His marriage now irretrievably broken, embattled AFL star Lachie Neale seemed to have a lot on his mind while moving into his new Brisbane home on Monday.
Lachie, 32, who relinquished co-captaincy of the Lions on Friday following weeks of pressure and negative headlines stemming from his split from wife Jules, looked downcast as he oversaw removalists at the property.
Having vacated his former marital home – and with Jules and their children bound for her home state of Western Australia – Lachie is now preparing for a new life as a single father with an unclear professional future.
He admitted during his emotional press conference three days ago that he hadn’t yet considered a move to WA in 2027, with his current contract with Brisbane due to expire at the end of this year.
But whatever the future holds, he still has a year to go with the Lions and has to live somewhere – and his move into a bachelor pad was certainly a sombre one.
Clad in a white Puma T-shirt, black shorts and sandals, he looked deep in thought as he strolled across the property, before he was seen chatting to workers hauling various items of furniture and whitegoods, including a refrigerator and microwave.
His marriage now irretrievably broken, embattled AFL star Lachie Neale seemed to have a lot on his mind while moving into his new Brisbane home on Monday
Having vacated his former marital home – and with Jules and their children bound for WA – Lachie is now preparing for a new life as a single father with an unclear professional future
Clad in a Puma T-shirt and black shorts, he looked deep in thought as he strolled across the property before he was seen chatting to workers hauling items of furniture and whitegoods
It comes after Daily Mail became aware of a telling social media post shared in August by the woman now firmly at the centre of the Neales’ marriage split: Tess Crosley.
Tess – a former Mormon missionary who along with her husband Ben was once good friends with Lachie and Jules – shared a photo on Instagram on August 11 featuring her and the Neales posing at the Sirromet Winery in Mount Cotton, Queensland.
The trio, who were joined by a third woman, smiled from ear to ear as they enjoyed a scenic and laidback night under the stars, complete with drinks and food.
Tess captioned the photo with a quote from the Harry Potter series: ‘I solemnly swear I’m up to no good.’
On its own, the line seems innocuous. But in the wake of the Neales’ break-up – and Jules pointing the finger of blame at Tess – it now reads as awkward.
Lachie replied with another Potter reference at the time, commenting, ‘Password: Dumbledore.’ Ben Crosley also liked the photo.
Lachie and Jules’ $2.43million Brisbane residence was supposed to be their ‘forever home’ for them – but just like his career with the Lions, its future is looking uncertain.
The back-to-back premiership-winning captain previously declared his ‘love’ for the five-bedroom pad in Seven Hills, which he’d bought at auction in 2022 after selling another home in nearby Coorparoo for a $1million profit.
Lachie, who relinquished captaincy of the Lions on Friday after weeks of pressure and negative headlines stemming from his split from wife Jules, oversaw removalists at his new home
It comes after Daily Mail became aware of a telling social media post shared in August by the woman now firmly at the centre of the Neales’ marriage split: Tess Crosley. (Tess is seen on the right with Lachie, back, Jules, left, and another woman, centre, at a Queensland winery)
Lachie and Jules’ $2.43million Brisbane residence (pictured) was supposed to be their ‘forever home’ for them- but just like his career with the Lions, its future is looking uncertain
Boasting three bathrooms, a pool and an entertainment deck, the newly built home features a spacious open layout, soaring ceilings and louvred windows.
The Neales – who share daughter Piper, four and son Freddie, one – are yet to confirm plans for the property. But given Lachie’s move on Monday and Jules heading to WA with the kids, it seems likely they will either sell or lease it out.
It follows an eventful week for the estranged couple, who wed in 2018.
After weeks of speculation about the state of his marriage – sparked by Jules going public with their split and implicating Tess – Lachie confirmed they had separated during a press conference at Brighton Homes Arena on Friday.
‘While I will not go into specifics I can say that I have let my family down and I apologise for my actions which have hurt those closest to me. And for that, I am deeply sorry,’ Neale said.
‘I accept this as a consequence of my actions and I need to focus on rebuilding the trust with Jules as a future well-being our children remain our number one priority.
‘I understand as a public figure that there is interest in my personal life. However, I do ask the privacy of Jules and my children be respected as we work through our new situation and the next chapter of our lives.’
The conference escalated when a reporter asked Neale: ‘Did you cheat on your wife?’
‘I cannot address those rumours,’ the star midfielder shot back.
Jules (right) demanded that Tess (left) remove photos from her Instagram account of the Lions’ grand final celebrations that showed the Neales and Crosleys together after the game
Jules also publicly denied a report by the Herald Sun that she was ‘working through’ issues with Lachie and instead alleged she had been ‘betrayed in the most unimaginable way’
Jules Neale is seen without her wedding ring after announcing her marriage break-up
It came after Jules publicly announced she’d experienced the ‘ultimate’ betrayal and launched a stunning social media attack on her former friend Tess on December 22.
In a now-deleted comment, Jules demanded that Tess remove photos from her Instagram account of the Lions’ grand final celebrations that showed the Neales and Crosleys together after the game.
‘Take these down, you idiot, you’re embarrassing yourself,’ Jules wrote.
Jules also publicly denied a report by Herald Sun gossip columnist Jackie Epstein that she was ‘working through’ issues with Lachie and instead alleged she had been ‘betrayed in the most unimaginable way’.
‘I want to make it very clear that I am not ‘working through’ anything,’ she wrote. ‘I have been betrayed in the most unimaginable way.’
There is no suggestion that Tess has done anything improper and she has yet to respond to Jules’ public statements.
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