by EM RUSCIANO
It’s official.
WAG fever has set in and I’m not afraid to say it: I have a nasty rash!
I’m totally infected.
No wait, what I mean to say is: I like perving on WAGS when they’re done up for red carpet events.
Phew, we got there!
The Brownlow red carpet last night was a feast of flesh, sequins, feathers and that was just the spectacular Brynne Edelsten (I WILL NOT hear a bad word against her. I mean it. If any of you personally attack her I will be very disappointed. I love that woman – hard.)
Chris Judd and Rebecca (Tweeted from @AFLBrownlow)
I like frocks, I like sparkly things, I like checking out the girls whose hard bodies footballers have deemed worthy to announce to everyone: “She’s with me.”
This morning during our daily meeting for the radio show (Mamamia Today. 3pm-4pm on Southern Cross Austereo) my co-host Dave Thornton made a particularly outrageous statement.
“Man, those girls have got it so easy.“
Say what?
I pressed him further on this theory and got this in response:
“Because they have money and time on their hands.”
WOW to the SERS.
What followed was a verbal stouch akin to that time Ross (from Friends) told Rachel they were “on a break.”
What kind of logic is that? I quietly raged. My husband has worked in football clubs for the past ten years and I have seen firsthand what some of those women go through and I don’t know if I could cut it.
They are under far more pressure to look good, raise perfect children, support their husband, attend games, cook the right food, keep the children quiet, time pregnancies and fight off rabid female fans trying to rip the clothes from their husbands back, than I ever have been.
Do other people think as my co-host Dave Thornton does?
Do these women who happen to have a professional sportsman for a husband deserve no empathy from us commoners?
Em Rusciano is the host of Mamamia Today on Austereo (which you should be tuning into at 3pm every weekday because it’s ace) and regularly appears on Network Ten’s ’The Project’. You should follow her on Twitter here and take a look at her website here.
Do you think being a WAG would be easy?
Comments
42 Comments so far
Just wanted to add my (very late) 10c worth! I am also married to a professional footballer. We were together before he got drafted, I was never into footy and am completely not glamorous. I refuse to call myself a WAG. I didn’t change my name when we got married because I’m tired of being *his* wife. Even though it means nothing, I often feel its the only shred of independent self-identity I have left. We have many children, one of whom was born before he was drafted, the second who was born in his first year, and the rest later in his career. I have never experienced the ‘glamour’ of being married to a footy player. Yes, I have had free entrance into clubs, drink cards, the Brownlow (thank God he was never a favourite to win, and I am not a skinny blonde with fake tits, so there was no pressure on me to look a certain way), but those small concessions (along with the money, which as others have mentioned is a good wage but unless you are Chris Judd or one of the newer, younger breed of footballer- is not a six figure salary!) will never make up for the lonely life I have lived with my children for the last 10 years. You (collectively) will never understand what it is like to have your husband ‘owned’ by the footy club, by the ‘boys’, by the media, by the so-called ‘supporters’. Supporters who are very quick to turn on you after one bad game. He NEVER leaves work, he is never just ‘him’, he is ALWAYS ‘so-and-so the footballer’. EVERY social function we attend becomes about him, his teammates, his season, and thats when he CAN attend! He must always be a role model, when all he wants to do is play footy! Yes, its part of his job to fulfil these other obligations, and as I remind him constantly, he can always quit, but footy is his passion, its what he loves doing, its what he’s dreamed of since he could kick a ball- and its not because it pays well or he gets free entrance into clubs!
The women who are married to footballers are people! We have feelings, and we deserve the same respect as every other woman out there trying to support her man and/or raise a family! Just because our husband plays stupid footy (and yes I remind him daily he’s not exactly saving lives- someone has to keep his feet on the ground because the public don’t do it, thats for sure!) doesn’t mean we should be fair game for criticism.
I realise other women have it ‘harder’, but its not a competition, and I have the utmost admiration for these other women who raise their families under difficult circumstances too. But please stop with the WAG- bashing, you only see a very small snippet of ‘us’ on TV, at the Brownlow or whatever, yet we are all put in the same basket- basically as anorexic, money-hungry, naive dumb bimbos, and its simply not the case.
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Honestly this post is a bit silly, you can’t stereotype any ‘WAG’ situation, not all of the players are cheats, not all of them are rolling in the deep and vise versa to making a regular income, not all of them are always stressed out of their minds and not all of the wag’s themselves would mind being bored at an event a couple of nights a year. Every situation is different not to mention every AFL player! Stupid to even try and compare situations, thats like comparing people in any profession to each other – stupid!
