Weltnachrichten – AU – « Always had his back »: Glenn Maxwell’s farewell present to the manager of the stars

When Glenn Maxwell and Alex Carey embarked on one of Australia’s largest one-day international partnerships in Old Trafford in September, their manager Tony Connelly happened to wake up in his room at the North Shore Private Hospital in Sydney and turn on the television.

The agent for some of the game’s biggest names had been there for the past two months as a colon cancer battle he’d been waging for nearly a year worsened.

Connelly opened her eyes in time to see the enigmatic batsman and Carey score hundreds on a remarkable 212-run stand – the first ever goalkeeper to appear internationally – which paved the way for Australia to come out of nowhere and England Third ODI to be mowed in the US.

Maxwell was named Player of the Game and Series, and after the game, he and Carey posed for a photo with another Connelly client, leg spinner Adam Zampa, and his good friend, Australian team putt advisor Trent Woodhill, and sent it to the manager at the hospital.

It was a terribly short life that a young family left behind: Mrs. Monique and their two children Cooper (6) and Will (4).

But in the midst of the devastation, there was only the slightest consolation that he could see two of his players shine on the big stage in his last days, including Maxwell, for whom he had consistently and apologetically advocated during the ups and downs of the batsman.

« He was extremely biased towards his players, » Maxwell told Australia’s first international of the summer against India at SCG on Friday.

“It was one of his greatest qualities, his unwavering support for his players. I just remember even when I was fighting for form or whatever, he just had your back no matter what. He would always make you feel better after talking to him, always make you feel 10 feet tall.

Trent Woodhill, Adam Zampa, Glenn Maxwell and Alex Carey pose for a photo they sent to Tony Connelly after winning the Australian series in England.

« I don’t think we as players really knew how hard he was fighting. He never really let in too much, which was pretty typical of Tony. He didn’t want to burden us with everything he was going through. ”

Connelly also represented Joe Burns and Nathan Coulter-Nile, as well as David Warner and Shane Watson throughout their careers, and jumped straight on a plane to England in 2013 to be by Joe Root after his infamous walkabout clashes with Warner.

However, the fate of the often underrated but extremely talented Maxwell was never far from him when he talked about cricket, not even with the player himself when he caught up with dinner in Sydney, Melbourne or the Indian Premier League.

« We’d just sit there and talk about how hard we did it or whatever it is. In my head [myself] if I knew it was bullshit I’d think, « that’s brilliant, he’s always got my back, » Maxwell said.

He was one of those people who never retired for his players. He had his nuts on the line for all of his players

« He was always the type who was a positive voice that needs to be heard at different times. Even during the last month we talked, he had this unwavering positive and excitement that we were fine. We sent him a photo of all of his players and Trent after we won the series in England. We know how much a smile gave him and how excited I and Alex were to perform well. We know how much that meant to him. It just felt like we were TC’s guys trying to make him proud.

“The hardest part was not being there for him in the end. With all the things he’s done for us, it was hard for us not to be there for him. ”

Connelly’s players were able to watch his funeral in Sydney via Zoom, with Maxwell and Zampa hailing from the United Arab Emirates where they played in the Indian Premier League.

Three weeks before his death, he married his longtime partner Monique at a small ceremony at Darling Point in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

They had planned to get married next January in Queenstown, New Zealand, but « between COVID and cancer, » said Monique, they brought it up.

Tony Connelly, wife Monique and their sons Will and Cooper on the couple’s wedding anniversary in September.

« He was uncomfortable, but he found some kind of strength to do it. Maybe because he knew how much it meant to me, « she said.

Connelly’s players have since gathered around her and the family, including Warner, who moved to a different manager three years ago.

« Dave is still contacting me to check in if I’m okay, » said Monique. « They had a friendship that went beyond their professional relationship. ”

Zampa, who will renew his rivalry with Indian maestro and IPL teammate Virat Kohli at SCG on Friday, was another close to Connelly who was shaken by his death.

« Since you know it’s going to happen for 12 months, you never really get your head off of getting that call and finding out things like that … it was really hard to take, » said the spinner.

« Tony was one of those guys in cricket circles, he was always seen as a tough nut to crack. He would never back down, but he would never back down because he would do anything for his players. That’s one thing I’ll definitely miss about Tony. He was one of those who never retired for his players. He had put his nuts on the line for all of his players.

« There have been many times since dating Tony where I’ve been told I wasn’t playing, had a bad day, or something wasn’t going my way. I like to admit that I shouldn’t be playing, he’s the shoulder I lean on. But he would say, « No, this is bull dung, you better deserve it. « . He was always very emotional. He loved all of his players. ”

India national cricket team, Australian men’s cricket team, One Day International, Virat Kohli, test cricket, Rohit Sharma