The intense public scrutiny and unique pressures faced by the partners of professional athletes, often referred to as the 'WAG tax,' are coming into sharp focus amid recent scandals. Columnist Jana Hocking offers a personal perspective, detailing how these women are subjected to judgment and sacrifice, regardless of their own choices.
Hocking recounts seeing Steffie Waters, fiancée of Sydney Swans player Isaac Heeney, in tears in Noosa and recognized the look of relationship turmoil amplified by public attention. This phenomenon, she explains, is part of the "WAG tax"—an unspoken expectation that the glamorous lifestyle afforded by dating a successful athlete comes with a price, including public judgment and the acceptance that the athlete's career will almost always take precedence.
Hocking draws from her own past experiences dating AFL legend Dermott Brereton and rugby league star Sam Burgess. She describes instances where she felt invisible or was subjected to unwelcome attention from fans and other women, highlighting the constant awareness of being scrutinized as the partner of a public figure. The pressure to remain composed when rivals vie for her partner's attention, or to handle the fallout from a partner's misbehavior, adds to the burden.
Heeney was among five Sydney Swans players stood down for the remainder of the season due to a breach of club standards involving drinking and entertaining women in a hotel room. A separate police investigation into an alleged sexual assault is ongoing, with no charges laid. Hocking emphasizes that while the public scrutinizes these events, the decision of how to proceed rests with the partners involved.
Waters faces a difficult choice: if she stays with Heeney, she may be labeled a "doormat"; if she leaves during the investigation, she risks being accused of abandoning him. Hocking argues that while the athlete is expected to explain his actions, his partner is often compelled to justify her personal decision regarding the relationship.
"People will say Steffie knew what she was signing up for when she fell in love with a footballer," Hocking writes. "But she agreed to marry Isaac Heeney - not the Sydney Swans, and not the thousands of strangers now insisting she make one of the most painful decisions of her life for their entertainment." Hocking concludes by urging empathy for Waters, suggesting she deserves the same consideration as a close friend navigating a difficult time.