- Lachie and Jules Neale walked into the MCG together
- The Brisbane Lions are reeling from the Las Vegas trip scandal
- The players form a united front amid the storm
Lachie Neale led his team with his wife Jules as the Brisbane Lions tried to present a united front in the wake of the Las Vegas travel scandal.
Lachie gave Jules a kiss on the cheek while carrying their daughter Piper as the Lions took to the MCG field for his team’s match against Melbourne. Neale celebrated his 250th game for the Lions on Thursday evening.
It has been reported that a rift has emerged between Lions teammates over what happened while they were in Las Vegas and that some players have had “tough conversations” with each other as a result.
While club officials are adamant in saying nothing untoward happened on the trip, the reports coincide with an 0-3 start to the season by last year’s grand finalists, increasing speculation of division among the players.
With reports of tense relations within the club, Jules revealed last week that her relationship with her two-time Brownlow Medalist husband Lachie is ‘solid’.
Lachie Neale and his wife Jules were on the MCG field on Thursday evening
Neale carried his daughter Piper as he celebrated his 250th AFL match
“Every relationship has different pressures, it’s important to keep the outside noise out, in any relationship, regardless of whether it’s in the public eye, it’s unfortunately inevitable that people are going to have their own opinions,” she told The Courier Mail.
“I think Lachie and I have a really solid relationship, and that’s all that really matters.”
Jules added that the Lions’ WAG group is “close-knit,” which is very different from rumors of division within the group.
“We all have great relationships, but 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 it as well,” she said.
The 10-member group visiting Vegas included Brisbane players Lachie Neale, Hugh McCluggage, Lincoln McCarthy, Zac Bailey, Jaxon Prior and Cameron Rayner.
The fallout from the American trip with several Lions stars (pictured) threatened to tear the club apart
Neale was on that trip, but his wife Jules insists they are in a strong position
Veteran AFL reporter Caroline Wilson confirmed on 3AW Radio that senior figures in the team discussed the fallout.
‘Danny Daly, head of footy at the Lions, called on Monday in response to the reports and rumors [co-captain] Harris Andrews and he called Lachie Neale and he said, “Look, you’ve got to be honest, is there anything in this? Is there a split in the playing group, are people turning blue?”
“The two leaders strongly denied this.”