It’s been a busy few months for footy legend Billy Brownless who has been positively glowing since he announced he had found love last October.
Brownless and Crystle Fleur, a mum-of-three who owns a Geelong-based Equestrian Company, Erinvale Thoroughbreds, went public over their relationship back in October and it seems things are on the up for the new couple.
The pair have been spotted out and about together on several occasions, notably attended Geelong’s Best and Fairest awards at the end of last season, the Australian Open in January and his daughter, Ruby’s, wedding, earlier in March.
Ruby, was married to Josh Wallis, the brother of Western Bulldogs star Mitch, at a lavish ceremony in Noosa, Queensland, at the beginning of March with Brownless cutting an emotional figure during the ceremony.
The Geelong great is looking better than ever, and it seems the former full-forward has also put down the frothies and is opting instead – according to friend James Brayshaw – for a more refined style of living that involves champagne and art galleries.
‘We love our footy and racing,’ Brownless told The Herald Sun back in October, speaking on his new relationship with Fleur.
Billy Brownless (left) announced in October that he was dating mother-of-three Crystle Fleur
The Geelong legend, who returned 441 goals across 198 appearances for the Cats, has been glowing since he began going out with Fleur
Brownless and Fleur recently attended the wedding of the footy great’s daughter Ruby (left) who married Josh Wallis (right), the brother of Western Bulldogs star Mitch
‘She doesn’t like to get in pictures but it’s going well and we’re going to the Geelong best and fairest on Thursday night.’
Brownless, more recently, has been spotted at a David Bromley art exhibition, where he had also made a purchase, according to The Herald Sun.
Brayshaw, meanwhile, claimed that Brownless had changed since he started going out with his new beau.
‘He’s drinking either gin and tonic, vintage champagne or Limoncello — and he’s going to art galleries, Brayshaw said, according to The Herald Sun.
‘He’s turned into a proper w****r,’ he added, firmly tongue-in-cheek.
Brayshaw had previously revealed that Brownless, who split from his wife, Nicky, back in 2015 after 18 years of marriage, had been left feeling aggrieved by the cost of the wedding before again suggesting Brownless was someone he ‘didn’t recognise’.
‘He’s obviously had to put in a lot of cash,’ Brayshaw said.
‘He’s sneaky tight, “Fat”. He tries to act like he isn’t, but he is … He’s really p***ed off about how much it cost him.
Brownless, more recently, has been spotted at a David Bromley art exhibition, where he had also made a purchase, according to The Herald Sun
James Brayshaw has joked that Brownless has changed ever since he announced his new relationship, stating that he has put down the frothies and has begun drinking champagne
‘So then he’s gone out to the Noosa hinterland venue and when he walked in and saw where his money’s gone… He went up to the Sofitel [hotel] with his beautiful better half Crystle and these are my spies.
‘Fat started in the pool – you know, the seats where you swim up to the bar… Crystle is in his lap and they start with vintage champagne.
‘This is the wa***r he’s turned into. He’s gone from only ever drinking beer. He starts on vintage champagne and then moves to piña coladas.
‘I don’t know what’s happened to him. He’s turned into someone I don’t recognise.’
Brownless, though, was said to have cut an emotional figure during his daughter’s wedding, with Bernie Vince revealing that Brownless was ‘blubbering’ during the wedding ceremony.
Speaking on Triple M alongside Brownless and Brayshaw, Vince said: ‘It’s my mail that you were blubbering like the 2007 grand final.’
‘I think the 2007 win was probably better… but it’s good to get emotional,’ Brownless replied.
‘You blokes should try it at some stage. It was good to get emotional and just show how much she meant to me.
He and Fleur were recently seen at the Australian Open and had also attended Geelong’s Best and Fairest awards last year
‘When it’s your daughter’s wedding you speak from the heart.’
Brownless and his ex-wife Nicky had reunited for the wedding nearly 10 years after their split.
Brownless and Garry Lyon also both attended the wedding and had appeared to have buried the hatchet after the latter went public with Brownless’ former partner Nicky in 2016 a year after the pair had separated.
The former footy players had subsequently fallen out over Lyon’s decision to spark a relationship with Nicky, with Brownless subsequently stating ‘a good mate wouldn’t do that’.
Lyon and Nicky got engaged in 2023.
