A woman allegedly murdered by a man during a date was a female football pioneer credited with encouraging dozens of women to take up the sport.
In September, Dannielle Finlay-Jones, 31, recently celebrated 25 years of service at the Ramsgate RSL Football Club in Monterey, in south Sydney.
The passionate sportswoman received a trophy for her work as the club’s Female Football Director just months before her untimely death.
The Ramsgate RSL Football Club posted several photos of Ms Finlay-Jones receiving the award and making a speech on-stage to Instagram.
‘We are honoured to have you lead our female players, young and old, in shaping their development and their future in our sport,’ the post read.
Dannielle Finlay-Jones, 31, recently celebrated 25 years of service at the Ramsgate RSL Football Club in Monterey, in south Sydney, in September
Ms Finlay-Jones also featured in a video in May 2021 where she spoke about the club’s achievements during Female Football week.
‘Some 25 years ago, when I started out at Ramsgate RSL Football Club, as a female footballer, we didn’t have female-only teams so I was playing with the boys up until I was 12-years-old,’ she said.
‘Fast-forward to today and we have fielded female-only teams from under six all the way through to all-aged women. What an achievement.
‘We continue to make strides within the community and push forward to promote female footballers. Go the girls.’
Ms Finlay-Jones was found dead at a friend’s home in the outer Western suburb of Cranebrook on Sunday afternoon, having suffered severe head injuries.
Ms Finlay-Jones also featured in a video in May, 2021 where she spoke about the club’s achievements during Female Football week (pictured)
The passionate sportswoman was pictured receiving a trophy for her work as the club’s Female Football Director just months before her untimely death (pictured)
An arrest warrant has been issued for Ashley Gaddie (pictured) over the alleged murder of a woman found dead in a Cranebrook home on Sunday
Police tape surrounded a home on Borrowdale Way, Cranebrook, on Monday as homicide detectives investigate the death of Dannielle Finlay-Jones
Ashley Gaddie, 33, is wanted over her alleged murder as investigators probe whether he and Ms Finlay-Jones met up at a pub in nearby Marsden Park on Saturday evening before heading back to the home.
NSW Police published Gaddie’s picture on social media on Tuesday morning, revealing he was the subject of an outstanding arrest warrant over her death.
Detectives have so far been unable to find Gaddie.
Gaddie is described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 180cm tall, of muscular build, with blue eyes and a bald head and tattoos covering both of his arms. He is known to frequent Five Dock, Penrith and Mt Druitt.
Court documents show that Gaddie has a series of AVOs against his name dating back to 2019.
Police believe Ms Finlay-Jones spent Saturday night with Gaddie at The Marsden Brewhouse, in Marsden Park, in Sydeny’s north-west, where she introduced him to her friends.
Ms Finlay-Jones was a teacher and was actively involved in female football in Sydney’s south
Friends arrived at the home to collect two dogs that had been left behind
Police officers spoke to forensics teams as they arrived at the property on Monday
During the early hours of Sunday, she is believed to have returned to the property with the man.
Police believe she died between that time and the mid morning from a severe head injury.
She was later discovered by friends who went to check on when the pair were planning to wake up, about 2.30pm on Sunday.
According to social media, Ms Finlay-Jones also worked as a support officer at the NSW Department of Education.
On Monday, Acting Superintendent John Nelson urged members of the public to be cautious when meeting strangers for the first time.
‘For anyone who is meeting anybody, make sure that it is in a safe environment and you’re with friends in those initial meetings,’ he said.
Two women arrived at the scene, with one seen entering the home to grab belongings
According to social media, Ms Finlay-Jones (pictured) also worked as a support officer at the NSW Department of Education
Forensic officers investigate suspected homicide amid warnings to be cautious when meeting strangers for the first time
Superintendent Nelson said Ms Finlay-Jones was from another part of Sydney and they were probing how long she knew her alleged attacker.
A forensics team paid special attention to a ripped fly screen at the front of the home.
Supt Nelson said her family are devastated as ‘any family would be’.
Homicide Squad detectives and forensics teams were seen scouring the home for evidence on Monday and taking evidence away in brown paper bags.
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