Fresh claims Collingwood captain Darcy Moore ‘had words’ with Mitch Cleary over Dubai kiss – but club insiders dispute key detail
Rumours are continuing to swirl in AFL circles about the Mitch Cleary scandal, with fresh claims emerging that Collingwood captain Darcy Moore confronted the 7News footy reporter over his kiss with a Magpies staffer during a trip to Dubai.
An inside source, whose other claims about what occurred on the media junket have proved true, now alleges that Moore, an outspoken feminist, ‘had words’ with Cleary after he kissed a club employee despite having a pregnant fiancée back home.
The overseas jaunt, which was attended by Pies players and journalists, took place last November and was organised as part of Collingwood’s partnership with Emirates.
According to the source, Moore was unhappy when he became aware of what happened and, in his capacity as club leader, made his disapproval known to Cleary.
They claimed the skipper subsequently left the Dubai trip one day early.
Various accounts of this alleged confrontation have been doing the rounds in AFL circles since Cleary owned up to the kiss on Tuesday – but Collingwood is disputing them.
Fresh claims have emerged that Collingwood captain Darcy Moore confronted 7News AFL reporter Mitch Cleary over his kiss with a Magpies staffer during a trip to Dubai last November
An inside source alleges that Moore, an outspoken feminist, had words with Cleary (left) after he kissed a club employee despite having a pregnant fiancée, Kate Watts (right), back home
The overseas jaunt, which was attended by Pies players and journalists, took place last November and was organised as part of Collingwood’s partnership with Emirates
A senior club insider maintains there was no confrontation as described.
When asked specifically whether Moore was upset about Cleary’s behaviour, a team spokesperson ‘declined to comment on Darcy’s view of the incident’.
The Magpies did, however, confirm one aspect of the rumour: Moore had left the junket early – but they clarified his exit was pre-planned and not a reaction to events.
The question of Moore’s reaction is particularly intriguing given his partner Dee Salmin’s outspoken views on relationships, gender roles and AFL culture.
Salmin, a broadcaster and writer, has vowed to boycott this year’s Brownlow Medal ceremony over the AFL’s handling of the recent Sydney Swans controversy.
Moore was not the only big name on the Dubai junket, with fellow Magpies Isaac Quaynor and brothers Josh and Nick Daicos also among those on the trip.
Herald Sun gossip columnist Jackie Epstein was there, as was Cleary’s Seven colleague, senior television news cameraman Damian Shine.
The trip has now taken on a different significance following Cleary’s admission that he kissed a Collingwood staffer while engaged to racing commentator Kate Watts.
According to the source, Moore was unhappy when he became aware of what happened and made his disapproval known to Cleary, who owned up to his indiscretion on the Tradies podcast this week (pictured). A Magpies sources denies any confrontation occurred and a club spokesperson ‘declined to comment on Darcy’s view of the incident’ when contacted on Friday
The question of Moore’s reaction is particularly intriguing given his partner Dee Salmin’s (left) outspoken views on relationships, gender roles and AFL culture
Watts and Cleary have been together for around five years and became engaged two years ago. Their first child, a daughter, was born in February.
Watts sensationally brought the indiscretion into the public domain on Sunday evening when she posted a photograph of Cleary at a football game beside a sign calling him the ‘GOAT’.
Her accompanying caption named the Magpies employee and accused her of being involved with Cleary. The Daily Mail has chosen not to name or picture the woman.
The post was deleted about an hour later.
Senior sources at both Seven and Collingwood subsequently confirmed that Cleary kissed the Pies employee during an off-season gathering.
They categorically denied that an affair took place.
A Collingwood insider described it as ‘a consensual kiss’ that took place during personal time on an off-season trip, adding that the staff member regretted the incident and apologised for the impact of her actions.
Cleary, meanwhile, was forced to publicly address the fallout.
After The Daily Mail broke the story, he posted an apology on Instagram.
‘I’m sorry for the hurt and embarrassment I have caused,’ he wrote.
‘The kiss was a terrible error in judgement for which I am incredibly sorry and I am dealing with the consequences privately with my family and those closest to me.’
He then addressed the scandal again on his weekly AFL trades podcast, The Tradies, which he co-hosts with fellow reporter Sam McClure.
McClure opened the episode by saying it would be ‘disingenuous’ not to address what had happened before the pair moved on to football.
Cleary admitted he had made ‘a really bad error in judgement’ and said the incident had caused ‘so much hurt, stress and embarrassment’ to those closest to him, particularly Watts and their daughter.
‘I’m working through it with those around me in a private setting, because it’s a personal matter,’ he said.
The pair then moved on to their usual footy discussion.
