As endings go by this one is pretty special.
Melbourne City’s Rhali Dobson announced this week that she is retiring from football to help support her partner, Matt, who has brain cancer.
In his last game she scored the opening goal in her side’s 2-1 win over Perth Glory on Thursday, but the story does not end there.
When the 28-year-old ran to celebrate with her family at full time, her partner knelt down on one knee.
The Special Moment
Dobson looked shocked and burst into tears before the two were mobbed by her Melbourne team-mates.
She had already asked Matt twice in the past few weeks only for him to laugh at the proposals.
During an earlier interview Dobson revealed that he had only told his colleagues about his plans to retire on Wednesday.
In an interview moments earlier Dobson had revealed she only told her team-mates about her plans to retire on Wednesday.
“They’ve been phenomenal,” she said.
Dobson’s Fiance Suffers From Brain Cancer
“I’d kept things pretty quiet because I wanted them to stay focused on making sure we had a strong finish to the end of the season. As we know, it’s been very up and down.
“They knew Matt had surgery and everything so they’ve been amazing in terms of messaging us both and making sure that we knew that they are here for us. They’ve been perfect.”
Dobson’s partner was diagnosed with cancer six years ago, after fainting while playing football.
She underwent a second operation earlier this month and will undergo intensive radiotherapy, before 12 months of chemotherapy.
“Five days after his brain surgery he kicked my backside back down here to Melbourne, told me that I had to finish out the season, that I’ve got unfinished business and it was still normal as always,” Dobson said earlier this week.
“Then we got the news two days after I got back down here to Melbourne that the part that they took out – which they got all of, which is fantastic – had transitioned to a grade three brain tumour.
“This is bigger than the sport. He is my absolute world.”
