Outgoing Brisbane champion Lachie Neale knows he was lucky to play in his third straight AFL premiership and couldn’t help being a little cheeky after the historic victory.
Neale controversially had his one-match ban for striking overturned at the AFL appeals board on Thursday night, two days after the tribunal had held it up in marathon four and a half hour hearing.
The two-time Brownlow medallist hit Hawthorn’s Jack Ginnivan with a gut punch behind play during last week’s preliminary final victory over the Hawks in an incident that was only caught on long-range behind-the-goals vision.
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In his last game for the Lions on Saturday before a looming move to Collingwood, Neale was influential at times with 20 touches, including a crucial kick in the chain of play that resulted in Logan Morris’s go-ahead goal in the dying minutes of the game.
Neale admitted what everyone already knew in an interview with Channel 7 after the game — that he was playing with his Lions teammates for the final time, saying he is “going to miss them very much”.
In an Instagram post later on Saturday night, Neale posed with the three premiership cups from the past three years and a simple caption: “What now…”
Ginnivan was quick to comment on the post, leaving just a cherry emoji.
“@jackginnivan hope your tummy okay my guy,” Neale responded cheekily.
Neale is headed for the Magpies next year as a free agent, but leaves with the blessing of the club he has called home for eight years, with Brisbane coach Chris Fagan hailing him for shaping the Lions into a team capable of reaching premiership heights.
Neale’s 186th game for the club was the Lions’ extraordinary third straight premiership.
He helped sink his former club Fremantle, whose fans booed him during the parade and in the grand final.
After Neale left the Dockers at the end of 2018, Brisbane played in eight straight finals series that culminated in the Lions’ second three-peat this century.
Neale has dealt with the fallout of his public marriage breakdown this year and is managing a complex co-parenting situation with his kids in Western Australia.
“One of the things we hadn’t been good at for a long, long time as a footy club, even before I turned up as coach, was contested ball,” Fagan said.
“You can’t win premierships or finals if you’re not good at contested ball.
“He’s a contested ball king. He in particular led the way in that department.
“Luke Hodge came along and helped our leadership.
“Lachie Neale came along and set the bar high for contested possession.
“That’s the biggest legacy he leaves this club.
“He’s had a difficult year, he’s had lots of challenges — another one this week — and then he had to put up with the crowd booing him all day today.
“His private life is probably not where he would want it to be and he’s copped a lot of flak for that, but through it all he’s remained resilient and always turned up and played good footy. We’re all incredibly grateful to him for that.”
Lions star Zac Bailey, who recently turned his back on a free-agency offer from Adelaide to re-sign with Brisbane, was nothing but complimentary about Neale.
“He’s a massive reason why we’re able to go from where we were on the ladder to a three-time premiership team,” Bailey said.
“He’s so tough. I’ve never played with someone as tough as him.
“I don’t think there are any hard feelings … he’s just given so much to the club.”
In a post-game on-ground interview, Neale let slip it was his last game with Brisbane.
Speaking in the Lions’ rooms later, the 33-year-old said it was “probably” the end with Brisbane, but didn’t confirm if he would switch to the Magpies.
“I can’t thank the club enough for the last eight years,” Neale said.
“It’s been the best eight years of my life, and they’re an amazing club, and I’m so lucky to have been a part of it.”
– With AAP
