Latest news with #AlexMcKinnon
News.com.au
16-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Alex McKinnon swipes ‘insensitive' Newcastle Knights blunder
Former Newcastle Knights enforcer Alex McKinnon has taken to social media and labelled the club 'insensitive' after farcical scenes unfolded at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle on Saturday. McKinnon, who became a quadriplegic from a tackle gone wrong while playing for the red and blue in 2014, purchased his on ticket and sat on the hill with his family as the club locked horns with the Melbourne Storm on Saturday. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. Prior to the game getting underway, ambassadors from Stronger Together - a spinal support organisation that provides support for those affected by spinal cord injuries - were out on the field promoting their charity work. Not only was he not asked to be part of the day, he was also not informed that the promotional activity would be taking place ahead of the contest. On Wednesday morning, McKinnon took to Instagram to let his feelings known about the situation. 'In short, I wasn't personally upset by the weekend's events, if anything I found the irony of it being against the Storm a bit funny,' he wrote on social media. 'It felt like a missed opportunity to connect with the Storm and back a great cause, raising funds and awareness for those living with spinal cord injuries. 'David and Kath from Stronger Together Foundation are incredible people. I caught up with them on Thursday and knew their charity was the match day partner. 'They kindly asked me to be involved, but I had other commitments. I fully supported them from afar. 'What disappointed my family (and many who reached out) was the club's lack of communication and awareness. In my view, not reaching out beforehand was an insensitive oversight. 'As for tickets, I regularly buy them for my family to sit on the hill, I have for years. 'I love the game day experience and sharing it with my kids. I'm a fan.' Veteran journalist David Riccio unleashed on the club while pointing the finger at CEO Phil Gardner for being out of touch. 'It illustrates how out of touch Gardener is with what makes Newcastle great. It's history. It's passion. It's people,' Riccio wrote in an article for Code Sports. 'Of all the home games this season that the Knights could have chosen, they selected a home game against the Melbourne Storm to promote a spinal cord charity. 'The Knights have had eight previous home games and still have three more to go.' Members of the Newcastle staff reportedly contacted McKinnon to personally apologise for what they described as 'an oversight'.
Daily Mail
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Alex McKinnon hits back after copping a stunning snub from his NRL club on a day that brought back stark memories of the game he was paralysed in
Former NRL star Alex McKinnon has lashed out at the treatment he received from the Newcastle Knights when he was left out of a club initiative to help a group that aids people with severe spinal injuries. McKinnon - who was left paralysed by a horrific on-field accident against the Storm in 2014 - watched the Knights slump to their 11th loss of the season when they played Melbourne last Saturday, with the match sure to bring back memories of the night his life changed forever. The one-time backrower sat on the hill at McDonald Jones Stadium, and paid for his own general admission ticket. Newcastle also chose that home game against the Storm to promote a spinal support organisation called Stronger Together. To add to what many fans would see as highly insensitive timing, the club did not ask McKinnon if he wanted to be involved in the initiative with Stronger Together. On Tuesday, McKinnon took to social media to address the 'oversight'. 'I wasn't personally upset by the weekend's events,' he posted on X. 'If anything I found the irony of it being against the Storm a bit funny. It felt like a missed opportunity to connect with the Storm and back a great cause, raising funds and awareness for those living with spinal cord injuries. 'David and Kath from the Stronger Together Foundation are incredible people. I caught up with them on Thursday and knew their charity was the match day partner. 'They kindly asked me to be involved, but I had other commitments. I fully supported them from afar.' 'What disappointed my family (and many who reached out) was the club's lack of communication and awareness. In my view, not reaching out beforehand was an insensitive oversight.' McKinnon said buying tickets wasn't an issue as he loves sitting on the hill with the fans at McDonald Jones Stadium. 'As for the tickets, I regularly buy them for my family to sit on the hill, I have for years,' he wrote. 'I love the game-day experience and sharing it with my kids. I'm a fan.' Last month, it was announced that McKinnon would be taking a big step forward in his new career with healthcare company, Alike Health. The 33-year-old joined the specialist healthcare firm as its Head of Growth and Partnerships, having previously worked with the organisation as a Lived Experience Consultant. The firm revealed that McKinnon's role is now changing within the company, with the former footy player now offering Psychosocial Recovery coaching. 'With a background in Psychological Science, professional sport, and a lived experience of resilience and change, Alex brings genuine understanding and practical support to those navigating psychosocial disability,' Alike wrote on Instagram. In his new role as a Psychosocial Recovery Coach, McKinnon provides support to those suffering from psychosocial disabilities. The role aims to help individuals regain their independence and get back to doing things they enjoy. It came after McKinnon announced earlier this year that he was set to commence a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree at the University of Newcastle. He had previously obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology. McKinnon, a father-of-three had faced an uncertain future 11 years ago after one of the most shocking incidents in Australian sporting history. McKinnon fractured his C4 and C5 vertebrae in a horror tackle during that game against Melbourne in 2014. He'd played 49 NRL games before tragedy struck - and as he later revealed, he knew as soon as he hit the ground that his life was about to change forever. 'I knew straight away,' he told ABC journalist Stan Grant in 2020. 'I remember hearing the noise, I remember trying to move but not being able to, I remember players surrounding me and looking at me - clear conversations, I could hear everything. 'I really just felt embarrassed ... I suppose it takes you back to being a man and what your identity is there - strong, unflappable, unwavering - I just felt that it was embarrassing that I was laying there, unable to move, and I just felt like a real failure.' He would later split from wife Teigan Power in 2022, but has found love again with new partner Lily Malone. The pair are understood to have started dating while the 33-year-old was studying at university.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Alex McKinnon responds after former NRL club accused of 'disgraceful oversight'
