Lachie Neale tribunal hearing: One match ban upheld after marathon tribunal hearing

“My body force and right arm would have pushed his forward, my forearm is close to his chest and it’s wrapped up by his left arm so he’s holding my arm in that place,” Neale continues.

“I spoke to Jack this morning via phone call and he said it felt more like a body check or bump then a strike.”

“The force of my body contacting him made him go to ground.”

“In my head I’ve seen what has happened and in my mind I’ve decided I’m going to bump/body check Jack and let him know I didn’t like what had happened,” Neale explains.

“I could tell he could see I was about to make impact so I think he’s expecting me to bump into him.

“You can see his left arm lifts up and he’s protecting his body and my arm wraps around as my body makes contacts with him

“My chest into his shoulder or shoulder into his shoulder is the first contact.

“It felt like his arm was wrapping my arm up at the same time, my body definitely made contact first.

“I would run past him a little bit further than that and make a clenched fist (if my intention was to punch him).”

Neale says his fist was not clenched.

“My left arm is wrapped around his and my left arm his on his right arm.

“I was very close to the incident between Eric Hipwood and Jack where it looked like Jack had given him a couple of jumper punches.

“I didn’t think that looked great, so I ran past Jack to show his disappointment to body check him.

“It felt like I hit him with my shoulder first then my arm came across, I felt he stopped and braced his left shoulder and his left arm raised for impact from me.

“I indicated Jack might have taken a bit of a dive to get a free kick, he had a bit of a smile on his face but he didn’t say anything.”

He is arguing the point over exceptional and compelling circumstances as expected.

“My first senior state league competion game was 2011 with Glenelg, I think I played seven senior games with them in 2011; that was the year I was drafted,” he says.

“Drafted to Fremantle, where I played seven seasons, I received two best and fairest, one runner-up, and I think I made three All-Australian squads.

“I played several league games for Swan Districts during that time, I was traded at the end of 2018 so 2019 was my first season there.

“I’ve received four best and fairest with the Lions, three All Australians and two Brownlow medals.

He responds no when asked whether he has ever been suspended across his state league, Fremantle and Brisbane career.

Andrew Woods KC from the AFL outlines the Hawks’ medical report that Ginnivan was assessed but did not have to leave the field nor would he miss any matches (should Hawthorn have progressed).

Lions representative Adrian Anderson outlines the points they’ll try to make.

“We argue that it is not a strike, and if it is, that it is low impact rather than medium and if the Tribunal rules against us on that, that there are exceptional and compelling circumstances.”

The AFL says it will not support or go against the exceptional circumstances and will leave that to the tribunal.

There have been several players who have been banned for gut punches this season and have not had them overturned.

The precedent the Lions will try to follow is when Scott Pendlebury got his one-match rough conduct banned overturned due to ‘exceptional and compelling circumstances,’ earlier this eason.

In that instance, the Pies cited how the 400-gamer had never been reported or banned previously in his career, which some fans accused as a ‘good bloke clause’.’

The actual wording is this: “If a classifiable offence is contested or referred to the tribunal, a player with an exemplary record may argue that their good record constitutes exceptional and compelling circumstances.”

Neale is a 320-gamer who, like Pendlebury, has never been suspended, so that will be the avenue for success.

You cannot understate just how important Lachie Neale is to the Brisbane side, and if you need a reminder, watch his second half against Geelong in last year’s grand final.

He almost won the Norm Smith playing just half a game after being a sub and is crucial for Brisbane’s centre bounce structure.

A ban would also deny him a grand final farewell with Neale to join Collingwood next season, meaning last week’s prelim could be his last in Lions colours.

If Neale were banned, the Lions would likely have to move their dangerous small forwards like Zac Bailey or Cam Rayner into the midfield more, which would negate what will be their biggest strength over the Dockers at the weekend.

Hello and welcome to the biggest AFL Tribunal case of the season as Lachie Neale’s grand final fate rests in the hands of the lawyers after receiving a one-match ban for striking Jack Ginnivan in the Lions’ epic prelim final win over Hawthorn.

The hearing should be getting underway around 3pm and both teams will be intently watching the outcome of this case.