Lachie Neale

Lachlan Neale (born 24 May 1993) is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Brisbane Lions in the Australian Football League (AFL). He previously played for the Fremantle Football Club from 2012 to 2018. He won the 2020 Brownlow Medal.

Lachie Neale
Neale playing for Fremantle in 2015
Personal information
Full name Lachlan Neale
Date of birth (1993-05-24) 24 May 1993
Place of birth Naracoorte, South Australia
Original team(s) Glenelg (SANFL)
Draft No. 58, 2011 national draft
Height 177 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Weight 85 kg (187 lb)
Position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current club Brisbane Lions
Number 9
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2012–2018 Fremantle 135 (67)
2019– Brisbane Lions 043 (26)
Total 178 (93)
Representative team honours
Years Team Games (Goals)
2020 All Stars 1 (1)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of preliminary final, 2020.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Early life

Originally from a farm in Langkoop, near Apsley, a small town in Western Victoria, Neale moved across the border to another farm near Kybybolite, South Australia at a young age.[1] Nicknamed 'Cowboy', after Kevin Neale, he played various junior sports in Naracoorte including basketball, soccer, cricket and football. Lachie started playing football for Kybybolite in 2004 as a 10-year-old. He kicked 8 goals for the year as his team won the under 14 KNTFL premiership alongside future AFL player Jack Trengove.[2] Neale also won another under 14 premiership the next season once again alongside Trengove but also with future AFL teammate Alex Forster.[3] Neale kicked 14 goals for the season but was not selected for the Grand Final.[4] Lachie continued playing for Kybybolite and then received a scholarship to attend St Peter's College, Adelaide.[5] Winning the Opie Medal in his final year at St Peters College. He played his junior football for the Kybybolite Football Club and then the Glenelg Football Club in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL), including seven games in the league side before returning to the Under-18 team for the Grand Final. Despite Glenelg losing to Port Adelaide, he gathered 40 possessions and was awarded the Alan Stewart Medal as the best player in the game.[5] He represented South Australia at the 2011 AFL Under 18 Championships.[6]

AFL career

Neale was drafted to Fremantle with their fourth selection (number 58 overall) in the 2011 AFL draft.[7] Neale's close friend and former teammate from Kybybolite Junior Football Club, Alex Forster, was also drafted by Fremantle with their previous selection in the same draft.[8] They joined former Melbourne co-captain and Port Adelaide player Jack Trengove as ex-Kybybolite players on AFL lists.[9]

Neale played very well during the 2012 NAB Cup preseason games and was predicted to make his AFL debut in the opening round of the 2012 AFL season,[10] but hurt his ankle against Port Adelaide at Victor Harbor, South Australia.[7]

After playing two games for Swan Districts in the West Australian Football League (WAFL), Neale made his debut in round 4 of the 2012 AFL season against St Kilda at Etihad Stadium[7][11] as the substitute. He was activated during the third quarter, replacing Nick Suban.[12]

Neale was the substitute in the 2013 AFL Grand Final when Fremantle lost to Hawthorn by 15 points.

Neale's 2016 season was rewarded with the Doig Medal as the club best and fairest.[13]

At the conclusion of the 2018 season, after winning a second Doig Medal,[14] Neale requested a trade to Brisbane. He was traded on 17 October.[15] Neale thrived at his new club in 2019, winning All-Australian team selection for the first time[16] and finishing equal-third in the Brownlow Medal with 26 votes.[17]

Neale had an excellent start to the 2020 season, with him being deemed the best player in the league by the ABC's Dean Bilton prior to round 6.[18]

Neale won the 2020 Brownlow Medal after polling 31 votes during the shortened regular season, including being best-on-ground in ten matches.[19] This result put Neale in front of 2nd-placed Travis Boak by 10 votes, the equal highest win in Brownlow Medal history since the introduction of the 3-2-1 voting system.[20]

Statistics
Statistics are correct to the end of the 2019 season[21]
Legend
 G  Goals  B  Behinds  K  Kicks  H  Handballs  D  Disposals  M  Marks  T  Tackles
Led the league for the season only
Led the league after season and finals
AFL playing statistics
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game) Votes
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
2012 Fremantle 271142517312418230.40.24.66.611.31.62.10
2013 Fremantle 27128411112623740200.70.39.210.519.83.31.71
2014 Fremantle 272381024229854091760.40.410.513.023.54.03.37
2015 Fremantle 27241610320338658114860.70.413.314.127.44.83.610
2016 Fremantle 272274289448737901010.30.213.120.433.54.14.620
2017 Fremantle 272114624532757294940.70.311.715.627.24.54.514
2018 Fremantle 272210625141666779930.50.311.418.930.33.64.211
2019 Brisbane Lions 92412730144174298900.50.312.518.430.94.13.826
2020 Brisbane Lions 919141324926251180590.70.713.113.826.94.23.131
Career 178 93 62 2059 2729 4788 704 642 0.5 0.4 11.6 15.3 26.9 4.0 3.6 120

References
  1. https://amp.theage.com.au/sport/afl/neale-gives-early-doubters-short-shrift-20190410-p51css.html
  2. Kybybolite-2004-Junior-Colts-Premiership_Page
  3. South Australian midfielder Lachie Neale ready to impress on big stage for Fremantle
  4. Kybybolite-2005-Junior-Colts-Premiership_Page
  5. Capel, Andrew (2 November 2011). "Neale walking tall for draft". The Advertiser. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
  6. South-east players help SA under 18s win
  7. Butler, Steve (20 April 2012). "Freo teen Neale's baptism of fire". The West Australian.
  8. Turner, Matt (24 November 2011). "Mates Forster, Neale go to Freo". The Messenger. AdelaideNow.
  9. Duffield, Mark (29 November 2011). "New Docker motivated by father's lost VFL chance". The West Australian. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
  10. O'Donoghue, Craig (6 March 2012). "Neale firms for Dockers' opener". The West Australian.
  11. Miller, Dale (19 April 2012). "Lyon keeps lid on homecoming hopes". The West Australian.
  12. Holmesby, Luke (20 April 2012). "Freo roar in Lyon's den". Australian Football League. Archived from the original on 8 July 2012.
  13. Tom, Wildie (8 October 2016). "Neale claims first Doig Medal". Fremantle Football Club. Bigpond. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  14. "Neale wins second Doig Medal". Fremantle Football Club. 6 October 2018. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  15. Bowen, Nick; Navaratnam, Dinny (17 October 2018). "Lachie a Lion: Neale on the move to Brisbane". Australian Football League. Bigpond. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  16. Staff writers (27 August 2019). "Who makes AFL.com.au's All Australian team?". Australian Football League. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  17. Black, Sarah; Gaskin, Lee (24 September 2019). "Your club's Brownlow night: Leader, top five, total votes". Australian Football League. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  18. Bilton, Dean (8 July 2020). "The Brisbane Lions are the best team, with the best player, in the AFL – and they're still getting better". Australian Broadcasting Corporstion. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  19. Waterworth, Ben (18 October 2020). "It's a landslide! Lions star Neale claims crushing Brownlow win to cap stunning season". FOX Sports. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  20. Beveridge, Riley (19 October 2020). "Lion king: Lachie Neale wins 2020 Brownlow Medal". Australian Football League. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  21. "Lachie Neale statistics". AFL Tables. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
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