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MM are you going to be running an article on Charlotte Dawson’s efforts on Browlow fashion police on Foxtel on Monday night? Or is that in the too hard basket? I came on tonight expecting to see an article on it………….
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I think your comment is a bit harsh Meg. Rebecca Judd is beautiful and a model for Myer, however she is also University educated and works I believe as a speech pathologist. The modelling thing I believe is just a side line her actual career is self earned and in a respected field. I am not a WAG nor would I want to be (not into football at all) but I think the judgement on a lot of these women is not informed or factual. I am sure the majority have careers in their own right and not just media based!
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Goodness! A WAG’s life is one that whilst it is said is not chosen by them ,they choose to be WAGs as we define them. They present themselves as the media ask and almost demand them to look like. The are representative of what ppl want to see, so they choose. It’s only as hard as they want it to be. I am sad, that there was no red carpet discussion or images of the beautiful indigenous woman who attended with their fantastic footballer partners. Women of a certain size, also excluded from the images and chats with the likes of Alex Perry. Plz, it’s not hard being a WAG, they love the attention, otherwise they would come looking like normal women, rich, healthy or otherwise.
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Its sad to see that we are still a culture based on trying to keep up with ‘the Jones’. Or that raising perfect kids judged by the way they act in the public arena. Where are real values these days? Society is becoming so fractured and uncaring, and we become lonely and think we will be liked or loved by looking like those who we see getting media attention. It makes me afraid for the future of our country. I am worried for the world I leave to my kids. Maybe wearing a pretty dress will make me feel better for a few minutes, but I’d rather live in a world where I could trust my neighbour and could walk down the street with no fear.
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On a side note – I don’t even follow AFL but hot damn, that Buddy Franklin does it for me every time.
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I have been friends with a few wags over the years, and there is a reason everyone thinks footballers cheat on their partners – because they do.
I can’t tell you how many high profile afl players i have seen cheat on their partners – one was even voted father of the year about 2 months before he started an affair with my then boss. revolting.
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So so true. My brother plays AFL and the stuff those guys get up to behind their partner’s backs are unbelievable. The guys that don’t cheat are the exception by a long shot, it’s really sad. It makes it so awkward as well when you hang out with their wives or gfs, cause you’ll be chatting to them about how great their relationship is while thinking “if only you knew he f***ed an 18 year old two nights ago”. Nasty, nasty stuff. I would never be a WAG!!
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Alex D is Scott Pebdlebury’s partner (he plays for Collingwood). Rebecca Judd is always looking underweight…
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Would so many WAGs (Rebecca Judd,Lauren Phillips and Pia Miller to name just 3) have TV jobs if they weren’t WAGS? Nup. Just because they are footballers’ partners they get these jobs…Hard life? No bloody way.
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Exactly! They’re pretty girls that stand out only because of who their partners are. That’s not to say that they’re not talented etc, but there are a lot of talented beautiful women in Australia. Being a WAG gives you opportunities you wouldn’t be presented with otherwise.
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That doesnt mean its easy, just means they got noticed. Yes its probably because their partner is famous but thats just the circumstance.
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I have no idea who Alex Davis is, but I love her dress. BTW is it just me, or does Rebecca Judd (?) look painfully thin in that photo?
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I’ve been working as WAGS the Dog with The Wiggles for quite a number of years now, here is my summary of the pros and cons. You can decide for yourself whether it is your cup of tea:
Pros:
I get invited to great events, arrive in a big red car, I sing and dance with The Wiggles.
Cons:
Sometimes when I go to concerts I am bored out of my brain trying to make conversation with children some of whom cannot even talk yet, while they climb all over me to get to The Wiggles. Sometimes I feel like I don’t exist or that I am second best to them. I often feel like I am living in the shadow of Greg, Murray, Jeff and Anthony. So I would say that you definitely need to be confident and have a really strong sense of who you are.
BTW, it gets really hot in this costume.
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I’ve been a WAG for six years and it’s not hard AT ALL. Whether or not it’s your cup of tea is another question. Here is my breakdown of the pros and cons, in case anyone has any vague interest!
Pros:
– You get in places for free, get invited to great events, get free clothes to wear to those events, get to arrive in free fancy cars, get free drinks, food and gifts from sponsers (esp at events). Your partner is cashed up, his friends are cashed up (so you probably get to go to fun parties and holidays with a lot of the costs covered). Your parter is fit with an awesome body.
