Jules Neale has publicly criticized the Brisbane Lions after the club shared a video featuring her young daughter during Lachie Neale’s milestone AFL appearance.
The footage showed Lachie Neale entering the MCG for his 300th game, carrying four-year-old Piper as part of a pre-match guard of honour. The moment, however, did not unfold as smoothly as planned.
Piper appeared overwhelmed by the atmosphere and was seen crying while being held by her father before he passed her to a staff member on the boundary.
Club Post Sparks Backlash
The Lions later shared the moment on Instagram, combining earlier footage of Piper speaking with her father near the boundary with clips of her becoming distressed on game day.
In the pre-match exchange, Lachie asked if she was excited to run onto the field. Piper responded by shaking her head before embracing him.
The edited post then cut to the scene of her crying, accompanied by a caption describing her as “our shy queen.”
The choice of caption and editing drew a sharp reaction from Jules, who responded online.
“She’s not shy,” she wrote.
“She’s scared and it’s not funny.”
Family Not Present at MCG
Jules did not attend the Melbourne match, remaining in Perth with the couple’s one-year-old son, Freddie.
The family has been based in Western Australia since the end of 2025 following the separation of Jules and Lachie.
Despite the distance, Lachie has continued to travel regularly to Perth to spend time with his children.
