Lachie Neale Cleared for Grand Final After Appeals Board Overturns Ban

Lachie Neale will play in Saturday’s AFL Grand Final after the Appeals Board overturned his one-match suspension on Thursday night. The dual Brownlow medallist was fined $10,000 instead for striking Hawthorn’s Jack Ginnivan in the preliminary final. The board found the original tribunal erred by not weighing Neale’s exemplary 320-game record without suspension as exceptional and compelling circumstances.

How Neale’s ban was overturned

The Appeals Board, chaired by Richard Loveridge, ruled in less than 30 minutes of deliberation that the tribunal made an error of law. Loveridge stated the tribunal failed to give sufficient weight to Neale’s record as a four-time All-Australian with two Brownlow medals and zero prior suspensions. The board found this record was exceptional and should have triggered the exceptional and compelling circumstances provision to reduce the penalty.

What happened in the preliminary final

Neale struck Ginnivan in the stomach during an off-the-ball incident in the first quarter of Brisbane’s preliminary final victory over Hawthorn on September 19. The Match Review Officer graded the contact as intentional, medium impact, and to the body, which carried an automatic one-match ban. The timing was critical: the suspension would have forced Neale to miss the grand final rather than a regular-season game.

The tribunal hearing and new vision controversy

After the tribunal upheld the ban on Tuesday, Brisbane’s legal team appealed on Thursday. New clearer footage of the incident emerged from Champion Data’s optical tracking trial cameras at the MCG, but the Appeals Board agreed the vision was inadmissible because it was not presented at the original tribunal hearing. Brisbane’s legal representative Adrian Anderson argued the ban should be served in round one next year instead, given Neale is expected to join Collingwood in the off-season.

What this means for the grand final

Neale avoids becoming the first player to miss an AFL grand final following a preliminary-final suspension since Collingwood’s Anthony Rocca in 2023. Brisbane will field its strongest midfield for a shot at a third consecutive premiership. Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir said he had expected Neale to play and made no changes to his midfield planning. The grand final kicks off at 7:40pm AEST on Saturday at the MCG.

Final Thoughts

Neale’s appeal success hinged on his spotless disciplinary record across 320 games, not on disputing the strike itself. The $10,000 fine is substantial, but the ruling lets Brisbane field its best team for the premiership decider.

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