Lachie Neale was forced to respond to controversy over his post-match kiss with TV presenter Abbey Holmes this week.
The AFL star, 31, was interviewed by his good friend and Channel 7 presenter Abbey, 33, after the Lions played the Bulldogs in Round 13 earlier this month.
Though the chat didn’t garner much attention at the time, it resurfaced and prompted a furore as many claimed the kiss was ‘inappropriate’.
Lachie then branded the fiery debate, which emerged a week after the interview, as ‘a little bit strange’, while Abbey also revealed how his wife Julie Neale weighed in.
Former AFLW player Abbey described the online outcry as ‘really upsetting’ and said Lachie’s wife Julie, also known as Jules, had checked in to see if she was alright.
‘Jules Neale … sent me a message this morning saying, “I hope you’re okay — this is ridiculous”,’ she told News Corp. ‘I’m like, “Mate, I know. Lachie’s a friend of mine”.’
Brisbane Lions co-captain Lachie met Julie when they were just teenagers, but they didn’t start dating until around six years later.
The couple went on to tie the knot in a romantic Perth ceremony in November 2018, before they relocated to Brisbane when Lachie made his move to the Lions.
Julie currently works as a hairstylist in Brisbane’s Soja Studios after selling her business in Perth to move across the country to support Lachie’s AFL career.
She boasts more than 1,250 followers on her hairstyling Instagram account, while she has 20,000 more followers on her personal Instagram page.
Julie frequently gives an insight into her relationship with midfielder Lachie and their family life on their page, with the pair looking as loved-up as ever.
The couple welcomed their first child Piper Rose, two, in September 2021, and have spoken openly about their struggles to conceive their beloved daughter.
Julie is seen by her husband’s side both on and off the pitch, and often graces the red carpet with him, showing off her glamorous sense of style.
Every year, she attends the Brownlow Medal with her husband and never fails to disappoint with her high-glamour and show-stopping outfits on the night.
The Brownlow Medal recognises the fairest and best player in AFL during the home-and-away season, with Lachie taking home the award in both 2020 and 2023.
He became just the 16th player in VFL/AFL history to win the prestigious award multiple times, with his wife Julie proudly standing by his side after his win.
On both of his victories, Julie completely stole the show with her incredibly glitzy outfits as she pulled out all the stops for the much-awaited sporting night.
In 2020, Julie put on a dazzling display in a gorgeous sheer gown with a daringly high side split which showed off her toned legs.
The stunning gown featured a corset style bodice and was decorated with an array of silver sequins, while the sheer material also gave a flash at her nude underwear.
She completed her head-turning ensemble with a pair of strapped heels as she completely stole the show on the night.
Julie once again made headlines at the 2023 ceremony when she stepped out in another effortlessly glamorous ensemble, proving her fashion credentials.
She made sure all eyes were on her and her husband as she stepped out in an iridescent silver gown with a unique split around her waist.
Julie was also seen looking every inch the proud wife at the ceremony as she packed on the PDA with her husband after his impressive second Brownlow Medal win.
Lachie paid tribute to his beloved wife on his big night, describing her as a pillar of strength in a sweet speech.
‘To Jules, my wife. She’s my rock,’ he gushed. ‘She puts up with way too much from me. So thank you very much. I love you.
‘I can’t put into words what you do for me, and how well you let me do my job and support me. So thank you very much.’
When Lachie won his first Brownlow in 2020, he also revealed the huge personal sacrifice his wife had made to support him in selling her Perth salon amid their move.
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‘My wife Jules, she’s an amazing human being,’ he shared in his acceptance speech.
‘Not many people probably know but she owned a salon in Perth before we decided to move to Brisbane. She had to sell that to come over here and follow my dreams.
‘She was doing very well for herself over there but she always puts me ahead of herself when she shouldn’t have to.
‘She’s the most selfless person I know and my biggest support, so thank you very much Jules, I love you.’
At the time, Julie was moved to tears after the touching tribute to her personal sacrifice and revealed the decision to move to Brisbane was left in her hands.
‘I kind of knew [Brisbane] was the right move for Lachie and footy and it was a decision I decided to make myself. He didn’t pressure me. He said, ‘We’ll stay here’. He felt Perth was home. He said ‘It is completely up to you’,’ she told the Courier Mail.
The couple had strong roots in WA, with Julie owning a hair salon in Mosman Park near Fremantle for three years.
But Julie said they knew it was the right decision after meeting with staff from the Lions, leading to them setting up their new lives in Brisbane.
She said of the move at the time: ‘It’s been a tough year away from family and friends. We left a lot to move here. It was a big decision for us and for me to leave the business I had. I’ve never lived away from my family.’
Lachie played for Fremantle Football Club from 2012 to 2018 before he was traded to the Lions in 2019, and he and Julie have now settled into life on the East Coast.
But it hasn’t always been smooth sailing as Julie was forced to respond after the Brisbane Lion’s scandalous end-of-season trip to Las Vegas earlier this year.
It was reported that a rift developed between Lions teammates over the LA trip and some players have been having ‘tough conversations’ with each other as a result.
While club officials were adamant in saying nothing untoward happened on the trip, the reports coincided with an 0-3 start to the season by last year’s grand finalists, heightening speculation of disunity among players.
Lions football boss Danny Daly fronted media last Monday to deny there had been a ‘crisis meeting’ after the allegations about the trip to the States were first aired.
With reports of strained relationships within the club, Julie revealed that her relationship with her two-time Brownlow medal winner husband Lachie was ‘solid’.
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‘Every relationship has different pressures, it’s important to keep the outside noise out, in any relationship regardless of it being in the public eye, unfortunately, it’s inevitable that people are going to have their own opinion,’ she told The Courier Mail.
‘I think Lachie and I have a really solid relationship, which is all that really matters.’
Jules went on to add that the Lions’ WAG group is ‘close’, a far cry from rumours about divisions within the group.
‘We all have great relationships, however a lot of people forget that the club is just a fraction of our lives, so we all have great friendships and lives outside of this as well,’ she said.