The woman at the centre of the Lachie Neale marriage breakdown, Tess Crosley, has marked her 30th birthday with a quiet celebration far from her Brisbane home, flying to Adelaide for the weekend.
A Birthday Escape to South Australia
Based in Brisbane, Crosley opted for a change of scenery, dining at the upscale Penfolds Magill Estate Winery restaurant in Adelaide. She shared a glamorous photo of the occasion on social media, peering away from the camera while holding a glass of wine. "Turned 30 on the weekend ???," was her simple caption for the solo dinner reservation.
Her trip south follows a strained period of several weeks where she has become distant from both her former friend Jules Neale and her own husband, Ben Crosley. Under pressure from Jules, Tess has removed all traces of the dual Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale and his wife from her social media accounts. The two couples had previously been close, frequently appearing together online during significant life events and family holidays.
Separate Paths and Welfare Checks
While Tess was in Adelaide, her husband Ben also sought distance. The finance director, who shares a toddler with Tess, began the new year with a boys' trip to Bali. He was photographed shirtless at the luxury Bambu Fitness in Uluwatu after an intense workout with friends Tom Bennallack and Seth Mutton.
The drama escalated late last year when, on December 30, police conducted a welfare check at the Crosley family home. Their property is located just a three-minute drive from the now-vacated Neale residence in Brisbane.
The Neales' Marriage Breakdown Confirmed
Lachie and Jules Neale have confirmed their separation. In a December social media post, the Perth-raised mother-of-two revealed she had "been betrayed in the most unimaginable way." She made it clear she was not attempting to reconcile, stating, "All I can do now is try to heal and do what’s best for my children." It is believed she has since moved back to Western Australia with their children, Piper, 4, and Freddie, 1.
After stepping down as co-captain of the Brisbane Lions, Lachie Neale addressed the situation at a press conference last week. "While I won’t go into specifics, I can say that I have let my family down and I apologise for my actions that have let down those that are closest to me," the star midfielder said. "For that I am deeply sorry."
Brisbane coach Chris Fagan stated on Friday that the club would support Neale if he decided to move back to WA to be closer to his children. "We’re not going to hold anyone to ransom. We’ll just go along with the flow on that," Fagan said.
In a minor recent development, a horse owned by a syndicate that includes Lachie Neale, named Two Time Charlie, won a race in Bunbury. The $110,000 yearling was selected at a Perth sale by Neale's former teammate Hayden Ballantyne.
