AFL grand final 2025: Lions back Neale to make right call in race to reach GF

The Brisbane Lions will trust Lachie Neale to put the team first if required as the co-captain races to prove his fitness for the AFL grand final.

Neale is attempting to mount an extraordinary comeback from the calf strain suffered in the qualifying-final loss to Geelong three weeks ago for Saturday’s decider against the Cats.

The injury was initially listed as having a four-to-six-week timeframe but Neale has ramped up his training, with Thursday’s session looming as D-Day for the premiership midfielder.

Veteran teammate Dayne Zorko sat next to Neale on the plane down from Brisbane on Wednesday and indicated the dual Brownlow Medallist was in good spirits.

He made it clear he had trust in Neale’s ability to make a call on his fitness.

“He knows his body better than us,” Zorko said at Melbourne Airport.

“I know Lachie always puts the team first, and he will this occasion as well.

“So he knows what it’s like. He knows he’s got to put his body through a fair bit tomorrow to get through, and if he does that with flying colours, we trust him to make the right call.”

Zorko expected Neale to tackle a more intense training session than his teammates.

“I imagine he’d probably just have to sprint a little bit harder than us,” Zorko said.

“We’ll get the work in that we need to and the parameters that we need to hit, but for him he probably needs to keep ticking off the boxes that the medical team need him to do.

“So if he does that, comes through and pulls up really well, then we’re still three days away from the grand final, so there’s still a fair bit of time there and there’s a lot of recovery to happen in that space as well.

“So we’ll get through tomorrow and if he pulls up really well then it’s over to Fages (coach Chris Fagan) to make the decision I guess.”

Geelong spearhead Jeremy Cameron said Neale even getting in contention to play after a “fairly decent” calf injury was “an enormous effort,” but the Cats wouldn’t focus on his fitness push.

“We’ll prepare for him and without him and see how it sort of pans out,” Cameron said.

Midfielder Jarrod Berry, who suffered a shoulder injury in the preliminary-final win over Collingwood, appears less likely to feature.

Berry and other injured players flew down with the rest of the team.

“He’d be in the exact same boat, I would have thought,” Zorko said.

“Jarrod needs his arms, Lachie needs his legs.

“So it’s going to be a different workout for Jarrod once again. But look, he’ll have to train tomorrow and get through it.

“If he does and pulls up well, then that’s another decision for Fages and the coaching staff. But he’s in the same boat as Lachie - they put the team first.

“They understand what’s at stake, and they’ll do what’s best for the team.”