The latest twist in the Jules and Lachie Neale saga has just dropped, and it reveals a startling reality. Tess Crosley wasn’t just a bystander—new details confirm exactly how close she was to the couple before everything fell apart. The “hidden proximity” makes the scandal even more devastating than anyone realized.

What began as whispers in the Brisbane Lions’ inner circle has exploded into one of the most explosive off-field dramas in Australian football history. Lachie Neale, the two-time Brownlow Medal winner and former co-captain of the premiership-winning Brisbane Lions, has seen his personal life unravel in spectacular fashion. His seven-year marriage to Jules Neale, a glamorous former salon owner and beloved WAG, ended amid allegations of an “unimaginable betrayal” involving her once-closest friend, Tess Crosley. The revelation that Tess and her husband Ben lived just a three-minute drive from the Neales’ luxurious $2.43 million home in Brisbane’s Seven Hills suburb adds a layer of chilling intimacy to the affair, turning what could have been a distant indiscretion into a deeply personal invasion of trust.

The scandal first ignited in late December 2025, when Jules took to Instagram with a bombshell statement. “I want to make it very clear that I am not ‘working through’ anything,” she wrote in a now-deleted post. “I have been betrayed in the most unimaginable way. All I can do now is try to heal and do what’s best for my children.” The words sent shockwaves through the AFL community. Within hours, Jules had scrubbed her feed of every photo featuring Lachie, erasing over a decade of shared memories. A moving truck appeared at their family home, and Jules relocated to her native Western Australia with their two young children, Piper and Freddie, seeking solace with her parents.

The finger of blame pointed squarely at Tess Crosley, a 32-year-old former Mormon missionary, influencer, and married mother-of-one. Tess and Jules had been inseparable—social media was filled with evidence of their bond. Double dates at Sirromet Winery, group trips to the Gold Coast, TikToks playing the viral “Hope our husbands like each other” trend (ending with Lachie and Ben arm-in-arm), and celebratory shots from the Brisbane Lions’ 2025 AFL Grand Final win at the MCG. One iconic image showed Jules and Tess playfully biting Lachie’s premiership medal together, a symbol of shared joy in the aftermath of the Lions’ back-to-back premiership.

But the cracks appeared publicly when Jules left a fiery, now-deleted comment on Tess’s Instagram post showcasing the Grand Final celebrations. “Take these down, you idiot,” Jules reportedly wrote, followed by another: “Take these down. You’re so gross.” Tess initially left the photos up for weeks, only quietly removing them in the New Year amid mounting pressure. The two women unfollowed each other, and traces of their friendship began vanishing from Tess’s profile.

Insiders revealed the affair allegedly spanned three months, beginning around the time of the 2025 Grand Final in September. Sources claim it was not a fleeting mistake but a sustained secret that simmered under the surface of seemingly perfect double-date nights and group outings. The turning point came when another Brisbane Lions WAG allegedly caught Lachie, 32, and Tess in a “compromising position” inside a car. Shaken, the witness sought advice from another player’s partner before bravely informing Jules. The news shattered the former best friends’ world overnight.

The “hidden proximity” revelation hit like a gut punch. Tess and Ben Crosley’s home in the neighboring suburb of Camp Hill was mere minutes from the Neales’ property on Arrol Street. What should have been a safe, supportive neighborhood friendship circle—playdates for the kids, casual barbecues, shared celebrations—now feels tainted by betrayal. Police conducted a welfare check at the Crosley residence around New Year’s Eve, seizing items amid the chaos, though no wrongdoing was suggested on their part beyond the affair allegations. Ben Crosley, meanwhile, jetted off to Bali with friends, posting workout photos that hinted at his own emotional turmoil. Tess has been spotted without her wedding ring multiple times, fueling speculation about the state of her own marriage.

Lachie Neale, once a golden boy of the AFL—traded from Fremantle to Brisbane in a blockbuster deal, winning back-to-back premierships, and earning co-captaincy—faced the media storm head-on on January 2, 2026. In a tense press conference at Brighton Homes Arena, he confirmed the separation and stepped down as co-captain. “While I will not 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,” he said, voice trembling. When pressed directly—”Did you cheat on your wife?”—he replied, “I cannot address those rumours.” The club, led by coach Chris Fagan, granted him their “blessing” to explore a move back to Perth at the end of his contract to be closer to his children, opening the door to a potential trade to a Western Australian team.

Tess Crosley, thrust into an unwanted spotlight, has remained mostly silent. When confronted by reporters in mid-January 2026, she offered a curt “No comment… thank you, bye, see ya!” from behind the wheel of her SUV. Her background as a former Mormon missionary adds another layer of intrigue. Raised in a conservative faith, with in-laws who once served as President and Matron of the Adelaide Mormon Temple, Tess’s public persona—bikini photos, influencer posts—has drawn scrutiny from church circles. Some view her scantily clad snaps as violations of principles, amplifying the scandal’s cultural clash.

Jules, meanwhile, has emerged as a figure of quiet strength. Her Instagram following skyrocketed from 27,000 to over 61,000 as supporters rallied around her. She has been seen lugging boxes in activewear, starting fresh in Perth, surrounded by a network of powerful women who have her back. The children remain her priority, shielded from the headlines as much as possible.

The fallout has rippled through the AFL world. Fans debate on Reddit whether Lachie has a history of infidelity, with whispers of “a different girl in every state” surfacing. The Brisbane Lions face questions about leadership and culture. For the Crosleys, the neighborhood closeness that once symbolized friendship now underscores the depth of the wound—how could something so intimate happen so close to home?

This saga is more than tabloid fodder; it’s a raw examination of trust, friendship, fame, and the fragility of high-profile relationships. The “hidden proximity” wasn’t just geographical—it was emotional, built on years of shared laughter, triumphs, and secrets. When that foundation cracked, the collapse was total.

As Lachie prepares for the 2026 season amid uncertainty, Jules rebuilds in the west, and Tess navigates the glare, one thing is clear: betrayal at this level leaves scars that time alone may not heal. The AFL off-season has rarely felt so personal, so painful, or so impossible to look away from.