NRL star Nathan Cleary has publicly thanked his partner, Matildas forward Mary Fowler, for travelling across the world to support him through recovery from major surgery, confirming the personal reason behind her recent absence from the Australian national team.
Fowler, who plays for Manchester City in the Women's Super League, pulled out of Matildas duty for Australia's recent friendly against Germany, which the team lost 4-2 in Karlsruhe. Her withdrawal had initially been attributed only to "personal circumstances" by national team staff, but Cleary's social media post over the weekend made clear that she had flown to Sydney to care for him.
Cleary, who plays for Penrith in the NRL, suffered a broken left leg during his side's preliminary final defeat to Newcastle. He also underwent surgery on his right foot to repair a stress fracture, leaving him reliant on a wheelchair for mobility in the weeks since.
In an Instagram post on Sunday evening, Cleary shared a series of photos documenting the time the couple had spent together during his recovery. He expressed his gratitude in heartfelt terms, writing that words could hardly capture his appreciation for Fowler.
"I simply do not have enough space in this caption for the amount of nice adjectives I would use to describe Mary Fowler but this woman is the absolute best!" Cleary wrote. "I can't thank you enough for flying to the other side of the world to look after me and be by my side during this past week of recovery. I'm a very lucky man and so, so grateful."
Fowler responded publicly to the tribute, saying she felt "very lucky" herself and joking that "it's easy to look after someone when they're a big cutie patootie." Photos and videos shared on social media showed Fowler assisting Cleary with practical tasks during his recovery, including retying his medical boot and massaging his thigh. She was also seen with Cleary and his dog, Prince, while attending a fundraising event held by his Penrith teammate Liam Henry in support of Parkinson's disease research.
Before the Germany match, Matildas head coach Joe Montemurro had declined to detail the specifics of Fowler's absence, citing the need to protect player privacy. "It's really important that we create an environment that is important for the player, and as the circumstances are private I'm not going to elaborate," Montemurro said. He added that the decision had been made collaboratively. "But yes, absolutely, discussions were had with Mary, with the club, and with the relative people, and we believe that we've made the right decision and I think everyone's in support of the situation."
Without Fowler available, the Matildas struggled early against Germany, falling behind by two goals before mounting a partial comeback that brought the score to 3-2 in the closing stages, ultimately falling short in a 4-2 defeat. Midfielder Kyra Cooney-Cross was also absent from the squad, continuing her gradual return to the sport following the death of her mother in July.
Fowler's break from international commitments will continue, as she is set to miss the Matildas' upcoming friendly against Haiti in France this week. She is expected to return to club action with Manchester City, whose next Women's Super League fixture comes against Brighton in seven days.
Based on reporting from Guardian Football.