The ex-girlfriend of Brisbane Lions player Jack Payne has shockingly claimed that her relationship with the AFL player ended following a ‘profoundly disloyal incident’.
It was revealed last week by The Daily Telegraph that Bronte Dagg, a pre-med and economics student, had split up with Payne in October.
Sources close to Dagg told the outlet that she had ‘felt something was going wrong’ after the Lions clinched their second successive premiership title in September.
Dagg and Payne have since unfollowed each other on Instagram. The pair are understood to have been in a relationship for around eight months prior to their split.
It is the latest relationship saga to rock the Queensland club in recent weeks, after Lachie Neale and Julie Neale’s high-profile separation.
On Sunday, Dagg, a former Miss Universe Australia finalist, broke her silence on the speculation, adding that she and Payne had been in a committed relationship.
Bronte Dagg, the ex-girlfriend of Brisbane Lions player Jack Payne (pictured) has broken her silence on rumours around their split
Dagg took to Instagram to claim that she ended their relationship because of a ‘profoundly disloyal incident’
‘I just wanted to say I’m extremely grateful for the love and support over the last few days,’ Dagg wrote on Instagram.
‘For clarity, this was a committed relationship, with clear long-term intentions that I ended after learning of his infidelity, through a profoundly disloyal incident.
‘The relationship was never ‘on and off’ or ‘casual’ by any means.
‘I’ve had time to reflect and can genuinely say I’ve moved forward and have thoroughly enjoyed the extra time with my friends and family and will continue to do so.’
Daily Mail has contacted the Brisbane Lions and Payne’s management for comment. There is no suggestion by Daily Mail of any wrongdoing by Payne.
Dagg reached the finals of Miss Universe Australia back in 2024 and is also a successful equestrian showrider.
Payne, meanwhile, has remained active on social media since their split. The AFL player, who lives on the Sunshine Coast, published several snaps and videos over the festive period of him enjoying the summer with friends and family.
The 26-year-old’s season came to a premature end in June, after he ruptured the patella tendon in his knee during the Lions’ 17.5 (107) to 13.18 (96) defeat by GWS Giants at The Gabba.
Dagg reached the finals of Miss Universe Australia back in 2024 and is also a successful equestrian showrider
Payne’s season came to a premature end back in June after he suffered a serious knee injury that required surgery
It appears he and Dagg had attended the Brisbane Lions end-of-season awards in October
Payne was forced to undergo surgery on the injury and has also shared images and clips of his rehabilitation since.
The key defender was signed as a No 54 pick in the 2017 National Draft and would go on to make his debut for the club in 2020. He has since made 81 appearances for the club and played a huge role in the Lions’ back-to-back premiership victories.
It comes after his captain, Neale announced at the beginning of January that he and his wife Julie had separated.
Rumours had begun to circulate late last year that the couple had been experiencing some issues in their relationship. Julie later publicly claimed she had been ‘betrayed in the most unimaginable way’.
‘I want to make it very clear that I am not ‘working through’ anything,’ she wrote. ‘I have been betrayed in the most unimaginable way.’
She had also demanded that her former friend Tess Crosley remove images of herself, her husband, Ben, and Julie and Lachie celebrating the Lions AFL Grand Final victory from her Instagram.
In a now-deleted Instagram post, Julie had written: ‘Take these down, you idiot, you’re embarrassing yourself.’
Crosley has since found herself at the centre of the breakup saga. But there is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by Tess by this outlet.
Payne has since been active on Instagram, publishing snaps of his rehabilitation following his knee injury
It is the second relationship drama to rock the Brisbane Lions after Julie and Lachie Neale’s recent high-profile separation
Julie has since returned to her home in Western Australia, while Lachie has moved out of the couple’s $2.43million Brisbane home.
The couple bought the home in 2022, four years after they had initially moved to Queensland when Lachie, 32, was signed to the Lions.
Neale, whose contract with the Lions is due to end at the end of the 2026 season, fronted members of the media on January 3, to explain that he would also be stepping down as the Lions’ captain.
‘While I will not go into specifics, I can say that I have let my family down and I apologise for my actions, which have hurt those closest to me. And for that, I am deeply sorry,’ Neale told reporters.
‘I accept this as a consequence of my actions and I need to focus on rebuilding the trust with Jules, as the future wellbeing of our children remains our number one priority.
‘I understand as a public figure that there is interest in my personal life.
‘However, I do ask that the privacy of Jules and my children be respected as we work through our new situation and the next chapter of our lives.’
