EXCLUSIVE
Panthers utility Tyrone Peachey is a changed man after the birth of his beautiful little princess, Penelope, back in January this year.
The 25-year-old former Cronulla Shark was once the life of the party, often hitting the town for a night of fun and drinks after a Penrith victory.
However, these days, things are a lot different at the Peachey household.
Not only is the Indigenous All Star recently engaged to his partner and mother of his child, Kellie, but he’s also neck deep in daddy duties.
“I do the nappies and all that,” Peachey admitted to the Weekender.
“It’s been four and bit months since Penelope was born, she’s getting big now.”
Before Penelope’s birth earlier this year, Panthers insiders say the livewire backrower was your typical young NRL star – living life as if the world revolved around them.
However, the birth of his daughter has changed Peachey for the better. He now prefers to stay at home and watch his daughter play than decide who will buy the next round of drinks.
“The best thing is seeing her little smile, everything about her is perfect,” Peachey said.
“She’s so cute and she’s starting to get a little personality now.
“It has settled me down; I don’t want to leave her. She’s too cute and growing up too fast.”
As with all new mums and dads, being a parent certainly has its challenges.
Whether it’s dealing with a sickness, changing a nappy or calming down a tantrum – parenthood certainly isn’t for everyone.
Peachey said he’s received some much needed advice from his fellow teammates, like James Tamou, Sam McKendry and Dean Whare, who are also young fathers.
“Some of the boys told me that if the baby is crying and I’m a bit rattled by it, to make sure the missus is close,” he joked.
“There’s a few of the boys having kids now, so training has turned into a bit of a ‘Father Club’ which is good.”
Joining Peachey in ‘Father Club’ soon will be teammates Josh Mansour and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, who also announced recently that they too were expecting their first children with their respective partners.
Nathan Taylor is the Weekender’s Deputy Editor and Senior Sports Writer. He also compiles the weekly Chatter on the Box TV column. Nathan is an award-winning journalist, who has worked at the Weekender for a decade.
