EXCLUSIVE
The participation of a wealthy board member in the Brisbane Lions’ controversial end-of-season trip has added another layer to speculation about what happened during the US visit, sparking division among players and their partners.
Daily Mail Australia can reveal that Australian Rich Lister and Lions board member Cathie Reid traveled with players during their tour of the United States last October.
Pictures on social media show players partying with Ms Reid and her partner Stuart Giles over the holidays. Ms Reid has a fortune of $308 million, according to the Australian Financial Review’s Rich Women List 2024.
Players on the trip included co-captain and Brownlow Medalist Lachie Neale, Eric Hipwood, Cam Rayner, Jaxon Prior, Hugh McCluggage, Zac Bailey and Lincoln McCarthy, who lived the high life in various US cities alongside pharmaceutical multi-millionaires.
There are no photos posting Reid or Giles in Las Vegas with the stars.
Stuart Giles (pictured left) is seen boarding a private jet with Brisbane Lions players during an end-of-season trip to America
Pharmaceutical entrepreneurs Reid and Giles (pictured together in Paris) have an estimated combined fortune of $550 million
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.
Lions football boss Danny Daly denied to the media on Monday that a “crisis meeting” had taken place after the allegations about the trip to the United States were first broadcast.
However, he acknowledged that he had spoken to co-captains Harris Andrews and Neale about whether there was friction between players; something they denied.
New photos from the lavish trip show the Reid, Giles and Lions stars aboard a private jet, attending a college football game in Memphis, Tennessee, visiting members-only country clubs and dining at the exclusive Nobu restaurant in Malibu , California.
The couple’s social media accounts are a mixture of extravagance, including the use of hashtags used by many players on the trip, #RoseAllDay and #RoseAllDayReady.
Daily Mail Australia does not suggest Giles or Reid were involved in any wrongdoing during the trip.
The Brisbane Lions were contacted for comment but the club did not respond, despite a spokesperson saying they would answer questions.
Brisbane Lions co-captain Lachie Neale is pictured with Australian rich lister Cathie Reid at the exclusive Nobu restaurant in Malibu, California during the trip to the US.
Lions players (pictured at Nobu in Malibu) often used the hashtag #roseallday while on vacation
Lions players pose in front of the private jet they used in the US, with board member Cathie Reid’s partner Stuart Giles pictured left, on the top row of the stairs
The group turned heads wearing cowboy hats at the Whiskey Row bar in Nashville, Tennessee
Reid and Giles are no strangers to interacting with athletes and celebrities.
They are co-owners of Make Peace Island with Richard Branson, Virgin Australia co-founder Brett Godfrey and Radek Sali of Swisse Vitamins.
In 2016, Giles Cathie booked a $250,000 seat on Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic.
She underwent G-force and gravity training in the hopes that she would one day exist among the first passengers of the reusable spacecraft.
The Queensland-based couple built cancer care giant Icon Group and the Epic Pharmacy Chain, one of Australia’s largest providers of pharmacy services to the hospital, oncology and aged care sectors.
They reportedly have an estimated combined net worth of $550 million.