Lions captain’s defiant kiss in epic grand final celebration

Lachie Neale and Abbey Holmes have shared the last laugh after they were embroiled in a kissing storm earlier this season.

Lachie Neale and Abbey Holmes have shared a defiant kiss just moments after the Brisbane Lions captain began celebrating his team’s premiership victory.

Brisbane were a class above the Swans at the MCG on Saturday as they ran away with a 18.12 (120) to 9.6 (60) win.

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After losing the 2023 Grand Final to Collingwood in controversial circumstances, there was plenty of emotion being shown by Lions players after the final siren despite the one-sided win.

After a nightmare start to the season where they won just two of their first seven games, the Lions roared back in the second half of the season and were deserved victors on the biggest day of the year.

Lachie Neale and Abbey Holmes shared a kiss on the cheek.

As Lions players hugged each other and their loved-ones, Channel 7’s broadcast cut to Holmes standing with Neale for the first post-match interview.

Still coming to terms with the achievement, Neale looked at the point of exhaustion — physically and emotionally — as Holmes let him have his say.

The interview finished with Holmes and Neale leaning in for a kiss on the cheek — as they did earlier this season in a moment that created national headlines.

After a peck on the cheek, Holmes gave Neale some pats on the back in a friendly hug.

The warm embrace threw it in the face of those that branded their affections “unprofessional” earlier this year.

Neale and Holmes embraced after the Lions’ win over the Bulldogs in Round 13 this year and it caused drama for the pair with Neale’s wife Jules forced to come out and defend the pair.

The kiss after the grand final won’t cause the same drama.

Neale and Holmes had smiles all over their faces as they walked away from the interview and continued to soak in Brisbane’s celebrations.

Neale’s big confession in the interview came when Holmes asked about the foot injury he exacerbated in the Lions’ win over the Giants last week.

Neale has previously spoken about having a heel issue, but he revealed to Holmes after the siren how serious the injury has been.

“Something snapped in it halfway through that last quarter,” he said.

Lachie Neale was in celebrating mode. Photo: Channel 7.

“I was fine when I jabbed it up. I couldn’t feel it. During the week it was very painful, but once we jabbed it up it was fine.”

Holmes and Neale had earlier this year been forced to cop criticism with some branding their kiss “inappropriate” despite having a close friendship.

Holmes said at the time she was frustrated her professionalism had been questioned given the work she had done to develop rapport with AFL players.

“The one thing that did upset me was the professionalism aspect of that article,” she said.

Abbey Holmes an Lachie Neale earlier this year. Photo: Channel 7.

“I’ve worked so hard over such a long period of time now to build relationships, to build trust, to build rapport with these players and coaches and make them feel like they are in a really safe space when they’re with me. And that’s what probably upset me the most.

“I don’t want my friends to feel uncomfortable in how they going to greet me or say goodbye to me. That’s not fair. I just feel as though that article was taken out of proportion massively.”

Neale, meanwhile, went close to a perfect day after receiving his premiership medal as well as the Ron Barrassi Medal as the captain of the winning Grand Final team.

He also finished second in voting for the Norm Smith Medal with the prestigious individual award being given to Lions star Will Ashcroft.

Originally published as Lions captain’s defiant kiss in epic grand final celebration