Two decades ago, it seemed like not a day went by without us seeing Brendan Fevola on the news. His boisterous antics both on and off the football field earned him the moniker of the AFL’s “bad boy”.
But now, the former Carlton and Brisbane Lions player-turned-much-loved Fox FM radio personality prefers rollicking around his Melbourne family house with his five main ladies – daughters Mia, 22, Leni, 16, Lulu, 12, and three-year-old Tobi, and fiancee Alex – and they’re all the team he needs.
“I get home, I see all my kids, cook them dinner and I sit at the table and I just look around… I’m a father of four amazing daughters and a fiance to an incredible woman Alex,” he tells Woman’s Day. “I feel really happy and fulfilled.”
Brendan with his daughters!
(Image: David Hahn)FAMILY TIME
The 41-year-old now dedicates his days, which had previously been reserved for football training, to his daughters, either binge-watching Law & Order with Lulu, reading books with his “resident nerd” Leni or playing cubbyhouse with Tobi.
It’s a big turnaround from his previous frenzied life of headlines and “getting kicked out of two football clubs for being a d***head”. Even he can’t believe it.
“I’m such an old man now. I’m in bed by 7-7.30pm with Tobi eating a packet of [Tasty] Toobs and watching shows with her until she falls asleep. I’m like, when did this happen?” Brendan chuckles.
Such a beautiful family.
(Image: David Hahn)His only taste of reliving the good old days of nightclubs and parties are lived indirectly through his eldest, Mia. But he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I just love spending all my time with them. I don’t want to be apart from them, because they’re just so fun,” he says.
“I always say to Alex, ‘What are we going to do when all the kids leave?’ Thank God for Tobi as I know I’ll have her around for a little while longer.”
PROUD FATHER
With the Fevola name almost synonymous with AFL, you’d be forgiven for thinking the Coleman Medal winner’s offspring might follow in his footsteps. But despite a few attempts, it wasn’t meant to be.
“Leni played footy just because of me, which is really cute. She even wore 25, which is my [Carlton] footy number. But she was horrible at it,” Brendan laughs.
“But I think Tobes might be the ball-sport girl. I took her to the footy for the first time the other week and she loved it. She was like, ‘I’m going to play footy daddy, and I’m going to play on this ground.'”
Brendan getting cosy with his youngest, Tobi.
(Image: David Hahn)While he’d be delighted for any of his kids to pursue sport, he’s quick to add he won’t push them into anything and will be supportive of whatever avenues they pursue. “Mia is already carving out her own enterprise – all on her own,” he says.
“She’s got her clothing line and social media following but the great thing about her is that she’s gone back to uni to study psychology, and she’s really flourishing in it. I’m so proud of her.”
The way Fev talks so lovingly about his daughters is certainly echoed by them, with Leni likening him to a “big lovable teddy bear”, Lulu calling him her “king” and three-year-old Tobi thanking him for “always playing games and taking me to the park”.
“I love my dad because he is always happy and always making dad jokes,” says Mia. “But most of all, I love him because he chose me, he chose to be my dad.”
Fev can be heard on Melbourne’s 101.9 The Fox with Fifi, Fev & Nick weekdays 6-9am & via the LiSTNR app
