Lachie Neale to miss Grand Final after tribunal upholds one-game ban

Brisbane co-captain Lachie Neale will miss Saturday's AFL grand final against Fremantle after the tribunal upheld his one-match ban for striking Hawthorn's Jack Ginnivan.

The verdict came at 9.40pm on Tuesday night. The panel ruled Neale struck Ginnivan intentionally, with medium impact, off the ball — meaning away from the contest — during Saturday's preliminary final win over Hawthorn. A preliminary final is the last knockout game before the grand final. Win and you play for the flag. Lose and the season is over. The Guardian

Brisbane had challenged the suspension. The hearing was chaired by Jeff Gleeson, with former players Darren Gaspar and Scott Stevens alongside him. The club argued the contact did not warrant a game. The tribunal disagreed and left the one-match penalty in place.

The ruling means Neale is sidelined for the biggest game of the year unless Brisbane wins an appeal. The Lions have until midday Wednesday to take the case to the AFL appeal board.

It is a brutal blow. Neale is 33, a two-time Brownlow medallist as the league's best player, and had never been suspended in 320 senior matches before this charge. He has played 185 of those games for Brisbane and captained the club to two premierships.

There is an extra sting in the match-up. Fremantle drafted Neale in 2011. He built his early career there before requesting a move to Brisbane. Now his former side stands between the Lions and another flag, and Brisbane may have to face them without its skipper.

The one-game penalty reflects tougher rules this season. The AFL upgraded the punishment for off-the-ball striking incidents in 2026, putting a higher price on hits that happen behind the play. The match review panel graded Neale's action as intentional and medium impact, which under the new scale drew a mandatory suspension. The Guardian

Brisbane took the challenge to the tribunal after the charge was laid on Saturday night, with proceedings tracked live from 5pm AEST. AFL.com.au

For fans, this means the Lions must now prepare two plans. One with their captain leading the midfield. One without him. The call on an appeal will shape the rest of grand final week.