Lachie Neale in eye-opening moment with Abbey Holmes as Brian Taylor ripped over bizarre gaffe

Lachie Neale and Abbey Holmes sent a defiant message to their critics after the AFL grand final when the Brisbane Lions captain and Channel 7 presenter once again shared a post-match kiss. Neale and Holmes are good mates away from footy, and showed that in June when they kissed on the cheek following a post-match interview after a Lions game.

Holmes had just finished interviewing Neale when they embraced, but the moment sparked some controversy. Brisbane legend Leigh Matthews was among the few who expressed surprise of the live TV moment, while it was also labelled "unprofessional" by columnist Kate Halfpenny because it occurred in the workplace.

But Neale and Holmes both dismissed the criticism at the time, and seemed to send a defiant message again on Saturday. After the Lions beat the Sydney Swans 120-60 to win the flag, Holmes shared a kiss with Neale once again following an interview on the field.

Needless to say it didn't go unnoticed, with fans believing it was a big F-you in response to the storm they created in June. One person wrote on social media: "Love that Lachie Neale kissed Abbey Holmes with even more gusto than the last time. Normalise friends showing platonic affection." Another person commented: "OMG it’s happened again. Abbey Holmes and Lachie Neale the sequel!"

Neale is finally a premiership winner after losing grand finals twice before - including last year against Collingwood. He told Holmes during the interview: "I can't put it into words, I bloody love this group. After everything we went through last year and then the start of this year. No words can describe how proud I am and how much I love this footy club. It's unbelievable."

RELATED:

• Swans captain raises eyebrows with 'bad omen' before grand final

• Richmond fans fume over club's 'dumb' move for AFL grand final

Brian Taylor called out over bizarre Chris Fagan gaffe

Holmes wasn't the only Channel 7 personality to light up social media after the grand final, with lead commentator Brian Taylor also the talk of the AFL world. But for Taylor it was for all the wrong reasons.

Taylor called a good game on Channel 7, but made a staggering gaffe at three-quarter time when he accidentally referred to Lions coach Chris Fagan as legendary fellow coach Denis Pagan. Taylor said 'Denis Pagan' was on the cusp of becoming just the second person to coach a team to premiership glory without playing in the AFL. Fans were rather unforgiving of Taylor's mistake considering it came at such a big moment in Fagan's career, and in actual fact the coach became the first to achieve that feat.

And it wasn't the only moment that Taylor copped backlash for on grand final day, with leading reporter Jon Ralph revealing it was BT's cryptic comment about an announcement that was going to be made that forced Joe Daniher to admit he was considering retiring. Taylor alluded to the fact someone would be making an emotional announcement after the grand final, which resulted in Daniher admitting he was weighing up whether the game would be the last of his career.