The wedding of two star football players ends with tragic crash

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He is one of the Singleton Roosters’ star AFL players. She is a stalwart of the Hunter Valley women’s team, who is from Melbourne but joined the Roosterettes when she moved to the area a few years ago.

Maddy Edsell and Mitchell Gaffney, who turns 30 this year, married on Sunday at Wandin Estate in the Hunter Valley in a picturesque afternoon wedding on the property’s timber pontoon, as the fading sun reflected off the dam.

Mitchell Gaffney and Maddy Edsell cutting their wedding cake.Credit: instagram.com/alextigani

After the ceremony, the couple, both in white, waved at guests as they drove to the reception in a vintage, 1950s convertible Volkswagen Beetle, which had been restored by the bride’s father.

“It was so cool to see her rock up in this [VW] bug,” wrote wedding celebrant Ashley Ogle on social media, before the crash.

Wandin Estate general manager Leona Emeny told Australian Community Media those at the wedding were “the most beautiful people”.

But the joy turned into horror when a bus carrying guests back from the venue to Singleton crashed onto its side at about 11.30pm, killing 10 people and sending 25 to hospital.

The couple’s emcee, who posted a photograph of the bride and groom cutting the cake, was among the group who boarded the bus on the way back to Singleton late in the evening.

A police source, not authorised to speak publicly, said the bus driver was not drunk but drove erratically along Wine Country Drive toward the Hunter Expressway when the bus flipped onto its side.

Many guests at the wedding, including the groom, were fellow members of the Singleton Roosters AFL team. The team, on Monday, were told a number of their members were believed to be among the injured.

Police said first responders were greeted with a “confronting and very traumatic scene” and there is a possibility the death toll will increase.

Family and friends of bus passengers have been advised to call Cessnock police station, while anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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