Cons:
– When you go to those events you’re often sitting there bored out of your brain trying to make conversation with people you don’t know or like, while everyone clambers over your partner. You don’t really exist – or at least, you’re not important to them. You have to share your partner with everyone in terms of time and energy, because he’s a celebrity and people are excited to meet him. You have to be aware of your (and his) behaviour when you’re out in public because normal tiffs or being extra tipsy could get reported on. Women throw themselves at your partner, so you’d better hope you can trust him and that you’re not the jealous type. You’re always living in your partner’s shadow, so you need to have a strong life of your own and a good sense of self and self confidence.
So that’s my summary. It’s way easier than having to work a million hours per week for no money, while your partner does the same, while you try to scrape together some money for a babysitter so you can actually see each other once in a while. But there are also some things about it that a lot of people wouldn’t like. A lot of women would prefer less money but more time with their husband, who is able to put them first both in terms of time and energy.
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Well said, a very honest account. It wasn’t for me when I was one (back in the day lol), but I can definitely see why a lot of women are happy with the lifestyle
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I was always bemused when I was standing with my partner, talking in a small group and other women would cut in and edge me out of the conversation, flirting mercilessly with my partner. I would give him a knowing smile and slip away, he would excuse himself and follow.
The other thing I found odd was people wanting my autograph just because I was with him. I never gave it as I found it weird and uncomfortable. I was no one famous, at the time I was studying at uni. We didn’t last (no he didn’t cheat) and he has since retired, which brings me to a related point, very few of them make the ‘big bucks’ and, for most of them, that money runs out at 30.
Does being a WAG open doors? Sure, it’s an amazing networking opportunity but it only opens the door, you need to prove yourself to capitalise on the opportunity. There are plenty of WAGs who are happy doing their own thing.
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Aaahhhhh heart bleeds! Not … Try living on minimum wage, or a welfare payment because you have hit 50 and no one wants you, try living on the streets or try raising your kids single handed….the guy in your office was right! FYI THEY WERE ON A BREAK
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I wouldn’t be a WAG for any amount of money in the world. Being married to a professional sports person (male or female) is no picnic at all. Apart from the stuff Em lists above … there is the fact that your entire life revolves around your partner’s sport. Simple things like being able to go out to dinner with friends on the weekend is a rarity. Then there are the constant highs and lows of wins and losses, getting picked and getting dropped, playing well and playing badly, getting injured etc
Sure most of these guys get paid well, but they have a very limited amount of time to make money in their chosen career as well.
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I was under the impression that most of the WAGs work…
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Why so many WAGs wearing wedding dresses?
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My boyfriend plays in state league AFL so nothing fancy and no brownlows, but can I just say that those best and fairest nights are SO BORING!! The girls go along to support our partners season and catch up but if we didnt have fashion to talk about there would literally be no other reason to go haha!
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I believe its a privilaged life and there are many pros but there are twice as many bad points. My husband played league and broke his wrist and at only 21, his dreams of a footy courier were dashed, for the year it took to recover from that and for the next 5 years trying to console a broken heart with dashed dreams he is now contracted again, but its been a long hard road to get there, i know there are plenty of players that succeed but as many realise its not all roses on that side of the fence. Any person who has stepped into a sports players partners shoes, whether briefly or not, will understand that the grass isnt always greener.
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I could never be a WAG. I don’t respond well to judgement from people who don’t know me from a bar of soap.
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Seriously, can’t believe this is a hot topic do we think wag’s have it hard. Try doing it hard raising children on your own while your partner is in afghanistan, or at sea for months on end. For a quarter of the money that these people are paid to play sport. It’s a joke. These women would only have their partner away for a few days at a time. Nothing hard about that. I’m a proud spouse of a defence member, with a child with Autism, wish I had it as easy as these women.
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I know what you’re saying Vicki but its not about how hard one mother has it vs the rest. This article is just about the stereotype that WAGS have it easy, which they dont. Im sure its 10x harder being an army/defence wife but to be honest they are on a similar level. Sure the defence men are away a lot longer but i would think you’d be able to see the slight similarities. I also beg to differ on the money issue too. I know for a fact that a lot of defence force men get paid more than a professional sports player (not all but a lot!)
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Yes and dodging bullets is akin to dodging a football…………..please no comparison.
