Lachie Neale frustrated with Brisbane deal delay
LACHIE Neale has told new football boss Peter Bell he has played his last game at Fremantle, becoming increasingly frustrated with the club’s inability to broker a deal.
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LACHIE Neale has told new football boss Peter Bell he has played his last game at Fremantle and is prepared to go public if it will help smooth a trade to Brisbane.
Fremantle continue to play hard ball in its quest to secure Jesse Hogan for pick 11 and a future second-rounder as well as potentially attempt to get Neale to stay.
The Dockers are asking for pick five and a mid-teens pick from Brisbane they do not have, resisting attempts to broker the trade for only pick five.
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If the Neale trade fell through Fremantle could keep pick five to take to the draft as well as securing Hogan, a perfect scenario for Bell and CEO/acting list manager Steve Rosich.
But while Bell said this week it would be a badge of honour to be able to keep relentless ball winner Neale at Fremantle, the Dockers star made it clear in their meeting this week he wasn’t playing there next year.
He is becoming increasingly frustrated with the club’s inability to broker a deal to get him to Brisbane.
Fremantle has made noises that is going cold on Jesse Hogan, with Melbourne heavily driving a trade that would see them secure multiple high picks for a player who kicked 47 goals this year.
But Melbourne believes Fremantle is still as keen as ever, having salivated over the prospect of bringing him home every time his name came up in conversation over recent years.
Hogan passed a medical and would solve the club’s search for a key forward, having missed on several stars over the year and failed to turn Cam McCarthy into a viable option.
Despite talk of a trade falling over, Fremantle still has time to increase its offer to Melbourne by accepting a deal with Brisbane for Neale that involves pick five.
As the Herald Sun reported on Friday, the Dockers could then seal a Hogan deal by offering five, 23 and swapping later picks.
Fremantle would then have time to get a trade done for GWS ruckman Rory Lobb.
That would then allow Melbourne to offer up pick five to Gold Coast for Steven May while still having another pick to take to the draft.
Melbourne are adamant they will not in effect do a straight swap for May and Hogan, believing the Demons goalkicker is worth more than the Gold Coast full back.
May has not officially declared his hand but will be traded for that pick by Gold Coast if the earlier dominoes fall in time for them to secure a key position defender.
Port Adelaide’s Jack Hombsch has been linked to the Suns and while he has not had a medical with Gold Coast or met them he would be a player of interest as a replacement for May.
The Suns know they would likely get pick two or three as compensation for May if he left as a free agent next year, but are not prepared to lose him this year without securing a replacement for 2019.
Originally published as Lachie Neale frustrated with Brisbane deal delay