Lachie Neale tribunal hearing: One match ban upheld after marathon tribunal hearing
It’s the biggest question of grand final week: Will Lachie Neale be freed to play after a marathon four hour hearing we have our answer.
AFL: Lachie Neale will miss this weekend’s grand final against Fremantle after an extraordinary tribunal hearing on Tuesday night that lasted more than four hours.
The Brisbane star is fronted the AFL Tribunal on Tuesday afternoon as looking to overturn a one-match ban for striking.
However, the tribunal could not find sufficient reason to overturn the decision even when factoring in Neal’es exemplary record given the act was intentional.
The verdict is a significant one for the grand final, with Neale one of the Lions’ most prominent midfield stars in the match-up with his former club.
Follow all the developments from the hearing below, with proceedings set to get underway at 3pm WA time.
Key events
22 Sep 2026 - 08:36 PM
ANALYSIS
22 Sep 2026 - 07:53 PM
Explainer
22 Sep 2026 - 07:48 PM
Brisbane could appeal
22 Sep 2026 - 07:39 PM
Lachie Neale’s ban is upheld
22 Sep 2026 - 07:33 PM
It’s all going to come down to the exceptional circumstances
22 Sep 2026 - 07:28 PM
We’re back,
22 Sep 2026 - 07:14 PM
Andrew Dillon weighs in
22 Sep 2026 - 07:05 PM
We’ve officially passed the four-mark
22 Sep 2026 - 05:13 PM
Deliberations underway
22 Sep 2026 - 05:10 PM
Gleeson says Neale is ‘pretty close’ to a unicorn
22 Sep 2026 - 05:03 PM
The AFL responds as we pass the two-hour mark
22 Sep 2026 - 04:50 PM
Gleeson says an ‘intentional’ strike would make Anderson arguments innaporpriate
22 Sep 2026 - 04:23 PM
The Tribunal chair pipes in
22 Sep 2026 - 04:09 PM
The Lions go back to the vision
22 Sep 2026 - 03:47 PM
The AFL says Neale’s action is a clear strike
22 Sep 2026 - 03:36 PM
Neale is now being questioned by the AFL
22 Sep 2026 - 03:25 PM
Neale says he’s spoken to Ginnivan
22 Sep 2026 - 03:16 PM
Neale describes the incident
22 Sep 2026 - 03:05 PM
We’re underway
22 Sep 2026 - 03:00 PM
The argument Brisbane will try to make
22 Sep 2026 - 02:38 PM
What’s at stake
You thought last night was a drag
It was a slog towards the end of Brownlow night with Nick Daicos having an age to rehearse his speech.
This has lasted more than an hour longer than that count took.
Fun Fact No.3
This Tribunal hearing has now gone on longer than the extended edition of The Fellowship of the Ring.
We’re slowly closing in on the extended edition of The Two Towers, which lasts 3 hours and 55 minutes.
Fun Fact No.2
Craig O’Donoghue’s flight to Melbourne tomorrow is scheduled to take three hours and 30 minutes.
That’s how long this has gone on for.
Fun fact
This tribunal hearing has now lasted longer than how long the grand final will be on Saturday....
1hr and counting
That makes it more than 3hrs total since proceedings began, with still no answer over if Lachie Neale will play this weekend.
We’re still waiting
We’ve just passed the 30-minute mark since the Tribunal went to deliberate; still hard to say which way this will go
Deliberations underway
After 130 minutes the AFL tribunal is off to deliberate the unicorn line seems to be a compelling comment for exceptional and compelling cirumstances
Gleeson says Neale is ‘pretty close’ to a unicorn
The test of exceptionality is what players have that combination of 320 games and no suspensions, and I suspect if we’ve got 13366 players who have ever pulled the boots on while Mr Neale might not be a unicorn he’d be pretty close to it.”
Mr Woods says he wouldn’t argue against that
The AFL responds as we pass the two-hour mark
“There was some focus on the fist; it’s not clear if it was a fist or an arm, just that it was a striking motion,” Mr Woods says.
“But it certainly is a strike. When you watch it at normal speed, if Ginnivan has time to react is it’s only for a split second.
“He gets to his feet far too quickly for a man trying to milk a free kick.
“The AFL position is you put the grand final out of your mind, and it should not be relevant to the tribunal.
“The AFL leaves it to the Tribunal over exceptional and compelling circumstances; however, Neale has been cited eight times and three for striking.”
Anderson rebuts
“Even if it’s an intentional act is at the very lowest impact to justify only one match,” he says.
“If I was trying to get it down from a two-or three-for-four match, then that’s a different argument.
“The whole idea is that you’re entitled to a lapse; you’re entitled to some credit over what you’ve demonstrated in your history.
“The player suffered no injury or any apparent consequence and that is something that has been taken into account in compelling and exceptional circumstances.”
