Danielle Laidley steps out with childhood sweetheart Donna Leckie in Melbourne

Danielle Laidley stepped out with her childhood sweetheart Donna Leckie in Melbourne on Wednesday.

The former AFL great, 55, and Donna were seen walking to an awaiting car ahead of an interview for the launch of Dani’s new book, Don’t Look Away: A Memoir of Identity & Acceptance.

Dani made a style statement in black trousers, a matching coloured shirt and a white fur vest for the outing.

She completed her ensemble with black slides and walked close alongside Donna ahead of her sit-down.

The couple, who had been childhood partners both at primary and high school, reconnected in 2017, and rekindled their romance last year.

The sighting comes after Danielle recently spoke for the first time on the devastating moment of finding out Victoria Police officers had leaked photos that brought public attention to her transitioning to a woman.

The former AFL great, 55, and Donna were seen walking to an awaiting car ahead of Dani’s interview for the launch of her new book, Don’t Look Away: A Memoir of Identity & Acceptance

Dani made a style statement in black trousers, a matching coloured shirt and a white fur vest for the outing

Laidley was arrested in 2020 for stalking and breaching a family violence order, which resulted in an 18-month good behaviour bond without a conviction or fine.

The officers who took her into custody leaked a photo of her wearing a wig and make-up onto social media, and it soon went viral.

Laidley said she found the entire legal process ‘tough the whole way through’ and slammed the cops who leaked the photos.

‘The photos were an invasion of privacy,’ she told 60 Minutes.

The couple, who had been childhood partners both at primary and high school, reconnected in 2017, and rekindled their romance last year

Victoria Police’s internal discipline board ordered 11 officers, ranging in rank from constable to sergeant, to pay up to $3,000 to Laidley out of their own pockets.

Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton formally apologised to Laidley after the photos went viral, saying he was ‘appalled’ by the officer’s behaviour.

Laidley was born Dean James Laidey and played 151 AFL games for West Coast Eagles and North Melbourne before carving out a 149-game coaching career with the Kangaroos.

While it was only five years ago that Laidley got a formal diagnosis of gender dysphoria and only 2020 when the transition process began, it’s something Laidley has carried with her for a long time.

The sighting comes after Danielle recently spoke for the first time on the devastating moment of finding out Victoria Police officers had leaked photos that brought public attention to her transitioning to a woman

Laidley was arrested in 2020 for stalking and breaching a family violence order, which resulted in an 18-month good behaviour bond without a conviction or fine. The officers who took her into custody leaked a photo of her wearing a wig and make-up onto social media, and it soon went viral

‘My first recollection is about six years of age, way, way back,’ Laidley told Triple M in June.

‘Now I am 55, so what is that, 49 years, god.

‘It was really difficult to know that I felt so different on the inside to what was on the outside and then, given that I started playing league footy when I was in high school, to have this persona, and some called me the Junkyard Dog back in the day, it was so far removed from the person I really was and that was very difficult and it took its toll.

‘I felt like I was walking around with a boat anchor on my head for many, many years, but I was too scared, ashamed, embarrassed to go and find out about it, but I knew there was something different about how I was feeling.’

Victoria Police’s internal discipline board ordered 11 officers, ranging in rank from constable to sergeant, to pay up to $3,000 to Laidley out of their own pockets