Brisbane have rolled the dice on premiership captain Lachie Neale, with the dual Brownlow Medallist pulling off a miracle injury return to play in the AFL grand final.
Just 22 days after he tore his calf, Neale has been named for the defending premiers to face Geelong in the flag decider on Saturday, after the AFL world weighed in on whether the Lions should take the risk.
Brisbane conceded the 32-year-old was done for the season when an emotional Neale limped off the MCG late in the qualifying final loss to the Cats on September 5.
Scans confirmed a tear, sinking the hearts of the Lions’ faithful, with an expected recovery timeline of more than a month, seemingly putting a line through his finals campaign.
Neale shocked the footy world when he declared “I think I can get there…” when asked about his chances of returning in the grand final, if Brisbane got there, after the semifinal win over Gold Coast.
Less than three weeks later, the ball magnet was true to his word. He will replace injured midfielder Jarrod Berry.
Berry comes out of the side after he dislocated his left shoulder in the preliminary final victory over Collingwood, the second time late this season he’s sustained the injury.
Despite the overwhelming concerns about his fitness, Neale has no doubt about his ability to run out on the MCG.
“Yes, I am confident I will get up for a whole game,” he told reporters on Thursday morning.
Neale trained strongly at Ikon Park on Thursday, completing a range of drills and didn’t appear laboured from the glimpses the media caught from behind closed doors.
It shouldn’t be any surprise given Neale’s remarkable durability in his nearly seven year stint at Brisbane.
Since he joined the Lions at the end of the 2018 season, the midfielder has played 158 of 170 possible games.
Former Brisbane captain and three-time premiership forward Jonathon Brown warned they would suffer from an emotional let-down if they don’t take a calculated risk and pick the star midfielder.
Camera IconLachie Neale was all smiles as he arrived in Melbourne this week. Credit: JOEL CARRETT/AAPIMAGE
Brown will present the premiership cup to the Lions if they win the flag, after being chosen by the club to have that honour. He and Geelong’s presenter, Joel Selwood, were side by side with the cup at the MCG on Thursday morning.
“I think Lachie will play,” Brown said.
“I don’t think you can take the risk on both him and Jarrod Berry. They’ve been rolling the dice in the last few weeks with Jarrod Berry with understanding the likelihood that his shoulder would probably go again, but they had Bruce Reville there as the sub. So, a midfielder – like for like. I think they’ll do the same with Lachie Neale.
“He’s been pain-free, and he’s trained fully with the group for the last week. He’s the captain of your club. We know what he’s achieved as an individual. I think it would be a let-down for the group if he was right to play and Fages and the coaching staff didn’t pick him.”
Teammate Dayne Zorko said they would back Neale’s call no matter which way it landed.
“He knows his body better than us,” Zorko said.
“I know Lachie always puts the team first, and he will on this occasion as well.
Camera IconLachie Neale celebrates with fans in Brisbane ahead of the grand final for the Lions against Geelong. Credit: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images
“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.”
When you look at Neale’s grand final record it’s little wonder they want the superstar in the team.
He finished runner-up to Will Ashcroft in last year’s Norm Smith Medal after he racked up a game-high 35 disposals and nine clearances despite tearing his plantar fascia in the game, having nursed the injury for 10 weeks.
In the losing grand final the year before, Neale had 21 touches and five clearances, while in his first as the sub for Fremantle in 2013 he racked up 10 disposals in only 20 per cent game time.
Neale will have to complete one final hurdle before gameday, with Brisbane to hold their captain’s run at the MCG after the Grand Final Parade on Friday.
