Nathan Buckley proves he definitely has a type when it comes to dating.
The divorced footy legend, 50, has been drawn to glamorous brunettes since splitting with his blonde ex-wife of 18 years, Tania Minnici.
Buckley’s newest addition is 34-year-old business manager Brodie Ryan, and she bears a striking resemblance to his latest girlfriend, cosmetic nurse Alex Pike.
The pair both share wavy brunette locks, beaming bright white smiles and a similar sense of style.
Brodie and Alex are both happy to share photos of themselves strutting around Melbourne in sportswear or attending red carpet events around the city.
See double! Nathan Buckley’s new girlfriend Brodie Ryan (left) looks a lot like his ex-flame Alex Pike (right)
In fact, the two firecrackers narrowly avoided some awkward confrontations with each other.
They both attended Glamor on the Grid in March, and last year Alex sat next to Brodie and Buckley at the Justin Cassin X Redken show at Melbourne Fashion Week.
Buckley started dating the business manager last year and he hasn’t been shy about showing his affection on social media.
Smitten Buckley (right) moved on with Brodie (left) shortly after his split from Alex last year
It’s unclear what caused Pike (left) to break up with Buckley (right), but the former couple appeared to be hot and heavy until he moved on with business manager Brodie
The smitten footy star is a frequent commentator on her Instagram page, often offering words of praise or emojis featuring flames and hearts.
On one post, he gushed, “Brodes, you have nothing to prove to anyone.”
He continued, “You don’t need validation or approval. Because the people who matter don’t care.
“Keep living your life the way you want; as the kind, intelligent, empathetic woman you are.’
Brodie (left) recently stepped out in a glamorous black dress similar to the style Alex (right) usually wears
In another post, Buckley suggested that Brodie wear an aqua dress instead of the lilac number she wore in the photo.
The private couple also appeared to be taking a swipe at social media influencers in a January post, in which Brodie gushed about spending time in celeb hotspot Bondi.
“Don’t you have any fluency (sic) there at all?” Buckley snapped comment.
“Hehehe, you know I’m not fit to speak fluently…” she replied.
Brodie (left) and Alex (right) are both happy to share photos of themselves roaming Melbourne in sportswear
Buckley’s ex-girlfriend, cosmetic nurse Alex Pike, is a budding influencer with over 37,000 followers and a podcast focused on the plastic and cosmetic surgery industry.
She has also become a favorite at red carpet events over the past two years, attending fashion shows and F1’s Glamor on the Grid.
Not to be outdone, Brodie has also begun to make herself known on the Melbourne social scene.
The business manager attended Glamor on the Grid in March and was at the opening of posh South Yarra restaurant The Beverly last month.
Business manager Brodie seems to have the same sense of style as Alex as she dons a flirty floral print dress and poses with a designer handbag
While the couple are only too happy to flaunt their romance on social media, mother-of-three Pike has taken steps to grow her beauty brand.
The brunette has studied to become an accredited nurse in America so she can expand her cosmetic clinic, Face by Alex Pike, and is launching a plastic surgery podcast.
She also has her own eight-week beauty boot camp program called Inside Out to help people change their lives and get in shape.
The glamorous brunettes both wore ball gowns at Glamor on the Grid in March
While it’s unclear what caused Pike’s breakup with Buckley, the former couple appear to have gone their separate ways sometime last year.
“I’m definitely not dating anyone, I’m keeping it to myself,” Alex told the Herald Sun in December.
“I’ve been studying for my exams to become a registered nurse in the United States, so it’s right when I come to visit,” she continued.
“I traveled a lot and it was really great. I’m really lucky to have a great network in America.’
Brodie rocked a stylish brown ensemble at an event in April, just one year after Alex wore something similar
Buckley quickly moved on from Brodie after breaking up with Alex.
“We have such a normal relationship and we intend to keep it that way,” Brodie told the Herald Sun last October.
“If he wasn’t who he was, we’d still enjoy our time together in a chilled environment and be in our element eating at home.”
Nathan divorced ex-wife Tania in December 2020 after 18 years of marriage, and they share two teenage sons, Jett, 15, and Ayce, 13.
Buckley is pictured with his ex-wife of 18 years Tania Minnici in 2013