- Date is set after a long engagement
Nicky Brownless has confirmed she and Garry Lyon will marry in 2026, revealing fresh details about their plans as one of the AFL’s most talked-about love sagas edges closer to its final chapter.
Speaking as the couple returned from a European getaway, Brownless said preparations were underway but would need to fit around football’s relentless calendar.
‘We’re working on it and the girls are helping me plan,’ she told News Corp.
‘We’ve just got to work around the footy season.’
The pair recently travelled through the Cotswolds, Paris and Amsterdam, with Brownless describing the trip as a welcome reset amid wedding planning.
‘We had the best time away, it was a lot colder than here but it was really special,’ she said.
Garry Lyon and Nikki Brownless have just returned from holiday and will marry later this year
Lyon is recovering from back surgery but will be ready for the upcoming AFL season in commentary and his wedding
Lyon proposed in December 2023 at the couple’s Mornington Peninsula property, but they chose to delay setting a date so Brownless’s daughter Ruby could marry first.
Ruby wed partner Josh Wallis in Noosa in March last year, clearing the way for Brownless and Lyon to turn their attention to their own big day.
The engagement comes years after the relationship first shocked the football world, following the breakdown of Brownless’s 18-year marriage to Billy Brownless, who was not only her husband but Lyon’s former teammate and close friend.
Billy and Garry had shared years of friendship through football and media circles, making the revelation particularly explosive.
Billy later admitted he felt blindsided and betrayed, describing the period as one of the darkest of his life, as he navigated the collapse of both his marriage and a long-standing friendship.
The fallout sparked a bitter feud between the former Footy Show co-hosts that played out publicly for several years.
Over time, tensions eased. By 2020 and 2021, Billy and Garry began cautiously rebuilding civility for the sake of the children, eventually spending Christmas together as part of a blended family.
Billy later said they were in a ‘good spot’, while conceding their friendship would never return to what it once was.
After years of tension, Nikki’s ex-husband Billy Brownless has moved on with new partner Crystle Fleur
Brownless, who shares four children with Billy, said family remains central to her wedding plans, with her daughters closely involved in the process.
She was also spotted at the Australian Open last week alongside eldest daughter Lucy as guests of champagne brand Piper-Heidsieck.
Billy, meanwhile, has moved on personally and is now in a long-term relationship with partner Crystle Fleur, recently shutting down rumours of a split after the couple were seen together at the Australian Open.
He has spoken openly about finding peace after years of upheaval, even if the scars of the past remain.
Lyon, who recently underwent back surgery, is expected to return to footy broadcasting duties with SEN and Fox Footy ahead of the new season, another factor shaping the couple’s wedding timeline as they prepare to finally say ‘I do’ later this year.
