Lachie Neale and Abbey Holmes have discovered themselves on the centre of a storm in a tea cup after a post-game kiss.
The Brisbane Lions star and Channel 7 presenter embraced after the Lions’ win over the Bulldogs in Spherical 13 earlier this month.
Whereas the kiss didn’t entice any consideration on the time, it has now been introduced up for public debate with strategies the act was “inappropriate”.
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Holmes, a former AFLW star with the Adelaide Crows, interviewed Neale after the Friday night time sport earlier than their chat ended with each of them leaning in for a peck on the cheek.
The TV viewers noticed the embrace, which included Holmes placing her hand round Neale’s waist.
The pair are pals off the sector and Holmes has beforehand written messages on posts Neale has shared on Instagram.
Regardless of this, the seemingly harmless change seems to have rubbed some commentators the fallacious manner.
It’s why it was a scorching matter of dialog on 3AW radio on Saturday with AFL icon Leigh Matthews addressing the drama.
Matthews, extensively thought to be the best participant the game has identified, now sits on the Lions’ board of administrators and famously coached the membership to a few premierships.
Matthews mentioned: “You assume they have to know one another very properly. As a result of usually you solely give a kiss on the cheek to somebody you recognize fairly properly, in any other case you shake their arms.
“I’d shake the arms of a girl I don’t know very properly. The kiss on the cheek is often for somebody you recognize very properly. I don’t understand how properly they know one another. I assume they know one another very properly, in any other case it’s a extremely uncommon factor which is why we’re speaking about it.”
He went on to say: “It’s a first. I’ve by no means seen it earlier than. Have you ever ever seen it? That’s why we’re speaking about it. It’s fairly an uncommon one.”
Veteran soccer journalist Caroline Wilson was the primary particular person on the present to deliver the topic up and mentioned she “had no situation with it”.
“Why, why, why do you assume Lachie Neale kissed Abbey Holmes final Friday night time after the sport, after the Bulldogs sport,” she requested.
“Is it the identical if he’d have shook arms with (Channel 7’s) Cameron Ling?
“I noticed it and had no situation with it on the time. It was only a peck on the cheek. Did you have got a problem with it? And why do you assume he did it?”
She went on to say: “Clearly, Abbey has relationship with the gamers. She’s labored on it. She’s been a participant herself.
“Lachie had simply given an unbelievable efficiency. It was win. He was up and about. He clearly likes her. I didn’t assume there was something inappropriate about it.”
The truth that the second is being mentioned in public has been sufficient for some followers to be up in arms.
In a put up considered by 90,000, one footy fan wrote: “Are we that gentle as a nation that we even discover this offensive?
“Possibly they’re pals outdoors footy. Geez whoever wrote this may hate to be in Europe lol It appeared a easy kiss on TV after the sport, but it surely crossed a boundary.”
The pair on the centre of the chatter clearly had no points — and it was Holmes that interviewed Neale at half time of the Lions’ win over St Kilda on Friday night time.
Nevertheless, their actions have known as into query by some outspoken figures.
Social commentator Kate Halfpenny wrote in a provocative column for The Age: “When issues wrapped up, there was a micro-second of hesitation from the twin Brownlow medallist.
“Neale leaned into Holmes. She reacted by snaking her arm round his waist. He returned the favour. She leaned in too, barely, and so they kissed one another on the cheek.
“The interplay was quick and never ick, but it surely was bizarre sufficient for my husband and I to say, “wait, what?”
“This was uncommon, TV expertise kissing or being kissed as a sign-off. It’s a must to return to Bec Judd swerving from Tony Jones’ tried smooch in 2016 after her final information bulletin.”
She questioned if the kiss was OK, even when Neale and Holmes are shut pals.
“Nonetheless, even when they’re besties 4 eva, once they’re each at work is it look to be saying hasta manana with a kiss? For mine, it was too acquainted,” she wrote.
“Place and time, folks. You’re drawing a wage from this chat so preserve it stylish, San Diego.
“Intrigued, I watched the kiss once more a few instances. Neither get together appeared uncomfortable. “The incident hasn’t made waves within the media or on socials. However at a time when former Spanish soccer federation president Luis Rubiales is going through a sexual assault trial for his creepy unsolicited kiss on World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso, I feel it’s value asking the kiss query.”
She completed by writing: “Even when Holmes gave the kiss no second thought, networks and AFL golf equipment ought to give their troops a half-time speech: kissing on air is out of bounds. It’s 2024, not a Nineteen Seventies Christmas get together with a handsy boss handing out Brandivinos and murmuring your Prince Matchabelli smells nice.”
