Former Brisbane Lions captain Lachie Neale has broken his silence on social media, posting selfies with his children on Instagram following the breakdown of his marriage to wife Julie. The 32-year-old dual Brownlow Medallist appears to have travelled to Western Australia to spend time with his family, as his eldest daughter, Piper, attended her first day at kindergarten on Monday.
Family Moments Shared Online
Neale smiled in a snap of himself with his son Freddie, who turned one in December, while Julie also published photos of herself and Piper sharing a hug. She captioned the image: ‘Big girl’s first day of Kindy,’ adding a teary-eyed emoji. The Lions star has been jetting back and forth from Brisbane to WA to be with his family, with the Lions having begun their pre-season preparations on the Sunshine Coast last week.
Separation Announcement and Aftermath
This comes after Neale announced at the beginning of January that he and Julie would be separating after eight years of marriage, amid rumours of marital difficulties. Neale has since moved into his own apartment in Brisbane after the couple placed their $2.43 million luxurious Seven Hills family home up for sale earlier this month.
Julie is understood to have moved back to her home in Western Australia, where she has been sharing glimpses into how she has been rebuilding since the couple parted ways. The freelance hairstylist has recently signed with a new management company and has been posting snaps on social media of herself enjoying the summer with her friends.
Julie's Public Appearances and Comments
Last week, Julie was seen cheering on Aussie tennis player Alex de Minaur during his Australian Open defeat by Carlos Alcaraz. She stunned wearing a pink corset twinned with a pair of flowing long shorts, made by designer brand Viktoria & Woods, and took to social media to publish a series of pictures of herself and friend Gabby Morrone on Instagram. She captioned the post: ‘Girls just wanna have fun... at the AO.’
During her time at Melbourne Park, she also told The Herald Sun: ‘The last few months have been a lot, but being back in Perth with family has really helped me reset for 2026. I’m loving being back in Melbourne and watching another sport.’
Emotional Revelations and Friend Fallout
In December, Julie took to social media to announce that she had been ‘betrayed in the most unimaginable way’. She wrote: 'I want to make it very clear that I am not "working through" anything. I have been betrayed in the most unimaginable way.’
Her friend, Tess Crosley, has become embroiled in the breakdown of their marriage, with Julie having hit out at her online, asking her to delete pictures of herself celebrating the Lions’ recent premiership victory, alongside Lachie and Tess’ husband Ben. In a now-deleted post on Instagram, Julie told Tess: 'Take these down, you idiot, you're embarrassing yourself.’
Impact on Public Engagements
Neale was due to attend a public Q&A live show alongside Brisbane star Dayne Zorko on the Sunshine Coast last week, which was being presented by the brand Footy Feast. However, the show was postponed, with organisers telling this masthead that ticket sales were too low. The show has now been rescheduled for March, but organisers confirmed that the two-time Lions premiership captain is now no longer set to appear in the rearranged Q&A.