Alex McKinnon has revealed he "wasn't personally upset" by an oversight from Newcastle Knights officials at their home game against the Melbourne Storm last weekend, but felt it was an "insensitive" mistake from his former club. McKinnon was in attendance for the game in Newcastle on Saturday, and paid for his own ticket to sit on the hill with his family. Questions were asked when McKinnon, who is in a wheelchair, wasn't involved in a pre-game event with spinal support organisation 'Stronger Together', who were the match-day partner on the day. journalist David Riccio labelled it a "disgraceful oversight" that McKinnon seemingly wasn't told by the Knights that ambassadors for Stronger Together would be at the game and on the field. At the heart of the issue is the fact the Knights were playing the Storm, and it was the same fixture 11 years ago in which McKinnon suffered life-altering injuries. Many found it insensitive towards McKinnon to promote the charity during the Melbourne Storm game, rather than any other home game this year. Riccio wrote on Monday: "Of all the home games this season that the Knights could have chosen, they selected a home game against the Melbourne Storm to promote a spinal cord charity. This is the disgraceful 'oversight' that proves the club CEO must move on." Knights officials have reportedly apologised to McKinnon, and the former player responded with a statement on Tuesday. Writing on social media, McKinnon said he wasn't overly offended that no-one from the Knights contacted him, but agreed the timing was insensitive. He said he would have loved to have been involved on the day, as it would have provided a chance to show he holds no lingering animosity towards the Storm. "I wasn't personally upset by the weekend's events," he wrote. "If anything I found the irony of it being against the Storm a bit funny. It felt like a missed opportunity to connect with the Storm and back a great cause, raising funds and awareness for those living with spinal cord injuries." — Alex Mckinnon (@mckinnon92) July 15, 2025 McKinnon said he was contacted by Stronger Together about being involved on Saturday, but not by the Knights. "David and Kath from the Stronger Together Foundation are incredible people," he wrote. "I caught up with them on Thursday and knew their charity was the match day partner. They kindly asked me to be involved, but I had other commitments. I fully supported them from afar." As for paying for his own ticket, McKinnon said he loves sitting on the hill and getting involved with the match-day experience of regular fans, and didn't have a problem with that aspect. "What disappointed my family (and many who reached out) was the club's lack of communication and awareness. In my view, not reaching out beforehand was an insensitive oversight. "As for the tickets, I regularly buy them for my family to sit on the hill, I have for years. I love the game-day experience and sharing it with my kids. I'm a fan." RELATED: Fury over Panthers star's ban after Parra rival cops season-ending injury Knights offer contracts to two State of Origin players amid Ponga blow McKinnon was left a quadriplegic after suffering spinal injuries during a game for the Knights against the Storm in 2014. The 33-year-old played three games for the Dragons before moving to the Knights and playing 46 more. But his career was cut tragically short when he landed on his head in a tackle gone wrong. Nice response Alex. You should be treated much better than that. Hope the club puts their hand up apologises. — Ivan the Tiger (@Ivanthewolf369) July 15, 2025 I often see you and the girls on the hill so didn't think this was unusual. Definitely poor form that someone didn't reach out to you about the day. — Maree Edwards (@MareeEdwards4) July 15, 2025
News.com.au
15-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Fresh Knights disgrace paints ugly picture as club great Alex McKinnon snubbed
The Knights have had a week to forget but somehow it keeps getting worse. After being walloped by the Storm on the weekend, news emerged on Monday that coach Adam O'Brien will be moved on at the end of the year unless the team played finals footy in 2025 – a prospect that is highly unlikely. And then came the dagger blow for the Newcastle faithful, that superstar fullback Kalyn Ponga had grown fed up at the club and was sussing out options elsewhere. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. The report on Monday suggested the No. 1 may leave the club as soon as at the end of 2025, despite still having two years to go in his contract. But the absolute shambles the club is currently in couldn't have been more perfectly captured than by one moment on Saturday that flew under the radar. Former Knights enforcer Alex McKinnon decided to go to support his side against the Storm on the weekend. However, he wasn't given a special seat or even free entry, even though he became a quadriplegic from a tackle gone wrong while playing for the red and blue in 2014. Instead, he coughed up for a general admission ticket and sat on the hill as the Knights lost 32-14. But despite all he gave for the club and the suffering he endured, it wasn't paying his way or the lacklustre performance on Saturday that upset him, it was the insensitivity in the organisation of what unfolded on the field before kick-off. According to Code Sports, McKinnon was made aware by a distraught fan that out on the field were ambassadors of Stronger Together – a spinal support organisation that provides support for those affected by spinal cord injuries. Incredibly not only was McKinnon not asked or informed about this, but it was scheduled against the Storm – the club that the former Knight was playing against on the afternoon of the incident that would change his life forever. And according to veteran journalist David Riccio, it is moments like that which show just how out of touch the club and its CEO Phil Gardner are. 'It illustrates how out of touch Gardener is with what makes Newcastle great. It's history. It's passion. It's people,' Riccio wrote in an article for Code Sports. 'Of all the home games this season that the Knights could have chosen, they selected a home game against the Melbourne Storm to promote a spinal cord charity. 'The Knights have had eight previous home games and still have three more to go.' Members of the Newcastle staff reportedly contacted McKinnon to personally apologise for what they described as 'an oversight'. The Knights will return to McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday afternoon to face the rampaging Warriors.
