Former NRL star Alex McKinnon has lashed out at the treatment he received from the Newcastle Knights when he was left out of a club initiative to help a group that aids people with severe spinal injuries.
McKinnon – who was left paralysed by a horrific on-field accident against the Storm in 2014 – watched the Knights slump to their 11th loss of the season when they played Melbourne last Saturday, with the match sure to bring back memories of the night his life changed forever.
The one-time backrower sat on the hill at McDonald Jones Stadium, and paid for his own general admission ticket.
Newcastle also chose that home game against the Storm to promote a spinal support organisation called Stronger Together.
To add to what many fans would see as highly insensitive timing, the club did not ask McKinnon if he wanted to be involved in the initiative with Stronger Together.
On Tuesday, McKinnon took to social media to address the ‘oversight’.
Alex McKinnon (pictured with partner Lily Malone and daughter Harriet) has revealed he wasn’t personally upset by his former club’s actions over the weekend
The one-time backrower (pictured) said that the club not reaching out to him regarding the Stronger Together Foundation was an oversight
‘I wasn’t personally upset by the weekend’s events,’ he posted on X.
‘If anything I found the irony of it being against the Storm a bit funny. It felt like a missed opportunity to connect with the Storm and back a great cause, raising funds and awareness for those living with spinal cord injuries.
‘David and Kath from the Stronger Together Foundation are incredible people. I caught up with them on Thursday and knew their charity was the match day partner.
‘They kindly asked me to be involved, but I had other commitments. I fully supported them from afar.’
‘What disappointed my family (and many who reached out) was the club’s lack of communication and awareness. In my view, not reaching out beforehand was an insensitive oversight.’
McKinnon said buying tickets wasn’t an issue as he loves sitting on the hill with the fans at McDonald Jones Stadium.
‘As for the tickets, I regularly buy them for my family to sit on the hill, I have for years,’ he wrote.
‘I love the game-day experience and sharing it with my kids. I’m a fan.’
McKinnon said buying tickets for himself and his family at the stadium wasn’t an issue as he loves sitting on the hill with the fans
Last month, it was announced that McKinnon would be taking a big step forward in his new career with healthcare company, Alike Health.
The 33-year-old joined the specialist healthcare firm as its Head of Growth and Partnerships, having previously worked with the organisation as a Lived Experience Consultant.
The firm revealed that McKinnon’s role is now changing within the company, with the former footy player now offering Psychosocial Recovery coaching.
‘With a background in Psychological Science, professional sport, and a lived experience of resilience and change, Alex brings genuine understanding and practical support to those navigating psychosocial disability,’ Alike wrote on Instagram.
In his new role as a Psychosocial Recovery Coach, McKinnon provides support to those suffering from psychosocial disabilities.
The role aims to help individuals regain their independence and get back to doing things they enjoy.
It came after McKinnon announced earlier this year that he was set to commence a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree at the University of Newcastle.
He had previously obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology.
McKinnon, a father-of-three had faced an uncertain future 11 years ago after one of the most shocking incidents in Australian sporting history.
McKinnon fractured his C4 and C5 vertebrae in a horror tackle during that game against Melbourne in 2014.
He’d played 49 NRL games before tragedy struck – and as he later revealed, he knew as soon as he hit the ground that his life was about to change forever.
‘I knew straight away,’ he told ABC journalist Stan Grant in 2020.
The former footy star graduated last year with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of Newcastle
‘I remember hearing the noise, I remember trying to move but not being able to, I remember players surrounding me and looking at me – clear conversations, I could hear everything.
‘I really just felt embarrassed … I suppose it takes you back to being a man and what your identity is there – strong, unflappable, unwavering – I just felt that it was embarrassing that I was laying there, unable to move, and I just felt like a real failure.’
He would later split from wife Teigan Power in 2022, but has found love again with new partner Lily Malone.
The pair are understood to have started dating while the 33-year-old was studying at university.
McKinnon was working as head of recruitment with the Knights until January 2022, when he left the role in order to focus on his studies.
