The family of former West Coast Eagles great Adam Hunter have responded to claims made by his partner Latisha Yacoub that she is owed money by his relatives.
Mr Hunter passed away in February at the age of 43, with a coroner’s inquiry stating that the 2006 premiership winner’s cause of death related to drug-induced heart failure.
Last week, his partner Ms Yacoub, spoke on the day Mr Hunter died, as well as the Eagles great’s battle with addiction.
Ms Yacoub, a qualified nurse and a mother-of-three, told The West Australian she suspected her partner had taken methamphetamine the day he passed away on February 4.
She heartbreakingly opened up on her final moments with Mr Hunter, revealing that she found him on the floor in their bedroom with foam coming out of his mouth.
Ms Yacoub, 41, who met the former Eagles player when they were teenagers, revealed she began performing CPR and called an ambulance before he later passed away.
Adam Hunter’s (pictured right) partner Latisha Yacoub (left) has opened up on her partner’s battles with addiction
Hunter, who won a premiership with the West Coast in 2006, passed away earlier this year
In the wide-ranging interview, Ms Yacoub opened up on Mr Hunter’s life after professional football, claiming that she had supported the former Eagles utility player during his battles with addiction.
The mother-of-three explained she had given him a weekly allowance from her own salary, and had taken out a $40,000 loan to pay his legal bills.
However, she also appeared to claim that her relationship with Mr Hunter’s family had worsened following his death.
‘He didn’t have a will but when he died, his family made it clear to me that I would be looked after because of all the money I had spent on him over the past few years, but now things have got very uncomfortable between us,’ she told The West Australian.
Mr Hunter’s family has now responded to Ms Yacoub’s claim, stating that they are still grieving and that they are focusing on supporting the Eagles great’s young son.
‘We are still grieving the loss of our son,’ Mr Hunter’s family told The West Australian.
‘We will be focusing our energy on supporting the people that loved him, our family, close friends and especially Adam’s son.
‘We hope Latisha gets the help she obviously needs. We will not be making any further comment.’
His partner, Ms Yacoub, has claimed that she had financially supported him as he battled drug addiction, and claims her relationship with his family has soured after she claimed that they said that they would ‘look after her’
Ms Yacoub also has some of Mr Hunter’s belongings stored in her house.
Some of those personal effects are understood to include some of his treasured sports memorabilia, fishing equipment and a Toyota Prado.
The West Australian has also claimed that Mr Hunter’s family is ‘furious’ that Ms Yacoub has allegedly not allowed them access to the items.
The outlet adds that the family are arguing that they should be given to his 14-year-old son.
Mr Hunter enjoyed a distinguished career in footy’s top flight.
He began his footy journey playing for South Bunbury before joining WAFL side Swan Districts in 1999.
His impressive performances would see him go on to be drafted as 29th pick in the 1999 National Draft by the Eagles, before making his debut the following year.
Mr Hunter would go on to make 151 appearances for the Western Australian club before retiring from pro footy in 2009 following a shoulder injury. Despite being forced to step away from the AFL prematurely, he’d still continue to play club-level footy, turning out for both South Bunbury and Swan Districts.
Ms Yacoub (pictured delivering an emotional speech at Mr Hunter’s funeral) first met Mr Hunter when the pair were teenagers
Mr Hunter would go on to make 151 appearances for the Western Australian club before retiring from pro footy in 2009 following a shoulder injury
Ms Yacoub also opened up further on her partner’s life after footy and his issues with addiction.
‘He was working as a truck driver, running freight between Bunbury and Perth, and he would chip in a couple of hundred dollars every week or usually every fortnight to help out with rent but that was it,’ she told The West Australian.
‘The rest of his money went on drugs. It had always been that way. He had been earning good money when he was playing AFL and had bought some houses but he lost those.’
Mr Hunter had multiple houses repossessed and had died bankrupt. Ms Yacoub had claimed that he had sold off some of his football memorabilia to pay of drug dealers.
‘His family had given him money a few times, but they refused to step in to stop him going bankrupt, which I completely understand, because he had let them down so many times before,’ she added.
Mr Hunter and Ms Yacoub had previously split up after she said she ‘suspected she wasn’t the only woman in his life’. However, the pair reconciled in 2022, with the Eagles great moving into her house.
Ms Yacoub explained that she never stopped loving the former footy player: ‘To me he was still amazing.’
‘He was just so attentive and nice,’ she said.
Mr Hunter’s family have explained that they are still grieving the loss of their beloved family member
‘He would do things like drop in and see me at lunchtime and call in sick for me by pretending to be my brother so we could spend the day together.’
During his funeral, Ms Yacoub had called the former footballer ‘my lover, my best friend, my soulmate and the absolute love of my life.’
‘We’ve had our fair share of ups and downs but no matter what we both knew that there’d never be anybody else,’ she said at the service.
‘Some people wait a lifetime to experience the love we share.’
The National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline provides confidential advice about alcohol and other drugs. Call here on 1800 250 015
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Beyond Blue aims to increase awareness of depression and anxiety. Call 1300 22 4636
MensLine Australia is a counselling service offering support to Australian men. Call 1300 78 99 78