Laidley was born on 27 March 1967[1] and grew up in Balga, Western Australia, a working-class northern suburb of Perth.

Laidley made her VFL debut for the West Coast Eagles in Round 1, 1987, against Richmond at Subiaco Oval.

As an aggressive half-back line player and known as "The Junkyard Dog", Laidley was known for his commitment to the contest and to winning the ball.

Her career suffered a major setback during the 1990 season when she required a knee reconstruction and found it hard to break back into the team, missing West Coast's 1992 premiership win.

Laidley's ferocity as a player transferred into her coaching style, with her team said to embody the "Shinboner Spirit" of determination and never giving up.

[2] During a 2006 match against St Kilda, a Kangaroos supporter had a confrontation with Laidley, with the team putting up consistently poor performances.

Former Kangaroos star Wayne Carey criticised Laidley and argued that another former teammate, John Longmire, should replace her.

She interviewed for the Essendon Football Club senior coach position when it was left vacant by the sacking of Matthew Knights but was unsuccessful.

In early November 2011, Laidley was announced as the new midfield coach of the St Kilda Football Club.

[12] Of the move, St Kilda's head of football, Chris Pelchen, said that Laidley "has a wealth of knowledge as a former player and coach in [his] own right.

In November 2020, Laidley was placed into a diversion program and given an "adjourned undertaking with no conviction recorded" on the stalking charge.