AN Aussie football star has been accused of having an affair with his wife’s best friend as she slams the alleged sex scandal as “unimaginable betrayal”.
Brisbane Lions captain Lachie Neale, 32, was allegedly caught cheating on his wife, Jules Neale, by another teammate’s partner.
The woman at the centre of the storm is former Mormon missionary Tess Crosley – a glamorous, married neighbour and close friend to the Neale family.
The pair were reportedly caught in the act and in the days that followed, speculation rapidly mounted that Neale’s marriage to wife Jules was beyond repair.
Fuel was added to the fire when the couple spent Christmas apart.
Jules, 35, travelled more than 1,600 miles back to her hometown of Perth in Western Australia, taking their two young children with her.
While those in Neale’s camp insist the encounter was a one-off mistake, the Daily Mail reported the sordid affair is alleged to have started more than three months ago.
Suspicions were first raised during one of the most celebrated moments of Neale’s career.
He made a miraculous recovery from a torn calf muscle to come on as a super sub and help his team claim victory over Geelong in the AFL final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
However, an Instagram post on Tess’s page showed an image in what many described as an uncomfortably intimate moment as she cosied up to Neale.
The pair can be seen with their legs touching at the knee, while glamour wife Jules is positioned on the far side of the frame.
Jules finally broke her silence, taking aim directly at Tess in a since-deleted public outburst and demanding the photo be removed.
“Take these down, you idiot you’re embarrassing yourself,” she wrote.
The hairdresser then went further, shutting down reports that the couple were attempting to repair their fractured marriage.
“I want to make it very clear that I am not ‘working through’ anything,” she wrote.
“I have been betrayed in the most unimaginable way. All I can do now is to heal and do what’s best for my children.”
It has also since emerged the sports star was a member of Total Fusion gym in Queensland – a venue Tess is also said to attend.
One member, who claims to have seen Neale and Tess there repeatedly alleged the pair were openly affectionate over an extended period.
“I got to Total Fusion gym where Lachie is a member, and for months he has been very affectionate and without much shame with that Tess woman,” they said.
“They did not try to hide it.”
Despite the mounting claims and growing scrutiny, it was not until January 2 that Neale publicly acknowledged his error.
One of Aussie rules’ most decorated athletes announced he had quit his leadership role at the club, issuing a formal apology for his off-field indiscretions.
Speaking ahead of the new season from the comfort of his team’s headquarters, Lachie said: “I can confirm with regret, Jules and I have now separated.
“While I won’t go into specifics, I can say that I have let my family down, and I apologise for my actions, which have hurt those closest to me – and for that, I am deeply sorry.
“I accept that this is consequence of my actions, and I need to focus on rebuilding that trust with Jules as the future well-being of our children remains our number one priority.
“I’m extremely disappointed in myself, and I have put plans in place and measures in place to do the work on myself so that I can be the best version of myself moving forward.”
He added: ” I understand as a public figure that there is interest in my personal life. However, I do ask (that) the privacy of Jules and my children be respected as we work through our new situation and the next chapter of our lives.”
The couple have put their £1.8 million Brisbane home up for sale, signalling what many believe is the final chapter of their time together.
Removal vans have been spotted carting furniture away, while Lachie has already moved into an apartment of his own,
Jules has since unfollowed both her husband and Tess on Instagram and deleted all photos of the pair together.
The former couple both grew up in Perth and first met as teenagers.
They became engaged in 2017, married the following year, and relocated to Brisbane in 2019 when Neale signed with the Lions.
Meanwhile, the other party – Tess – was spotted without her wedding ring as she spent Christmas with her infant son on the Gold Coast.
Her husband Ben travelled to Bali with friends over the New Year.
The pair are thought to have married in 2017.
The two couples were once close friends, with Tess and Ben regularly donning Lions scarves and attending matches together.
