Lyon, Brownless split: Peter Ford dismisses cynicism around mental health issues

Cynicism surrounding the legitimacy of Garry’s Lyon mental health issues is unfounded, entertainment reporter Peter Ford says.
The former AFL star cited mental health issues while announcing he was stepping down from his media commitments including The Footy Show, hours after newspaper reports of his fallout with one-time best mate Bill Brownless.
It was revealed Lyon had entered a relationship with Brownless’s ex-wife.
Ford, who admitted to initial cynicism about the timing of the mental health announcement, told Ross and John subsequent conversations left him in no doubt the former Footy Show faced a serious battle.
‘A lot of people think ‘Oh, that’s crap. It’s PR spin’,’ Ford said.
‘Don’t doubt for one second that this is a genuine situation that goes back not just months, but years.’
Click PLAY to hear Peter Ford’s full comments on 3AW Breakfast
On the reported relationship between Lyon and Brownless’s ex-wife, Ford said it was more than a ‘fling’.
‘They don’t perceive it to be a fling … they perceive to be much more serious than that,’ he said.
‘Whether it survives this storm remains to be seen.
‘As I understand it, they were both free agents at the time.
‘It does contravene the ‘mates code’ … but it happens. Sometimes in life people fall in love with the wrong people.’