Who is Alex McKinnon's 'mystery woman'? Glam social worker Lily Malone, 22, is pictured on ex-NRL pl
The mystery woman on the arm of quadriplegic former NRL player Alex McKinnon can be revealed as a glamorous young social worker ten years his junior.
Former Newcastle Knights player McKinnon, 32, and fellow University of Newcastle student Lily Malone, 22, both shared an image with their arms around one another to their Instagram pages on Sunday.
McKinnon posted the picture of them both dressed in pink at Malone’s 22nd birthday party just hours before the NRL season opener kicked off in Las Vegas on Sunday.
Moments later, Malone debuted McKinnon on her own Instagram page, sharing the same photo with a love heart emoji.
Malone’s mum Monique did not deny the pair were an item when contacted by Daily Mail Australia on Monday.
Lily Malone shared a candid photo of herself with Alex McKinnon – alongside a love heart – at the weekend
The 22-year-old brunette bombshell is studying social work at University of Newcastle, where McKinnon is studying psychology
‘I wont comment on their relationship, that’s up to them to comment,’ Mrs Malone said.
Lily Malone is studying a bachelor’s degree in social work at University of Newcastle. McKinnon is also studying psychology there, as well as working for Fox Sports as a sideline reporter and analyst.
Malone – who works as a family contact worker at Life Without Barriers – recently shared that she is soon to be a qualified social worker.
‘In collaboration with a small, dedicated team, I’ve developed an eight-session program tailored to the unique needs of ‘Parents of First Time Youth Offenders Within a Domestic Violence Context,’ she recently posted to her LinkedIn page.
McKinnon’s romance comes after he split from his ex-wife Teigan Power in January 2022 after five years of marriage, three children and his own horrific on-field footy accident that left him a quadriplegic.
As they parted ways, both parties confirmed the split was amicable and that they remained committed to co-parenting their children, twins Audrey and Violet, and eldest daughter Harriet.
Power went public with her new love Jake Nelson late last year.
Lily recently celebrated with a ‘pink’ themed 22nd birthday that McKinnon attended
McKinnon was left a quadriplegic after he suffered a spinal cord injury in a Round 3 match against the Melbourne Storm in 2014
The former couple had three children – Harriet aged four and twins Audrey and Violet, two
Last year, McKinnon said he and Power were still bonded by a strong close friendship.
‘We are still really close,’ he told News Corp.
‘Being a parent is such an important job and having a strong relationship with their mum is just as important.
‘We are still good friends, we both realise we are role models for the kids and we need to show them that being supportive of each other is the only way to be.’
McKinnon proposed to his high school sweetheart from his hospital bed just days after his promising NRL career was cut short in March 2014, when he suffered a devastating spinal cord injury in a horrifying on-field accident. He was just 22.
He suffered fractures to his C4 and C5 vertebrae after a dangerous tackle close to half-time of a Round 3 clash against the Melbourne Storm. McKinnon proposed to Power just 14 days after breaking his spine.
McKinnon and Power tied the knot in an intimate ceremony in the NSW Hunter Valley in October 2017.
The former Knights star promised his bride that he would rise from his wheelchair when he popped the question, and he did just that at their wedding.
The couple were together for 12 years and married for five before their relationship quietly came to an end.
McKinnon’s father Scott told Daily Mail Australia at the time that McKinnon was ‘doing good, but it’s really sad – what can you do?’
‘I know he’s a good boy, but Alex is a private bloke.
‘It’s just very, very sad.’
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