'Hit over the head with a sledgehammer': Danielle Laidley reveals 'very rare' brain tumour diagnosis

Former North Melbourne player and coach Danielle Laidley has revealed that she been diagnosed with a brain tumour that will require surgery to remove.

Speaking on LiSTNR's The Imperfects podcast, Laidley said she had recently been diagnosed with a subependymoma — a rare, benign brain tumor on her spinal cord.

Because of their location, subependymomas can obstruct the flow of cerebrospinal fluid and put pressure on surrounding structures, causing headaches and other symptoms.

READ MORE: 'I know who': DCE's telling admission over 'smear campaign'

READ MORE: Kerr's 'sincere regret' as Matildas captaincy addressed

READ MORE: 'Simple solution' facing Bennett over Latrell dilemma

Laidley said her health issues started with headaches last year before doctors discovered the non-cancerous tumour following scans and MRIs.

"I started getting headaches back around about October last year, and so I went to the doctors and [had] scans and CTE scans and MRIs and all that sort of stuff, and they found a brain tumor at the bottom of the back of my skull, on my spinal cord," she said.

"So it's called a subependymoma, which is a very rare tumor. I can sit here today and use a quote from my surgeon: It's not going to kill me, but being on my spinal cord, it has to come out. It's sort of like walking around with a stone in your shoe.

"Some days it really hurts, and other days it's OK."

Watch the Stan Original Documentary Revealed – Danielle Laidley: Two Tribes only on Stan.

Waiting three weeks for confirmation of her diagnosis, Laidley and her partner, Donna, started contemplating what affairs she needed to get in order.

"It was as blunt as 'you have a brain tumour, here's a referral, off you go'. Donna and I went really quiet," she said.

"For Donna to be quiet, you've got to understand, [means] something's not normal. We drove back in the car and we didn't speak for quite a while.

"At that point in time, we didn't know what sort of brain tumour. When you say brain tumour, it's like getting hit over the head with a sledgehammer."

However, speaking with her surgeon finally "allayed all our fears".

"We walked out of there thinking, 'Well, it is a brain tumour but we're going to be OK," Laidley said.

"That was a big relief but it really knocked our socks off.

"You start to think, 'Well, what do I need to do to wind everything up' and that sort of stuff. That took its toll, so to hear [the diagnosis] was good.

"But then every now and again I'll think 'Gee, I've got a brain tumour', which is the downside of it. But the upside is, a great upside, it can be fixed and we can get on with our life."

Laidley sought to make a return to coaching football via the AFLW in 2023 but after missing out on top roles with the Eagles and Bulldogs, redirected her attention towards her other projects.

Now residing in Perth, the 58-year-old runs a supported independent living business for individuals with disabilities, writes football analysis for the West Australian and is an advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community.

Laidley was drafted by West Coast and made her VFL/AFL debut in 1987 before requesting a trade to North Melbourne ahead of the 1993 season.

She played a key role in the club's 1996 premiership, all while battling gender dysphoria.

"I think it's probably time not to keep [my diagnosis] private but to put it out there like I've probably done with the rest of my life, to let people know and understand you can have these things but with the right care and empathy and team around you everything's going to be OK," she said.