Danielle May Laidley spent the first 53 years of her life known by another name.

Born in Perth’s Northern suburbs as Dean Laidley, Danielle grew up not fully understanding why she loved nail polish, dressing up and wearing zinc at the beach as if it were make-up.

Incredibly talented at football and cricket, Danielle received accolade after accolade being drafted into the inaugural West Coast Eagles team in 1987.

Danielle was traded to North Melbourne at the culmination of the 1992 season, and would go on to play a pivotal role in helping North Melbourne secure the1996 AFL championship. Transitioning into coaching, Danielle served as the senior coach of North Melbourne from 2003-2009.

In 2020, Danielle was outed as a transgender woman, when a photo of her was leaked by Victoria Police. Despite the incredible pain suffered due to this experience, Danielle has reclaimed the narrative of her identity through her memoir Don’t Look Away and documentary Revealed: Danielle Laidley: Two Tribes.

Danielle works as a passionate advocate for the transgender community, using her platform to raise awareness, foster acceptance and inspire others to live authentically. She has become an icon not only of Australian spot, but also within the LGBTQI+ community.

In the category of things-that-would-make-a-great-movie-plot, Danielle’s current partner Donna, is the same woman that she dated in high school.

Danielle has three children whom she loves very much.