Veteran coach Chris Fagan, football administrator Danny Daly (they are lucky he didn’t join Gold Coast in the off-season), list manager Dom Ambrogio and president Andrew Wellington are clear-thinking, balanced, experienced football people while relatively new CEO Sam Graham was an internal appointment blooded under Greg Swann.
They trust each other and importantly they trust each other’s decision-making processes. They have become experts at balancing the need to protect their players while keeping their fans informed.
Even if two of the three obvious scenarios confronting Neale on a football front at the end of this season have him exiting the Lions, they have shown – albeit in different circumstances – with their handling of Joe Daniher, Callum Ah Chee and Brandon Starcevich’s farewells, the ability to maintain focus on football.
Co-captains Harris Andrews (left) and Lachie Neale (right) lift the premiership cup with Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan.Credit: Getty Images
Clubs are also different in how they manage individual situations now than they may have been 20 years ago with the possibility of Neale taking mini-breaks during the season or following a training program away from the main group while he attends to family needs remaining a realistic possibility in 2026 and beyond.
That all means from the club’s perspective urgent answers on the football front are not required and everyone knows flexibility in decision-making will be important for Neale.
The WA-based clubs are expected to entertain the idea of recruiting Neale if that point is reached.
But they will also be sensitive to the personal circumstances, waiting for the year to unfold rather than hastily pursuing his signature.
West Coast would not have to think too much to see how he could add value mentoring a midfield including young midfield prospects Harley Reid and Willem Duursma while the decision would be more nuanced for the Dockers who have built a midfield ready to contend.
However, it’s difficult to imagine a club turning their back on a dual premiership, dual Brownlow Medal-winning, four-time All-Australian if one became available.
At the end of 2026, Neale will be 33, the same age Gary Ablett Jr was (and roughly the same games experience) when he returned to the Cats from the Gold Coast at the end of 2017.
Ablett was an excellent contributor to a stacked midfield in the three seasons that followed, but he had greater ability to play forward than Neale.
Still, Neale remains an elite player. His grand final performance after half-time in the 2025 season-decider also showed he can adapt to what a team needs from him.
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He can’t get slower and his experience would be invaluable with any buyer reasonably expecting him to be still handy in 2029 with midfielders playing until they are 35-36 nowadays and the contenders stacked with experience. The fact he is a free agent would make it easier for the WA-based clubs to find a place on the list for him providing his remarkable durability continues in 2026.
Neale says he is confident he can continue to play well this season while dealing with his personal issues.
“I feel that it [football] is going to be a great outlet for me, to be honest, with everything going on,” Neale said.
Football is a great outlet for many, which is why the footballing future of Neale will be of great interest for supporters as 2026 unfolds.
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