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Obviously that’s not what I ment. Just making a point in relation to the article topic. When there’s a post about army wives I will then listen to your way of life and how it differs to mine
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If they dont like it – boycott it!
But, seriously – are the WAGs going to boycott the Brownlow? And miss out on their opportunity to be in the newspaper once a year?
Not likely!
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Trust me its not easy! I have been with my partner for 7 years from the beginning of his AFL career. While my partner is in the AFL, hes not a well known “famous” player and no one knows who I am so I don’t feel any pressure about looking the part or any of that nonsense. I have however been there with him through every mental and physical rollercoaster of his career over the past 7ish years. The mental pressure they put on themselves to succeed and play well is enormous and affects their moods and life at home so much. We don’t have children but I can only imagine how hard it would be if we did. He’s away interstate every second weekend, and on home games is either in game prep or recovery. If they lose he is down right rotten when he comes home and if he’s injured that’s a whole other level! We can only plan holidays in the off season and that’s unpredictable depending on how the team is going. He is on a strict complicated diet which changes often and his sleeping patterns are out the window. We also have the looming contract agreements at the end of seasons which could mean moving to another state with a weeks notice.
In terms of big money, that’s only really if you’re a high profile player with lots of sponsors. My partner isn’t doing it tough but he’s certainly not earning what the big profile players do (and not nearly as much as most people expect).
I realise this is a bit of a ‘first world problem’ response and I know that the issues arent really that bad, but im just pointing out that its not all roses just because he’s a professional sporting player.
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I’m sorry but I really don’t see how he has it tougher than any other worker out there. You say he’s under mental pressure to succeed, how is that different from millions of other workers stressed to breaking point? You also say he’s away on weekends, what about military personnel away for months at a time or business workers in another country every week? And you can only plan holidays in the 5 months of off season, how inconvenient – try planning a holiday when you run your own business and can barely take a day off work.
I understand that the lives of players aren’t perfect, but I think a lot of us find it petty when players or wags complain they have it tough when some of them are paid ludicrous salaries.
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I’m sorry but I really think you read this woman’s piece in the right spirit. I don’t think she was complaining or whinging one bit. What she was doing was providing a bit of an insight into her world, and that of the players. Nobody is saying they have it any more or less easy than any other specific group you may care to pick out. Thanks Anon for this one, for a bit of info from ‘the inside’. I hope not everyone reading your story is as mean spirited as your first response. Cheers.
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Thanks Jimmy’s girl you totally get where I’m coming from. I’m not complaining by any lengths Anonymous and I never said he had it any tougher than others. Just pointing out that it isn’t all sugar coated. Also its definitely not 5months of holidays a year! I WISH!! It’s around 3 weeks after the last game then back into preseason which is usually more gruelling and time consuming that the actual season. Remember it’s also only a handful that are on “ludicrous salaries”. I earn about the same amount of money as my partner (I’m a Nutritionist) so pay my own way
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This post reminds me very much of an AFL player I’ve met on several occasions through work, the guy is just incredibly humble and I’ve never met his partner because she shuns the limelight completely (but I think she’s a nutritionist, so could be the same one!) The guy is not at all like the stereotypes suggest – he’s not remotely sleazy, he’s got really good manners and is just very sincere. I always wanted to meet his partner, because she sounds really nice and down to earth.
I can imagine one of the hardest things about loving a footy player is getting labelled a WAG when you go out of your way not to be.
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Em, Brynne Edelston is not a WAG. What is she even doing there?
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Her husband owned the Sydney Swans at one point. Beyond that I have no idea….
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Dr. Edelsten is a Key Carlton benefactor. In fact, there are two facilities at Carlton’s headquarters named after him, the Dr Geoffrey Edelsten Aquatic Centre and the club’s cafe. His wife, Brynne, brings glamour, flair, and attention to the Brownlow that is valued by the AFL.
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Ah no! Can’t stand the Aussie wags. Cashed up bogans if you ask me… And besides the Brownlows should be about the players, not what dress their wives/girlfriends are wearing.
Although I have to admit I have a soft-spot (read: girl crush) on Victoria Beckham!
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One of my friends is a soccer WAG and seriously – it’s not always the easiest life. You never know where you might be sent to next away from friends and family, you’re always worrying about a career ending injury and then yes – there’s the media attention to worry about too.
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Yes.
Step 1….find yourself a footballer.
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Funny! Thanks for the giggle
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