied

Ryan said even if your husband isn’t an AFL footballer and he’s a tradie “it’s a tough job and women have it tough”.

She continued: “It’s not easy at home. So 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. Takes a lot.

“So yeah, 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 and they all do their little things as well in their respective fields.

“And sometimes you don’t hear about that and you don’t see that because it might be overshadowed by what their husband does.

“I think it’s really important to understand there’s a person, there’s a woman behind that label of a WAG. And they’re beautiful women, they’ve got beautiful souls and they work hard.

“And it’s not easy being labelled what you are and feeling, I guess, small in comparison to your partner.”

Nathan Buckley and Brodie Ryan separated this year after a three year romance. Picture: Jason Edwards

Ryan, a career focused go-getter, grew up in the country around Mildura and has loved the past nine years in Melbourne.

The 35 year-old revealed she worked as a dental nurse, a singer, a seasonal firefighter and then across business and management in her recent roles.

She said her relationship with Buckley was kept private for the first six months.

“I was conscious that he had two children and family is really important to me,’’ Ryan said.

“And those children were really important to me, even though at the time I didn’t know them. It really meant a lot to me for him to be safe and for me to feel safe in that environment as well.

“It took me six months for me to let my guard down and let him in and me be part of his life and everything that comes with his life. And then my life completely changed, I lost all my autonomy and everyone knew everything about my life.

“I guess I approached it with an open mind and maybe I was a little naive, I probably see the best in everyone and just think that everyone’s got a heart of gold.

“And then sometimes that has worked out negatively for me.”

Ryan has said she is taking time to find herself again and live in the moment. Picture: David Geraghty

Ryan, 35, said she’s taking time to find herself again.

“It’s a stress-free life that I’m living at the moment,’’ she said.

“I’m getting in touch with myself again, spending more time doing the things I love.

“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.

“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 was speaking to Smile: The Makeover Scoop podcast.

Originally published as Brodie Ryan former partner of Nathan Buckley on the unseen struggle of being an AFL WAG