Former Port Adelaide AFL player Daniel ‘Snowy’ Stewart has died suddenly aged 37, prompting tributes from his family, former team-mates and the Melbourne fitness community he helped build.
Stewart is believed to have suffered an unexpected medical episode on Friday. He played 36 games for Port Adelaide between 2010 and 2013 before opening Body Fit Training gyms in Melbourne with his close friend and former team-mate Matthew Thomas.
Thomas described Stewart as a “shooting star” in a tribute to his best friend.
“We were never just friends, we were always family, and life will never be the same without you,” he wrote. “You never know when something might be the last time. I wish we’d known. Love you forever, Snowy.”
Tributes paid to Daniel Stewart
Stewart’s wife, Laura, shared a family photograph with their two young sons, Bernie and Lando, the day after his death.
“Devastated to confirm the loss of our world. A heart too big for this world. We love you so much daddy,” she said.
Laura’s sister, Claire Madden, has launched a fundraiser to support the family. It had raised $39,000 towards a $65,000 target, including a $10,000 contribution from an anonymous donor.
“I have started this page so that we can all rally around Laura and the boys, Bernie and Lando, during this profoundly difficult time,” Ms Madden said.
She described Stewart as “the definition of a devoted husband, a deeply loving father, a cherished son, brother, uncle and a loyal, true friend to everyone fortunate enough to know him”.
“His warmth, kindness, and dedication to his family left an indelible mark on all of our hearts, and his absence leaves a void that words cannot begin to fill,” she added.
Thomas had posted a photograph of the pair after a workout seemingly only hours before Stewart died. The caption marked 17 years of friendship, describing them as former team-mates, business partners and fathers who remained each other’s “biggest motivators”.
Former Port Adelaide players including Chad Cornes, Warren Tredrea, Brad Ebert, Jackson Trengove and Alipate Carlile offered their condolences online. Chelsea Becirevic, the partner of former Port ruckman Ivan Soldo, also sent her support.
Stewart was also a close friend of former Port Adelaide player John McCarthy, who died after falling from the roof of a Las Vegas hotel during an end-of-season trip in 2012. The day after McCarthy’s death, Stewart shared a photograph of them together with team-mate Hamish Hartlett.
Port Adelaide remembers former player
Port Adelaide chief executive Matthew Richardson said Stewart’s death had “come as a shock to everyone at the club”.
“On behalf of everyone at Port Adelaide Football Club, I extend our deepest condolences to Daniel’s family, including his mum Donna, dad Byron, wife Laura, two sons Bernie and Lando and his brother Leigh,” he said.
Mr Richardson also offered support to Stewart’s friends, including Thomas, and to those at North Adelaide and Labrador who knew him.
“Daniel was part of the Port Adelaide football family, and he always will be,” he said. “A sudden passing like this is devastating and our thoughts are with everyone who loved him, and with the teammates, coaches and staff who shared the journey with him here at Alberton.”
The club said it would provide support to those affected and honour Stewart by wearing black armbands during its first home game at Adelaide Oval in 2027.
After his football career ended, Stewart went on to open several Body Fit Training gyms with Thomas. A statement to members said he was “an incredible husband, father, friend, business partner to Matty, and a beloved part of the BFT community”.
Stewart had previously spoken about anxiety following serious shoulder and hip injuries that affected his performance as an athlete. In a 2016 interview, he described the period after being delisted as one in which he felt he had “nothing”.
