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Former Fremantle Dockers player Ryan Crowley is facing six new domestic violence charges, with prosecutors alleging he attacked his ex-girlfriend ‘to the point of almost killing her’.
The 41-year-old appeared in Perth Magistrates Court on Tuesday over the historical charges, which are alleged to have taken place between 2019 and 2020.
Mr Crowley was charged with one count of unlawful assault and one count of threatening to kill. Those charges are alleged to have taken place in September 2019.
He is also facing one count of unlawful assault, one count of intention to harm, a count of deprivation of liberty and another count of deprivation of liberty in circumstances of aggravation. Those charges allegedly took place in March 2020.
Five of the alleged offences were committed against his former girlfriend, Ms Lauren Dunn, a reality television star who appeared on the popular show Married at First Sight. The final charge relates to the alleged abuse of a separate woman.
It is the second time in the space of two months that the former AFL player has appeared in court over domestic violence charges.
Former Fremantle Dockers player Ryan Crowley (pictured) is facing six new domestic violence charges, with prosecutors alleging he attacked his ex-girlfriend ‘to the point of almost killing her’
Mr Crowley (left) had appeared in court in May facing nine separate domestic violence charges involving his ex-girlfriend Lauren Dunn (right)
Mr Crowley, who had previously played for Essendon and Fremantle, appeared in court on Tuesday facing historical allegations of domestic abuse that are alleged to have taken place between 2019 and 2020
Mr Crowley was granted bail in May after appearing in Perth Magistrates Court for nine separate domestic violence allegations, which relate to an alleged incident that took place in 2025 and also allegedly involved Ms Dunn.
In relation to the historical charges, the court heard on Tuesday that Mr Crowley and Ms Dunn’s relationship had taken place between 2018 and 2023. It was described as ‘toxic’ and ‘highly volatile’. Ms Dunn has since left Western Australia to live in New South Wales but is understood to return to WA regularly for work.
The police prosecutor told the Perth court that one witness had allegedly seen Mr Crowley assault Ms Dunn in 2020 ‘to the point of almost killing her’. The witness had ‘expressed their concerns’ as a result.
The prosecutor said: ‘The accused has shown a propensity for violence.’
They added that Ms Dunn had received messages from Mr Crowley’s friends, telling the former Married at First Sight star that they had seen videos of her that had allegedly shown her in a ‘compromising’ situation.
The court also heard how Ms Dunn, who has over 245,000 followers on Instagram, had allegedly received messages from social media users, who had accused her of being a ‘liar’ and a ‘psycho’.
Crowley’s legal counsel confirmed that he will plead not guilty to all of the charges.
However, Magistrate Langdon told the court that should he be found guilty of all the charges he would be facing an immediate prison sentence.
The former AFL player was granted bail on the conditions that he provide a $40,000 surety, surrender his passport and do not go within 200m of Ms Dunn
Perth Magistrates Court heard that Mr Crowley and Ms Dunn, who has previously appeared on the TV show Married at First Sight, had been in a relationship between 2018 and 2023
‘If you were convicted, you would be looking at an immediate custodial term,’ Magistrate Langdon said.
The Magistrate also granted Mr Crowley bail, despite opposition from prosecutors. Bail was granted subject to several conditions. One of those includes a $40,000 surety.
His lawyers argued that there was ‘zero basis’ Mr Crowley wouldn’t comply with his bail conditions, arguing that his Type One Diabetes would ‘be difficult to maintain in custody’.
Defence lawyers for Mr Crowley explained: ‘He already suffered low blood sugar overnight … (the prison officers) only gave him an apple.’
The conditions require Mr Crowley to surrender his passport, report to Northbridge Police Station twice a week, not go within 200m of Ms Dunn and remain in Western Australia.
Mr Crowley retired from professional football back in 2016, having played for both Fremantle and Essendon.
He will return to court on November 11.
