Abbey Holmes has doubled down on the Lachie Neale Kissgate scandal following Friday night’s game between Carlton and Geelong.
The AFL commentator had previously been criticized for a seemingly harmless kiss on the cheek she shared with good friend and Brisbane Lion Lachie Neale after an on-field interview.
Now, in a clear message to his detractors, Holmes shared a similar kiss with Carlton star Tom De Koning after he delivered the game of the season for the Blues.
“I want to ask him about his current form, the best of his career, there’s no doubt about that,” Holmes told De Koning.
“25 disposals, 20 contested possessions, another seven clearances, how confident are you with what you can do here on game day?”
Holmes is a former AFLW player and respected AFL commentator who has come under fire in recent weeks for the seemingly innocent on-air kiss with Lions star Lachie Neale.
Holmes interviewed Tom De Koning after the Carlton star had his best game of the season.
De Koning shared a kiss on the cheek and a big hug after Friday night’s interview.
De Koning responded: ‘Very much. I now know my role from start to finish and have the trust of my teammates, and I have the utmost confidence in them to fulfill their duties, which helps me a lot.
“I’m really enjoying football right now.”
At the end of the interview, De Koning leaned over to give him a kiss on the cheek and a warm hug.
‘Tdk and Abbey Holmes just kissed, they must be dating?’ one fan asked sarcastically.
“Abbey Holmes, all by herself, kissing back hello,” posted another.
“Abbey Holmes handing out arguments about what not to do to feminists,” added another.
Then, to drive the point home, Holmes also shared a kiss with star forward Charlie Curnow and Alex Cincotta.
“Abbey Holmes is here kissing everyone,” one follower posted with the hashtag #goodonher.
“Abbey Holmes makes sure to kiss everyone after the game,” another posted with a skull emoji.
Holmes also interviewed Carlton stars Charlie Curnow and Alex Cincotta and also shared a kiss on the cheek and hugs with them.
There was a lot more commentary about Holmes on social media after Friday night’s crash.
This polite kiss between friends was what sparked the controversy that has raged online ever since.
The TV presenter had previously shared a quick kiss on the cheek with double Brownlow medalist Neale after interviewing him post-match when the Lions played the Bulldogs in round 13.
The pair, friends off the court, sparked a debate over whether the kiss was appropriate, with some commentators claiming it crossed the line.
Holmes, a former AFLW player, responded, describing the response as “really disturbing”.
“Jules Neale… sent me a message this morning saying, ‘I hope you’re okay, this is ridiculous,'” Holmes said at the time.
After sparking controversy with the postgame kiss, Holmes sent his fans a heartfelt message on social media this week.
‘Always focused. Thanks for the love this week, people. “I heard you,” he posted on Instagram.
Carlton crushed Geelong 21.12 (138) to 11.9 (75) in Friday night’s clash, securing second place on the AFL ladder.
Carlton dominated Geelong on a disastrous night for the Cats, with Tom Hawkins injured and Patrick Dangerfield facing match review issues.
Carlton won by 63 points, with a score of 21.12 (138) to 11.9 (75), marking their highest score of the season and their highest against Geelong since the 1995 grand final.
Hawkins, playing his 359th game, managed just three disposals against key Carlton defender Jacob Weitering and has scored just 15 goals in 12 games this season.
He injured himself by pushing off his left foot in the third quarter, leading to him leaving the field in distress and later being seen on crutches.
“I can’t say the news is good, but I’m not saying it’s bad either,” Cats coach Chris Scott said.
‘It’s the middle part of the foot; he’s had a problem with his toe… it’s not the same injury. The experts we have don’t know, so I don’t have anything else to add about it.’
