Lachie Neale has quit the co-captaincy of the Brisbane Lions and confirmed he has separated from wife Jules.
The 32-year-old fronted a media scrum outside Lions HQ on Friday and looked briefly emotional as he took responsibility for his marriage ending.
He says the decision to quit as co-captain of the two-time reigning premiers was not solely based on his personal situation.
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He had captained the AFL team alongside Harris Andrews for three seasons, leading the team to three grand finals and the past two premierships.
Brisbane released a statement on Friday announcing Neale had quit the captaincy amid a “challenging personal period”.
The Lions say Neale “determined this was the best move for him and the club”.
Lachie Neale speaks after quitting as Brisbane Lions captain. Nine
The two-time Brownlow Medal winner gave a prepared statement as he fronted cameras.
“I can confirm that, with regret, Jules and I have now separated,” he said.
“I have let my family down, and I apologise for my actions which have hurt those closest to me. For that I am deeply sorry.
“I accept this is a consequence of my actions, and I need to focus on rebuilding that trust with Jules as the future wellbeing of our children remains our number one priority.
“I’m extremely disappointed in myself, and I’ve put plans and measures in place to work on myself so I can be the best version of myself moving forward.”
Journalists at the gathering pressed Neale on rumours about his private situation, with one reporter asking “did you cheat on your wife?”, to which he responded, “no, I can’t address those rumours”.
Neale said he will “take full responsibility” for the breakdown of his marriage.
When another reporter asked “are you trying to fix your marriage?” he responded, “I won’t comment on that”.
Lachie Neale. Getty
Multiple reports in recent weeks say his wife has moved home to Perth with their two young children, while Neale reportedly spent the Christmas period with his own family in South Australia.
Neale made his AFL debut in 2012 and played 135 games for Fremantle before leaving to join Brisbane in 2019.
He won the Brownlow Medal – the competition’s highest individual honour – in 2020 and again in 2023.
He has made the All-Australian team four times and has so far played 158 games for the Lions.
Brisbane lost to Collingwood in the 2023 AFL grand final, but the Lions have won back to back premierships by beating the Swans and the Cats under the captaincy of Neale and Andrews.