![\"Adrian](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4ab4a6c753559951c26e831e823d71d29090f818.png\")
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Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n She describes herself as \u201cthe proudest nanny going around\u201d.<\/p>\n And it\u2019s not just because Maree Stuart is the grandmother of the footballer many consider the best on the planet.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m so proud of what Nathan has been able to accomplish in his football career, but I\u2019m most proud of the beautiful young man he has become,\u201d Stuart said of grandson Nathan Cleary.<\/p>\n Cleary\u2019s footballing pedigree is well documented. There\u2019s father Ivan, a former footballer and four-time premiership-winning Panthers coach. Grandfather John Stuart also made his mark in first grade, as did uncles Josh Stuart and Jason Death. Even Nathan\u2019s brother Jett is on the cusp of an NRL debut.<\/p>\n While all have contributed to the person Cleary has become, special mention is made of his grandmother.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, absolutely, yeah, for sure,\u201d Nathan said. \u201cI\u2019ve got nothing but love for her, and she\u2019s probably had a bit of a rough run this year \u2013 she\u2019s been in and out of hospital and all that.<\/p>\n \u201cStill, she epitomises resilience. And she\u2019s got this stubbornness about her as well that she just doesn\u2019t want to let anything keep her down. I think a lot of [my resilience] actually comes from Dad, but also comes from Mum\u2019s side as well through my Nan.\u201d<\/p>\n To understand why, you have to consider Maree\u2019s extraordinary journey to Australia.<\/p>\n \u201cI was born in a refugee camp in Germany in 1946,\u201d Maree explained.<\/p>\n \u201cI was three years old when we came to Australia. We landed in Melbourne and then moved to Kings Cross. We then moved to Bass Hill where I went to school and lived most of my childhood.<\/p>\n \u201cMy parents socialised with the Ukrainian community as they could not speak English very well. I learnt how to speak English at school. When I was growing up I tried really hard to fit into the Australian way, so I didn\u2019t ask my parents much about my Ukrainian heritage, which I regret \u2013 but my parents never wanted to speak about it.\u201d<\/p>\n Maree has also opted not to talk about her past for much of her life. But with her grandchildren keen to learn more about their heritage, it\u2019s a subject she has broached in more detail recently.<\/p>\n Jett described representing Ukraine in two season-ending European Championship Test wins<\/a>, against Italy and Greece, as a career highlight. And when the Panthers held a cultural day, Maree baked a classic Ukrainian dish for Nathan to bring.<\/p>\n \u201cI have no secret recipe, but my mum used to make deruny pancakes for the family when we would visit her,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s a classic Ukrainian comfort food.\u201d<\/p>\n Cleary can\u2019t speak Ukrainian \u2013 \u201cthat\u2019s something that we need to explore more\u201d \u2013 but was intrigued to hear that this year\u2019s opening State of Origin game was beamed live into the country. It even came with Ukrainian commentary, albeit in a delivery style more understated than that of legendary caller Ray Warren.<\/p>\n \u201cReally? Oh wow,\u201d Cleary said. \u201cThat\u2019d be good to hear! I\u2019d like to hear that, that\u2019d be cool.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s all part of Cleary taking more of an interest in where he came from, coupled with a desire to grow the game of rugby league in Ukraine.<\/p>\n Related Article \u201cYeah, absolutely. And I think their appreciation will probably only grow the more that we can expose it and show that we\u2019re proud to have that Ukrainian heritage as well,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s cool that a few members of the family have represented Ukraine now, and I think they\u2019ve got a good appreciation for it. But we can do our job to spread the word, too.\u201d<\/p>\n Cleary isn\u2019t the only NSW star with Ukrainian heritage. The grandmother of Blues back-rower Hudson Young was one of more than 100,000 migrants that arrived in Australia to live at the Greta migrant camp in the Hunter Valley.<\/p>\n \u201cThe resilience side of things in rugby league is what you need to play at the highest level, and Nan and Pop showed me the way from a young age,\u201d Young said.<\/p>\n Told that Cleary spoke in similarly reverential tones about her, Nana Stuart said: \u201cI\u2019m glad I have been able to have such a positive impact on Nat\u2019s life. It is flattering, but I can\u2019t take credit for the work that he puts into his game.\u201d<\/p>\n News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n![\"Nathan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/90404eacdd59b07d83129639e415d37cf8b1d8ad.jpeg\")
Nathan Cleary with grandmother\u00a0Maree Stuart.<\/p>\n![\"Nathan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/d7c2a0e63a6318c468e97e4c277db961c5e47ced.jpeg\")
Nathan Cleary says his Nana is an inspiration.<\/p>\n![\"Nathan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2896598f039fbdd1c1eff102efb5100328d2475d.jpeg\")
Nathan Cleary, Maree Stuart and Mary Fowler.<\/p>\n![\"Haumole](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ee744ff697721ff0be0ee435093295953325999a023ad6aef05b4013307832df.gif\")
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