Lachie Neale to miss grand final: One-match ban for gut-punch

Dual Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale is again in doubt for the AFL grand final, with the match review officer poised to ban him for one match for a gut-punch on Hawthorn’s Jack Ginnivan in Saturday’s preliminary final.

The Brisbane Lions midfield star will today be cited by the MRO on a charge of intentional body contact, a competition source confirmed to this masthead.

The charge arises from an interaction between Neale and Ginnivan in the closing minutes of Saturday’s thrilling preliminary final at the MCG, and it’s expected the Lions will challenge the finding by taking it to a tribunal hearing.

The fact Ginnivan played on, seemingly without discomfort, could possibly form part of Neale’s defence if he seeks to get the charge downgraded to a low-impact strike, which would free him up to play in Saturday’s grand final against his former club, Fremantle.

However, nine players have been suspended for offences of this nature this season, and the two who challenged them at the tribunal were unsuccessful.

Neale, 33, was under an injury cloud going into last year’s decider but played as a substitute, shedding the vest in the second half and starring as his team charged to its second successive premiership.

Now with a Lions three-peat on the line, Neale is again the focus of grand final week.

What’s more, the match is widely understood to be his final outing in Brisbane colours, as it’s expected he will move to Collingwood as a free agent in the off-season.

Although he hasn’t been in peak form this finals series, Neale – a former Lions captain – remains a pivotal cog in Brisbane’s midfield. But his footballing prowess has been overshadowed this year by off-field dramas, firstly the collapse of his relationship with wife Jules, who moved home to Western Australia with their two children, followed by continued speculation over his playing future.

Neale copped a heavy knock in the opening seconds of Saturday’s thrilling preliminary final win over Hawthorn, coling off second best after a collision at a centre ball-up with Hawk Jai Newcombe.