Brisbane Lions star Lachie Neale has successfully appealed a one-match ban and is eligible to play in this Saturday’s AFL Grand Final.
Neale had been handed the suspension after an incident with Hawthorn’s Jack Ginnivan during Brisbane’s preliminary final win last Saturday.
Instead of missing the match, he will now pay a fine of $10,000.
The Lions are playing the Fremantle Dockers in the 2026 Grand Final at 2:30pm on Saturday.
Background
Neale was handed a one-match suspension for striking Hawthorn’s Jack Ginnivan during Saturday’s preliminary final.
The strike was seen to be intentional conduct and of medium impact.
The 33-year-old has played in the past three Grand Finals with Brisbane, captaining the club to premierships in 2024 and 2025.
He is also a two-time winner of the Brownlow Medal, which is awarded annually to the AFL’s best and fairest player.
Tribunal
After four and a half hours of evidence and deliberation on Tuesday night, the Tribunal panel decided that Neale’s ban should be upheld.
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The findings said: “In the end, Neale delivered an intentional strike off the ball to an unsuspecting opponent… Even Neale’s outstanding record does not render a one-match suspension for that act inappropriate or unreasonable.”
During the Tribunal, Neale’s defence argued that the case presented “exceptional and compelling circumstances”.
This argument rested on Neale’s record as a player and the fact that Ginnivan wasn’t injured.
The midfielder has played 320 AFL matches without any previous suspensions.
He has also been the recipient of numerous football-related accolades.
Appeal
At the appeal hearing two days later, Neale’s representative, Adrian Anderson, argued that the Tribunal failed to account for the significance of the ban, given that Neale would miss an historic opportunity to play in an AFL Grand Final.
Anderson added that the opportunity is made more historic by the fact that Neale could become the only player in the modern era to have won two Brownlow Medals and three AFL premierships.
Anderson also suggested a $10,000 fine or banning Neale from Round 1 in 2027 would be more appropriate.
After some deliberation, the AFL’s Appeals Board concluded that the Tribunal had erred when it came to “exceptional and compelling circumstances” and that a $10,000 fine would be appropriate.
