AFL Grand Final 2026: Brisbane star Lachie Neale has suspension overturned on appeal, free to play Fremantle

Brisbane superstar Lachie Neale is free to play in Saturday’s grand final, with the appeals board finding his “exemplary” record was enough for his ban for striking to be downgraded to a fine.

Neale was handed a one-game suspension for a gut punch on the Hawthorn gun Jack Ginnivan in the first quarter of their thrilling preliminary final at the MCG on the weekend.

After the tribunal upheld the ban on Tuesday, it was taken to appeal on Thursday night, and after a nearly two-and-a-half-hour hearing, the Neale camp succeeded in having the ban downgraded, with the midfielder handed a $10,000 fine instead.

It means he will get the chance to play for a third consecutive premiership when the Lions come up against the Dockers at the MCG on Saturday.

“Yeah, it was pretty nerve-wracking and in pretty foreign territory, so I wasn’t really sure what to do with myself,” Neale said after the appeal hearing.

“I’ve been trying to keep busy and thankfully coming down here training and everything and having the boys around me has been great.

When asked if $10,000 was a small price to pay, Neale said: “absolutely”.

“I wouldn’t say I have a bigger point to prove on Saturday I just want to play my part and win on Saturday, difficult challenge against Freo but hopefully we can do it.”

Neale sat alongside Brisbane football boss Danny Daly throughout the appeal in a club polo and was not required to speak, having given evidence on Tuesday.

Brisbane’s representative Adrian Anderson said they would not argue that the strike was intentional, medium and to the body but that he should not be suspended because of “exceptional and compelling circumstances” because Neal had not been banned in his prior 320 games.

He also argued that the tribunal did not take into account that Neale would be suspended for a grand final when it made its determination earlier in the week.

Anderson said that Neale should either be fined or be suspended for round one of next year but not miss a game as significant as grand final for a “minor offence”.

“In Lachie Neale’s case we’re talking about something historic in this competition. A three-peat and he would be the first player in the modern era … to win two Brownlows and three premierships,” he said.

Anderson said that Neale should have leniency for three seasons — “your record is incredible, Ginnivan wasn’t hurt, it’s pretty minor and to miss the grand final, combined with those two means that it’s inappropriate to apply the suspension”.

The AFL was keen to submit new vision of the incident, but the appeals board denied its use after Anderson argued it should’ve been submitted before Tuesday’s tribunal hearing.

AFL representative Andrew Woods KC denied that the tribunal didn’t take into account the significance that it was a grand final and said they in fact did so twice.

Appeals board chairperson Richard Loveridge said while the appeals board did not agree that the tribunal didn’t take into account that Neale would miss the grand final, his “exemplary” record meant the “exceptional and compelling circumstances” provision should be applied.

“In regard to whether ‘exceptional and compelling circumstances’ provision can apply to Neale’s benefit,” Mr Loveridge said when reading the appeal board’s reasoning.”

“We find that the Tribunal did err in having regard to whether the conduct was intentional.

“We accept the position of Neale in his written submissions that the intentional aspect was an element of the charge which had already been established.

“The relevant inquiry was whether, despite the charge having been established, there was exceptional and compelling circumstances.

“In this case, that was Neale’s record. We find that Neale’s record is exemplary, and that he should be afforded the benefit of the provision.

“In conclusion, we allow the appeal. We order that Neale instead be fined $10,000.”

Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir was asked for his reaction not long after the appeal board’s decision and said he was shocked it wasn’t cleared by the tribunal on Tuesday and always thought he’d play

“Well, I was on Tuesday, and I thought he would play,” Longmuir told AFL360.

“It probably took a little bit longer than expected to get to this point, but I understand the rationale behind it

“With tribunal or concussion or even umpiring, I’m after consistency, which there is consistency in this and other players have got off with exemplary records.

“We wouldn’t have changed our midfield anyway, and if he didn’t play, one of their other guys just picks up a little more time, and they’ve got guys lining up

“We’ll put some more time into him; he’s a champion of the game and having him out there is definitely going to help them.”

Neale will now be available to play in the biggest game of the year in what is likely to be his last game for Brisbane, with the former Docker having been heavily linked to a move to Collingwood as a free agent at the end of the season.