- The AFL star’s family has been through a painful three years
- I recently found time to celebrate an important milestone
- Finlayson is willing to push for a Port Adelaide flag
Life has been a constant battle in the Finlayson household for years, but the family found plenty to smile about over the weekend as they reached a major milestone.
Port Adelaide star Jeremy Finlayson and his wife Kellie have shared beautiful images and videos from their birthday celebrations with their daughter Sophia, who turned three.
While their daughter has given them three years of joy, it has also been three years of uncertainty, fear and pain for the Finlayson family after Kellie was diagnosed with stage four bowel and lung cancer shortly after Sophia was born.
That diagnosis is usually terminal.
The family fought bravely in the public eye and the joy was evident to all present, who could forget about treatment, hospitals and specialists for a day to enjoy seeing the smile on their little girl’s face.
Sophia’s smiles masked the pain the Finlayson family continues to face, with Kellie making a heartbreaking revelation on social media last week when she announced she had restarted chemotherapy.
It’s been a rollercoaster ride for the Finlayson family, who had to make a public statement in 2023 after media reports incorrectly stated Kellie was “cancer-free.”
“Unfortunately, some media outlets decided to share another story in the wake of this interview, taking the best bits of information and making it seem like I was miraculously cured and cancer-free. This is not the case at all,” Kellie said in a statement at the time.
Jeremy Finlayson and his wife Kellie celebrated their daughter Sophia’s third birthday over the weekend.
Friends and family filled the Finlayson home as they gathered to celebrate Sophia’s special day.
Kellie began a new six-month round of chemotherapy in January this year, but then made the shock announcement that she was turning to natural treatments in May.
Last week, she announced that she would likely have to restart chemotherapy and radiation to fight for her life once again.
“Unfortunately, cancer, especially recurrent cancer, grows very quickly, so once we see even a millimetre of growth on a scan over a couple of months, we know that means it’s growing and that means we need to act on it,” she said in a TikTok video.
‘I think I’m one of the lucky ones because we know that chemo works very well for me, but any chemo is crap and it’s not what I want to do.’
Finlayson has previously spoken about the toll the battle has taken on his family and his football career.
“I’ve tried to keep a good face despite everything,” he said.
“I just see how strong Kellie is and I try to be her support and put a smile on her face on the football field for her and Soph.”
It has been a painful and eventful three years for the Finlayson family, who continue to fight to save Kellie’s life.
The AFL finals are approaching and Finlayson will play a key role for Port Adelaide, with the team primed for a top-two finish and a real chance of winning a flag.
This comes as Finlayson prepares for a championship clash with Port Adelaide, with the Power looking to consolidate their place in the top two this weekend against a desperate Fremantle.
The Dockers fell out of the top eight after a heavy defeat to the GWS Giants and will need to beat Port Adelaide to have any chance of making the finals.
Making the task potentially more difficult for the powerhouses is the fact they could be without star Dan Houston, who was referred straight to the AFL tribunal for a heavy hit on Adelaide Crow star Izak Rankine.
Houston faces the prospect of being on the sidelines for three or more games.
Not only does this put his participation in Port’s final campaign in serious doubt, it means he may never play for the Powers again.
The 27-year-old, who is under contract until the end of 2027, is reportedly considering a move back home to Victoria.