Jules Neale has disclosed her intentions to purchase a “forever home” in Perth, where she plans to raise her children following the dramatic end of her marriage to football star Lachie.
The former football partner, now a social media influencer, reflected on a transformative year during her appearance at Australian Fashion Week in Sydney. She candidly shared her experiences of missing significant family moments while still married to the former Brisbane Lions player.
Following the tumultuous split in November of last year, Jules returned to Perth with her daughter Piper, aged four, and son Freddie, who is one year old.
“This marks the start of a new chapter for us,” she expressed to News Corp.
“For now, we’re staying with my parents, and it’s been a really nice experience,” she added.
Jules Neale (pictured in Sydney for Australian Fashion Week) has revealed she’s on the hunt for a forever home to raise the son and daughter she shares with estranged husband Lachie
The footy WAG turned social media influencer returned to her hometown of Perth with daughter Piper and son Freddie after the scandalous end to her marriage
Pictured in happier times: Jules and Lachie after Brisbane won last year’s grand final, just a few weeks before the ‘betrayal’ scandal that rocked footy
‘They’re a huge support, and so helpful with the kids letting me do things like this [going to Fashion Week].
‘Their support means everything.’
Jules said she and her children spent Mother’s Day with her mum, her brothers, and their wives and kids.
‘It’s so nice to be close to them again and seeing the cousins grow up together,’ she said.
‘I’ve missed all the births and baby showers but [I’m] here now for the birthdays and everything to come, so it’s special.’
Jules couldn’t be there for those family milestones as she was living in Brisbane with Lachie while he led the Lions to premiership glory.
The couple met while Lachie was playing for the Fremantle Dockers before switching to the Queensland team in 2019.
There is now speculation that he could return to either the Dockers or West Coast Eagles to be close to his children once his contract in Brisbane expires at the end of the season.
Jules also revealed she is looking forward to attending the family milestones she missed while she was in Brisbane with the Lions star
Jules recently hit out at Brisbane over a social media post showing her daughter Piper with Lachie as he marked his 300th AFL game (pictured)
Jules hit out at the Lions last month to defend her daughter after the club made her the star of a social media post.
Piper was front and centre as the footy star reached his 300-game milestone against Melbourne on April 19, with her father holding her while she burst into tears as the team prepared to run through their banner just before kickoff.
The Lions posted a clip showing the moment to Instagram along with the caption ‘Our shy queen’ – and Jules was furious.
‘She’s not shy. She’s scared and it’s not funny,’ Jules posted in the comments section.
She and Freddie remained in Perth instead of going to Melbourne for the match.
The clip posted by the Lions also shows Piper holding a microphone like she was interviewing her dad the day before the game.
While the vast majority of the comments on the club’s post were positive, some agreed with the WAG turned social media influencer’s take on the clip.
‘Aww poor darling has gone through so much,’ one wrote.
‘Absolutely terrified, the poor little darlin. When ego takes over, the child suffers,’ added another.
Jules and Lachie split after she posted to Instagram that he had ‘betrayed [her] in the most unimaginable way’.
On April 16, Lachie finally talked about the split in detail on a Brisbane radio show, admitting he ‘let a lot of people down’ and opening up about his future in footy.
It has been heavily rumoured that the premiership-winner will seek to play for West Coast or Fremantle so he can be close to his kids in Perth when his Lions deal finishes at the end of the season.
‘I felt like I had let a lot of people down, so I wanted to redeem myself in a way, by the way I came back into the preseason and games, in particular,’ he said.
He admitted he has ‘got to be real’ about the situation with Piper and Freddie.
‘I’m always thinking about it, and what the future is going to look like,’ Neale said.
‘It’s in the back of my mind, but I brush it aside, we’re only five weeks into the season, but I think in about three or four months from now, I’ll tap into that.’