Mandurah resident Steve Haywood was in tears as Fremantle Dockers player Harley Bennell walked into his room with a jersey signed by the team.
The Dockers midfielder drove all the way from Perth to visit Mr Haywood at his Mandurah home on Thursday night after his step-daughter posted on Facebook her step-dad’s desire to meet the team.
“Steve has always been a big fan,” Mr Haywood’s partner Karen White said.
“He loves them since they started.
“Down in Augusta he went to the local tavern with all the Dockers fans to watch the games.”
Mr Haywood was told he had brain cancer on November 2014, when he was rushed to hospital after having a seizure.
He was diagnosed with an advanced glioma, brain cancer at its worst stage.
“Before he was perfectly healthy,” Ms White said.
“He was building a house in Augusta.”
Ms White said his health deteriorated very quickly, and the family was forced to move from Augusta to Mandurah to have better access to health services.
Mr Haywood is now in palliative care.
His step-daughter Carmel posted on local Facebook groups on several occasions her step-dad’s desire to meet the Dockers.
While some residents offered their help to organise a meet and greet, it wasn’t until Kayleen Bennell saw the post, Harley Bennell’s mother, that she organised for her son to visit Mr Haywood.
After two months of planning, Harley Bennell finally knocked on Mr Haywood’s door on Thursday evening, with a Dockers jersey signed by all the team.
When he walked into the room Mr Haywood was in tears.
“He had no idea. He was wearing his Dockers beanie, but he wears that all the time. He said G’Day. But he knew straight away who he was,” Ms White said.
“He is not an emotional person but he had tears down his eyes”.
Ms White said Harley Bennell was really nice.
He spent 45 minutes chatting with Mr Haywood about this season’s games and his injuries.
“Steve is still over the moon today,” Ms White said.
“He’s still talking about it.”