Fresh allegations have surfaced claiming that Collingwood captain Darcy Moore confronted 7News football reporter Mitch Cleary over a kiss involving a Magpies staff member during a trip to Dubai last November. An unnamed source, whose prior accounts of the media junket are said to have been accurate, alleges that Moore, described as an outspoken feminist, "had words" with Cleary.
Cleary reportedly kissed a club employee despite being engaged to a pregnant fiancée. The overseas trip was organized as part of Collingwood's partnership with Emirates and included Pies players and journalists. The source claims Moore expressed disapproval to Cleary and subsequently left the Dubai trip a day early.
However, Collingwood has disputed these claims. A senior club insider stated that no confrontation occurred as described. When asked about Moore's reaction to Cleary's behavior, a team spokesperson declined to comment on the captain's specific views. The club did confirm that Moore left the trip early, but maintained that his departure was pre-planned and unrelated to any incident.
The report comes after Cleary publicly addressed the incident on his podcast. He admitted to making "a really bad error in judgement" and apologized for the hurt, stress, and embarrassment caused to his fiancée and family. Cleary stated he was dealing with the consequences privately.
Reports indicate that the staff member involved also regretted the incident and apologized for the impact of her actions. A Collingwood insider characterized the event as a "consensual kiss" during personal time on the off-season trip and denied that an affair took place.
Moore's own partner, Dee Salmin, a broadcaster and writer, has been vocal on issues of relationships and gender roles. She has previously announced a boycott of the Brownlow Medal ceremony due to the AFL's handling of a separate controversy involving the Sydney Swans.
Other notable figures on the Dubai trip included Collingwood players Isaac Quaynor, Josh Daicos, and Nick Daicos, as well as Herald Sun gossip columnist Jackie Epstein and Cleary's Seven colleague, cameraman Damian Shine.
Cleary's fiancée, racing commentator Kate Watts, brought the incident to public attention via a social media post that named the Magpies employee and accused her of being involved with Cleary. The post was later deleted. Senior sources at Seven and Collingwood subsequently confirmed the kiss but denied any further relationship.