Rumours swirl around AFL great Campbell Brown and Channel 7 presenter

AFL great Campbell Brown has been linked with the 21-year-old daughter of an Aussie cricket legend after splitting from his wife.

AFL great Campbell Brown has been romantically linked to Channel 7 rising star Grace Hayden.

News first emerged last month that the former Hawthorn premiership-winner had split from wife Jess Johnston.

The Daily Mail now reports the popular football larrikin is rumoured to be in a relationship with Hayden, the daughter of Aussie cricket legend Matthew Hayden.

Footage was shared on social media last month of Brown and Hayden dancing side by side at a Tasmanian Summer Racing Festival launch event.

Brown, whose stable of horses in the racing industry continues to grow, and Hayden, who has emerged as a star on the rise at Seven as part of the network’s racing broadcasts this year, are the two ambassadors promoting the festival, which began last month.

Ladbrokes Summer Racing Festival ambassadors Campbell Brown and Grace Hayden.

Campbell and Jess Brown. AAP Image/Jono Searle.

The footage was captured just days after news of Brown’s marriage breakdown was first reported publicly.

There is no suggestion Hayden was involved in the breakdown of the relationship.

Brown was also seen partying with friends at the wedding of Channel 7 commentator James Brayshaw in Western Australia in the days following the news reports.

According to The Daily Mail, Brown and Hayden have known each other for two years and attended the Royal Ascot races in the UK in June.

Hayden, 21, and Brown, 40, are both clients of talent management giant TLA Worldwide.

News.com.au has reached out to Brown, the TLA agency and Channel 7 for comment.

Cricket great Matthew Hayden and daughter Grace. Photo: Instagram, @grace.hayden_.

Grace Hayden at the 2022 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley. Picture: Supplied

As first reported by The Herald Sun, Brown split with wife of 10 years Johnston six weeks after they celebrated the birth of their third son, Bailey, in August.

The couple were childhood sweethearts and had been together for 19 years. Their eldest son Boston is six, and second son Baker is two.

According to the report, Johnston was “devastated” and “blindsided” when Brown said he wanted to end their relationship.

Brown, who turned 40 days after his son’s birth, excitedly welcomed Bailey into the world with a sweet Instagram post where he shared three adorable close-ups of the newborn and wrote: “Welcome to the world Bailey Jack Brown”.

In September, Brown posed for a sweet picture on Instagram with all of his children, however his wife wasn’t in the family snapshot, and hasn’t featured prominently on his profile since March.

Brown moved into the television and radio industry after his AFL career ended in 2013, and appears on the likes of SEN, Channel 7 and the popular Browny’s Podcast with former Lions champion Jonathan Brown.

His sporting career ended in controversy following an off-field incident where after a pre-season camp in Arizona with Gold Coast Suns teammates, Brown was accused of breaking the jaw of then teammate Steven May outside a nightclub in Los Angeles. His contract with the Suns was torn up as a result.

Grace Hayden and Campbell Brown. Photo News Corp and Instagram, @grace.hayden_.

Campbell Brown sings the Gold Coast Suns team son. Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images.

Hayden’s career, meanwhile, is continuing to grow.

On top of her position as fashion expert and roving reporter with Channel 7’s racing coverage, Hayden also featured during the recent World Cup in India alongside her father with the Disney-Star network.

The Brisbane product featured as part of Seven’s Autumn Racing Carnival and Spring Racing Carnival coverage this year after making her network debut last year.

“I didn’t envision this, but it’s great to be here. I feel so honoured,” Hayden said last year.

“I’m really excited; it’s such a big event, it’s the biggest in the Australian autumn carnival.

“Growing up, Dad has always been in the spotlight and it’s nice to make my own path in this world.”