A football coach told a player, Maddy Cusack, that she was "too muscular, too bottom-heavy" to perform the required sprints for his team's style of play, an inquest has heard. Jonathan Morgan, the coach, testified that Cusack's strength and conditioning training was subsequently altered, leading to improvements in her running by the end of the season.
Morgan stated that Cusack disclosed her relationship with a club staff member, Riglar, to the entire team at his request. Shortly after, Morgan recounted making a joke about the couple at the training pitch, to which Cusack and others responded with a joke about his weight. He also mentioned that Cusack had informed him she was still recovering from a foot injury when he first selected the team. In his fourth game in charge, he explained, she had not been selected due to the form of other players.
The inquest heard that Morgan began to observe a change in Cusack's demeanor in August 2023, noting she was "less bubbly, less energetic." He arranged a meeting with her on September 4 and subsequently contacted the club doctor, expressing concern that "something was bothering Maddy" and that she might require assistance.
Earlier in the proceedings, a former teammate of Cusack's, Nina Wilson, stated that her death was "definitely preventable." Wilson also commented that Morgan, who is representing himself at the inquest, had left several players feeling "ostracised and isolated." The inquest is ongoing.