Ash Gardner has spoken publicly for the first time about the alleged affair with teammate Georgia Voll that contributed to the breakdown of her marriage to Monica Wright.Gardner said the situation became far more public than she expected and admitted she had been “naive” about the level of attention it would attract.The controversy came to light earlier this year when Wright revealed the affair on social media. The relationship is believed to have begun during the Women’s World Cup in India last year. Gardner has since apologised to Wright and said she has spent time reflecting on what happened.
Gardner reflects on public fallout
Speaking to Australian outlet CODE Sports, Gardner acknowledged that her public image had taken a hit, saying, “My reputation has been tarnished with the public, but I guess something that I always try to strive to do when representing any team that I play in is be the best teammate that I can, and hopefully show what this team means to me when I’m playing for them.”The Australian vice-captain also said being a high-profile athlete means personal matters can attract intense public interest.“Playing sport at a high level, you’re open to having a platform, and sometimes with this comes interest from the public, and they want to know things about your personal life, and they invest, and then can make judgment either way of what you are or aren’t doing.”
Gardner wants to move forward
Gardner admitted she was shocked when Wright publicly identified Voll, writing, “This is who my wife cheated on me with,” alongside a photo of the teammate.“I was certainly surprised, as you could imagine,” Gardner said.She added, “I certainly didn’t expect the situation to take the path that it did, or to become as public as what it did. But I also understand that everyone has their own way of dealing with difficult situations.”Gardner said she now wants to focus on learning from the experience, having difficult conversations where necessary and moving forward with the Australian team.She also said she understood Wright’s perspective and tried to remain positive during what she described as a very difficult period.