Lachie Neale has walked off from a press conference after dropping the news he and wife Jules have separated. <\/p>\n
Neale\u2019s teammates were reportedly shocked when told earlier on Friday morning that the dual Brownlow medallist has stepped down from his position as co-captain of the Brisbane Lions. <\/p>\n
The Lions for the first time addressed the private matter on Friday \u2013 almost two weeks after Neale\u2019s wife Jules first went public in saying she had been \u201cbetrayed\u201d in an unimaginable way. <\/p>\n
The club said in a statement the star footballer was dealing with a \u201cchallenging personal period\u201d. <\/p>\n
When Neale fronted a press conference on Friday afternoon, he made an apology in announcing he and wife Jules have separated. <\/p>\n
\u201cI understand the interest in my personal life, but these are personal matters and I won\u2019t be answering any questions on that topic today,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can confirm though with regret that Jules and I have now separated. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhile I won\u2019t go into specifics I can say that I have let my family down and I apologise for my actions that have let done those that are closest to me. And for that I am deeply sorry.<\/p>\n
\u201cI accept the consequences of my actions, and I need to focus on rebuilding that trust with Jules as the future wellbeing of our children remain our No. 1 priority.\u201d<\/p>\n
When asked bluntly if he had cheated on his wife, Neale responded: \u201cNo I can\u2019t address those rumours\u201d.<\/p>\n
He answered another question by saying he has \u201cregrets\u201d about his personal life. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
When asked if he is hoping to fix his marriage, Neale walked off by saying, \u201cI won\u2019t comment on that, thank you\u201d.<\/p>\n
He looked briefly overcome with emotion when explaining his decision to step down as captain.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m extremely disappointed in myself and I\u2019ve put plans in place to do the work on myself so I can be the best version of myself moving forward,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cGiven the personal matters that I am currently working through I have made the decision to stand down as co-captain and from the leadership group effective immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing the captain of the Lions has been a huge honour, but it\u2019s time to move forward with a fresh start. I spoke through this with the club over the last week or two and it was a pretty easy decision for me.<\/p>\n
\u201cTime to move on and let someone else or Harris (Andrews) do the job by himself.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said the decision was \u201c100 per cent\u201d his and that he had not been pressured to give up the position.<\/p>\n
He said he spoke with Lions coach Chris Fagan and Lions football boss Danny Daly before making the call. <\/p>\n
Neale also made another eyebrow-raising comment during the press conference when he failed to guarantee his future with the Lions beyond this season. <\/p>\n
His contract with Brisbane expires at the end of the 2026 season and speculation is already swirling he may look to return to Western Australia. <\/p>\n