Lachie Neale is expected to tell Brisbane he has decided to join Collingwood on a three-year deal, with the Lions prepared to give their triple premiership midfielder their blessing.
The dual Brownlow medallist became available after his marriage break-up at the end of last season and was approached by Collingwood, Essendon and West Coast during 2026. He also met St Kilda coach Ross Lyon, his former coach at Fremantle.
Brisbane president Andrew Wellington said the club was grateful for Neale’s contribution since he joined during a difficult period for the Lions.
“It was a really important platform for turning the club around, and if you look at his performances in grand finals and big games, he has been incredible, so we have got nothing but gratitude for what he has done for our club,” Wellington said.
Neale, 33, admitted after the grand final that he had played his final game for Brisbane. The Lions secured a third consecutive premiership, with Neale collecting 20 disposals and playing a decisive role in the closing stages.
He had seven touches in the final quarter, including a kick to Hugh McCluggage in the dying minutes that helped create Logan Morris’s go-ahead goal.
Neale was booed whenever he gathered the ball after the AFL appeals board overturned the one-match suspension he had received for striking Hawthorn’s Jack Ginnivan in the preliminary final. His appeal was successful in part because he had gone 320 matches without a suspension.
On Sunday, Neale joined his Brisbane team-mates at Brunswick Street Oval after exchanging a cheeky message with Ginnivan on Instagram. Neale had posted a photograph of himself holding the Lions’ three premiership cups with the caption, “What now…”, to which Ginnivan responded with an emoji.
“Hope your tummy okay my guy x,” Neale replied. He later shared a “court sketch” of himself in an apparent reference to the tribunal case.
“We’ve still got some things to work out, but I can’t thank the [Lions] enough for the last eight years. It has been the best eight years of my life,” Neale said after the grand final. “It still doesn’t really feel real that this is probably the end of my time here.”
Will Ashcroft, who joined Brisbane in 2022, said Neale had been an important influence on his career.
“I love him. He has helped me so much. When I came in, he won the Brownlow in my first year. He has been a great role model for me on the field and a great mate for me off the field,” Ashcroft said.
As an unrestricted free agent, Neale can move to Collingwood without a trade. The Magpies are also set to land Greater Western Sydney forward Jesse Hogan, although his move may be completed through a trade rather than as a delisted free agent.