Daily Mail
15-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Wheelchair-bound NRL star Alex McKinnon is hit with two shocking insults by the club he was playing for when he was paralysed
Former NRL star Alex McKinnon has been slugged with two insults by the Newcastle Knights after going to watch his former club take on the Melbourne Storm on Saturday afternoon. McKinnon - who was left paralysed by a horrific on-field accident against the Storm in 2014 - watched the Knights slump to their 11th loss of the season, going down 32-14. The one-time backrower sat on the hill at McDonald Jones Stadium, and astonishingly had to pay for his own general admission ticket, News Corp reported. Newcastle also chose that home game against the Storm to promote a spinal support organisation called Stronger Together. To add to what many fans would see as highly insensitive timing, the club did not ask McKinnon if he wanted to be involved in the initiative with Stronger Together. The incident comes after reports that powerbrokers at Newcastle are preparing to dump coach Adam O'Brien at the end of the footy season, and other reports that the team's best player, Kalyn Ponga, is looking to switch codes to rugby union before his contract expires in 2027. Last month, it was announced that McKinnon would be taking a big step forward in his new career with healthcare company, Alike Health. The 33-year-old joined the specialist healthcare firm as its Head of Growth and Partnerships, having previously worked with the organisation as a Lived Experience Consultant. The firm revealed that McKinnon's role is now changing within the company, with the former footy player now offering Psychosocial Recovery coaching. 'With a background in Psychological Science, professional sport, and a lived experience of resilience and change, Alex brings genuine understanding and practical support to those navigating psychosocial disability,' Alike wrote on Instagram. In his new role as a Psychosocial Recovery Coach, McKinnon provides support to those suffering from psychosocial disabilities. The role aims to help individuals regain their independence and get back to doing things they enjoy. It came after McKinnon announced earlier this year that he was set to commence a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree at the University of Newcastle. He had previously obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology. McKinnon, a father-of-three had faced an uncertain future 11 years ago after one of the most shocking incidents in Australian sporting history. McKinnon fractured his C4 and C5 vertebrae in a horror tackle during that game against Melbourne in 2014. He'd played 49 NRL games before tragedy struck - and as he later revealed, he knew as soon as he hit the ground that his life was about to change forever. 'I knew straight away,' he told ABC journalist Stan Grant in 2020. 'I remember hearing the noise, I remember trying to move but not being able to, I remember players surrounding me and looking at me - clear conversations, I could hear everything. 'I really just felt embarrassed ... I suppose it takes you back to being a man and what your identity is there - strong, unflappable, unwavering - I just felt that it was embarrassing that I was laying there, unable to move, and I just felt like a real failure.' Five days after the tackle, he woke up to a medical practitioner pricking him with a pin to determine where his paralysis began and classify the injury. On the sixth day, doctors at The Alfred Hospital gave Mr McKinnon, his parents and then-girlfriend Teigan Power the devastating news that it was very unlikely he would ever walk again. In his emotional biography, Unbroken, McKinnon wrote: 'I began to yell and sob as tears streamed down my face.' 'I'm f***ing over this,' he yelled to his parents. 'I don't want to be here, this is making me sick to my stomach, why can't I just die? Why can't you just kill me? Why are you going to put me through this? How can you let me live like this? Is it just for you? I'm happy to die. I want this over.' He would later split from wife Teigan Power in 2022, but has found love again with new partner Lily Malone. The pair are understood to have started dating while the 33-year-old was studying at university. McKinnon was working as head of recruitment with the Knights until January 2022, when he left the role in order to focus on his studies.
