Nathan Cleary and Mary Fowler spent the better part of six months trying to keep a lid on their budding relationship, but after a stunning Instagram debut earlier this week, it appears the pair have hit the ground running.
Professional sport’s newest power couple was rarely seen in photographs together and typically made blushing denials when asked about the relationship rumours.
But the Panthers halfback finally caved on Wednesday and posted a hilarious Instagram post, captioned “That’s life” with an ice cream emoji — a reference to when rumours first started swirling after a reported date spent sharing ice cream.
Now, the Matildas star has responded with a cheeky confirmation of her own.
Fowler shared an Instagram carousel on Friday, slyly sliding in a picture of herself and Cleary in fourth place.
“Slide 3,” she captioned the post, referencing the third pic, a quote that read: “But the most beautiful things in life are not just things.
“They’re people, and places, memories and pictures.
“They’re feelings and moments and smiles and laughter.”
Other photos in the post included one of Fowler getting coffee and one of her picking out an outfit in a changing room.
Fans went wild for the debut, which racked up thousands of likes and hundreds of comments in less than an hour.
“So nice of you to take a photo with a fan,” one joked.
“You and Nathan are my Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce,” wrote another.
“Or slide 4,” noted a third, adding the eyes emoji.
A fourth added: “Finally!!!!”
Last month, Fowler and Cleary were getting in some bonding time during the festive season and became the talk of the sporting world with their unexpected romance.
They were snapped sharing a kiss at Sydney Airport and an Aussie couple hadn’t had such a level of fanfare since Lleyton and Bec Hewitt in the early 2000s.
The star striker and Panther’s player had been tight-lipped about their new relationship and hadn’t been up for answering questions about it prior to Cleary’s post.
Cleary fronted up at the GQ awards, looking suave in a black suit, and snagged the Sportsman of the Year award in December.
Confidential’s Jonathon Moran inquired if the sporting star had brought a date, but Cleary informed him he had attended the event alone.
When pressed about Fowler’s whereabouts, Cleary looked flustered but stuck to his guns … well, kind of.
“I knew this was coming,” he said with a grin.
“She’s busy.”
Cleary added he was very “grateful” to be invited to the event but admitted it wasn’t his usual thing.
“No sneakers. It’s a bit different for me, but I don’t mind dressing up every now and then,” he quipped.
The pair melted hearts with their airport reunion after Fowler returned home in time for Christmas.
Cleary was seen with a huge smile as he picked the Matildas star up at the arrivals gate after she touched down on an Emirates flight from Dubai.
It was the first time the pair had seen each other since November 2 when Cleary farewelled Fowler at Perth Airport after watching her score a goal in Australia’s 3-0 win over Taiwan the previous night.
Their relationship was confirmed just one day earlier when they were pictured cuddling together in a Perth park.
The loved up couple made the most of their time together as they were spotted mucking around at an oval near Cleary’s Penrith home.
The two spent an hour getting hands on learning the crafts of each others respective codes as Fowler showed off her NRL passing skills while Cleary displayed his soccer skills.
The pair are believed to have met at a promotional event for Adidas, which sponsors both athletes.
Cleary expressed his annoyance at the heavy interest into his personal life last year.
“It is what is, it’s a little bit annoying to not have a private life but I like to not talk about it too much and keep anything I can private,” he said in September.
“Things take off pretty quick with social media but I’ll try to keep a private life if I can.”
It seems both are finally happy to soften that stance.