Former North Melbourne coach Dean Laidley (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Former North Melbourne coach Dean Laidley has privately admitted he must enter a mental health rehabilitation facility if he is to be granted bail at Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Monday, according to foxsports.com.au.
And a selection of North Melbourne heavyweights have come together to help pay for Laidley's professional treatment and support.
The AFL Players' Association, AFL Coaches' Association, the North Melbourne past players' group and the club itself is working together to help support the 53-year-old premiership player.
Each of these organisations are represented by a person with a link to the Kangaroos. AFLCA boss Mark Brayshaw played 32 senior games for Kangaroos from 1990 to 1992 and was a director of the club, AFLPA head of alumni Tim Harrington spent three years at North Melbourne in the mid-1980s, while Anthony Stevens is the president of the past players and officials association.
Laidley did not apply for bail when he was arrested on stalking and other charges in St Kilda on Saturday night. His willingness to accept medical help is believed to be crucial towards his bail application on May 11.
AFLCA boss Mark Brayshaw confirmed to foxfooty.com.au that Laidley had a group of people working closely to support him. It is believed they group are aware of the alleged charges against Laidley are unacceptable and that any form of support will have conditions attached.
"What we have made clear to the lawyers is that there is a groundswell of support from those pockets," Brayshaw said.
"There is also an acceptance that we are really ignorant of the fine detail as to the nature of the charges, legal process and where to form here.
"The message we have passed on to lawyers is two-fold: please let him know he is not alone and that we are with him. So is the footy community. And secondly, we are also very keen to work out how that support can manifest itself.
"The difference between this happening to Dean and somebody outside the footy industry is a genuine 30 years involvement in the game, giving rise to a preparedness to help that I'm unaware of in any other industry."
It believed West Coast players from the late 1980s and early 1990s have reached out to offer support to Laidley, who spent five seasons playing for West Coast.
Brayshaw also acknowledged the alleged victim.
"In among our discussions about how we can help Dean, we've also acknowledged the woman involved and we have accepted that she is entitled to support as well and have asked ourselves the question 'how we can provide it.' At this stage, we haven't really got an answer," he said.
"We have not swept under the carpet the nature of the circumstances that Dean finds himself in."