The new girlfriend of embattled former footballer Darren Jolly has been praised with helping him through his recent personal battle.
Lucy Porter appeared in an Instagram photo with Jolly, 39, on the weekend during a camping trip along Victoria’s south-west coastline.
The former Sydney Swans and Collingwood player was all smiles as he and Ms Porter took a selfie during their holiday, which coincided with the ex-AFL star’s birthday.
Jolly sent shock waves through the AFL community last month after a concerning Instagram post in which he claimed he could not ‘go on much longer’.
As footballers and Jolly’s family swarmed to support him, also among those helping was Ms Porter – who Jolly’s own mother praised for her ‘concerted efforts’ to help.
Darren Jolly and new girlfriend Lucy Porter (pictured) took a trip away to celebrate the former AFL star’s birthday
Jolly experienced personal battles last month following his separation from wife Deanne, with his own mother praising Ms Porter for her ‘concerted efforts’ to help him
The former Sydney Swans and Collingwood player appeared in a good mood as he and Ms Porter took a holiday in Victoria’s south-west, which coincided with the ex-AFL star’s birthday
‘First of all we wish to thank the concerted efforts of Lucy,’ Jacinta Jolly wrote in an emotional Facebook post.
‘As his parents, this has been the most terrifying 24 hours we’ve ever had to endure.
‘He is safe and receiving the best care he needs right now.’
Jolly’s personal battles came off the back of his separation from wife Deanne, who he has two children with and appeared on TV series The Block alongside.
The couple announced their split last September after 15 years of marriage.
In a concerning Instagram post from October 26, the former champion ruckman said he had not seen his daughters Scarlett and Lily throughout Melbourne’s coronavirus lockdown.
‘I’m done, the unbearable pain of not seeing my beautiful girls… is too much to cope with,’ he wrote.
‘Looking back through these photos broke what little I have left of my heart as it showed how much my girls loved me.
‘To my parents, my family, my friends, Lucy, I love you. To my girls, I’m sorry. My love will always be in your heart. Love Dad xx.’
The ex-AFL star and Deanne separated last September, bringing to an end 15 years of marriage
In a concerning Instagram post from October 26, the former champion ruckman said he had not seen his daughters Scarlett and Lily throughout Melbourne’s coronavirus lockdown and ‘could not go on’
Jolly played a total of 237 games for Melbourne, Sydney and Collingwood, including winning a premiership in 2010
A fortnight on and Jolly credited Ms Porter for helping his improving mental position.
‘Camping on the sand with not a soul in sight,’ he wrote on Instagram.
‘I’ve wanted to do this for such a long time and I couldn’t have picked a better weekend and better company to do it with.
‘There was something spectacular about our surroundings as the rugged coastline and the aggressiveness of the surf made where we were and who I was sharing it with memorable.’
Jolly and his former wife remain embattled in a fierce legal stoush.
Both the ex-AFL star and Deanne are currently facing criminal charges, the details of which cannot be revealed for legal reasons.
Darren has made no secret of his battle with mental illness since the couple’s split.
In February, he spoke candidly about his business troubles and the breakdown of his marriage at AFL club Collingwood’s annual general meeting.
Jolly and Deanne appeared together on TV series The Block, winning a whopping $935,000
Darren has made no secret of his battle with mental illness since the couple’s split (Pictured is Jolly with his two daughters)
‘Spending three weeks in a mental facility to deal with depression. Leaving my 15-year marriage because I fell out of love and wanted a happier life,’ he said at the time.
Darren told his former team mates his mental health became so bad around that time that he ‘almost did something stupid and ended [his] life’.
‘Everything was too much to handle and I lost control. I lost my drive to keep going, I lost my purpose in life, I lost my direction and I lost my path. I thought it was easier just to go,’ he confessed.
At the depths of his struggle, he admitted himself to hospital and described it as the ‘best thing [he] could have done’.