The woman at the centre of Lachie Neale’s marriage breakdown has reignited speculation after sharing a cryptic social media post that has not gone unnoticed.

Tess Crosley uploaded a series of images to Instagram, including a photo taken at a bar, accompanied by a caption featuring a love heart and a spade emoji.

The post immediately drew attention from online observers after it emerged the location appeared identical to a venue previously shared by Neale in his own social media posts.

The same band appears to be playing in both images, while Neale is tagged in Crosley’s image by one of her followers. 

The coincidence has sparked fresh intrigue surrounding the pair, despite Neale’s camp previously denying they remain in contact.

Crosley, a mother of one and former Mormon missionary, has remained largely silent throughout the fallout from the high-profile split, but her social media activity has continued to generate discussion.

Crosley, pictured before the breakdown of her marriage with estranged husband Ben and Lachie Neale, has fueled speculation about an ongoing connection with the Lions star

Jules Neale moved to Perth after describing marriage breakdown as an ‘unimaginable betrayal’ involving close friend Crosley

Crosley previously wrote ‘There is always another story, there is more than meets the eye’ in deleted Instagram post

In February, she shared a now-deleted post showing herself on a boat with her face partially covered, alongside the caption: ‘There is always another story, there is more than meets the eye’.

The post was later removed after Crosley briefly deactivated and then reactivated her account.

She has since continued posting a mix of images, including photos with her young son, as well as a series of bikini shots and posed selfies.

The renewed focus comes months after Neale and his wife Jules Neale separated, with Jules returning to Perth with the couple’s children following what she described as an ‘unimaginable betrayal’.

Details of the split first emerged late last year, with reports alleging Neale had been seen in a compromising position with Crosley, who had previously been part of the couple’s close social circle.

Neale addressed the situation publicly in January, admitting fault but declining to go into specifics.

‘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. For that I am deeply sorry,’ he said.

When asked directly about rumours of infidelity, Neale responded: ‘No, I can’t address those rumours’.

Fans noticed identical bar setting in posts from Tess Crosley and Lachie Neale, questioning whether timing is coincidence or something more

Neale had previously posted this image, which appears to include the same band playing as the one in Crosley’s image

Despite denials, Crosley’s latest Instagram activity keeps speculation alive about her connection to Neale

In the months since, both Neale and Crosley have been spotted without their wedding rings, further fuelling speculation about the status of their respective relationships.

Crosley has also conducted a noticeable purge of her Instagram account, deleting several images that previously showed her socialising with the Neales, including photos from Brisbane’s premiership celebrations.

Despite the ongoing attention, she has not publicly addressed the situation, with her recent post only adding to the unanswered questions.

Meanwhile, Jules has begun rebuilding her life in Western Australia, where she is now raising the couple’s children and pursuing work as a hairdresser and content creator.

She recently spoke about her emotional recovery, revealing she had been ‘crying for an hour straight’ following a hypnotherapy session, which she described as ‘incredible’.

Neale, who stepped down as co-captain of the Brisbane Lions in the wake of the controversy, has continued to focus on football and remains contracted at the club through the end of the 2026 season.

It was business as usual for Neale in the AFL on the weekend, racking up 42 possessions to lead the Lions to a crushing victory over Adelaide on Sunday. 

The Lions had 11 individual goalkickers and were queuing up in the last quarter, with the margin blowing out to a game-high 64 points.

Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks was quick to give credit to the Lions.

‘It wasn’t out of nowhere. They’ve won the last two premierships, we knew we were coming across to a big, big challenge,’ he said.

‘They were very good. They dominated us in the contest – our stoppage was minus 1000 metres, so when you get that sort of number coming through you’re in a bit of trouble.’