Former Fremantle and Essendon player Ryan Crowley faced court on Thursday over domestic violence-related charges, with ex-partner Lauren Dunn accusing the 41-year-old of seriously distressing physical harm.
Crowley is alleged to have smothered Dunn's face with a pillow before she lost consciousness, with Dunn also accusing Crowley of allegedly strangling her and slamming her head onto the ground, per a West Australian report.
The alleged incident is said to have occurred at Dunn's Claremont apartment after Crowley was made aware of an email between his former girlfriend and another man, sparking a verbal argument.
It was made known to the Perth Magistrates Court that Dunn had called triple-0 but decided against continuing the call for help.
After the call, Crowley is alleged to have taken Dunn's phone and then pinned her down with his knees and strangled her. Crowley was also alleged to have covered Dunn's mouth and nose, and used his arm to push against her throat.
The court heard that Crowley allegedly stayed at Dunn's apartment overnight to prevent her from leaving. She eventually managed to escape via the bathroom before running to a nearby cafe.
Crowley was later arrested by police and is facing a string of charges, including aggravated assault causing bodily harm.
He is said to have denied all charges and is set to face court again in July.
The one-time Fremantle best and fairest played 196 AFL games from 2003-2016, with the final year of his career spent with Essendon. He called time on his career at the end of 2016.
