‘Can’t be for real’: Storm erupts over Lachie Neale’s front cover

Fans have been left spitting chips after Brisbane Lions gun Lachie Neale was given another honour that’s sparked fierce debate.

Lachi Neale feaurs n the front cover of the 2024 AFL season guide Photo Twitter, @AFLrecord.

It wouldn’t be a newsworthy story to say that Lachie Neale will don the cover of the yearly AFL Record Season Guide book.

The Brisbane superstar was a somewhat controversial but still deserving 2023 Brownlow Medallist, polling 31 votes ahead of the Bulldogs’ Marcus Bontempelli (29) and Collingwood’s Nick Daicos (28), who missed the last three games of the year.

But, as always, winning the AFL’s top individual honour earned him the right to be the cover boy of the annual statistical bible which includes years of data and is used by commentators and experts throughout the season.

Except it seems nobody told Collingwood fans about that.

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After the AFL Record announced the book was available for pre-order, it received dozens of comments from angry Magpies fans, questioning why a player from the team their side beat in the Grand Final was pictured.

This baby is off to the printer and will be on sale from Jan 15. You can pre-order your edition NOW by visiting https://t.co/p1eCt5wjPF $50 including postage. Perfect Xmas present for the footy fan in your life. 🎅🏈@[e-mail]/ziVZi7QiKS

— AFL Record (@AFLrecord) December 20, 2023

“Who won the flag? doubt many will sell (crying laughing emoji),” one Magpies fan wrote.

Another quipped: “Runners up edition: When does the premiership edition come out?”

Yet another said: “Poor form. Certainly not worth $50. You really didn’t think this through.”

But as a fourth wrote: “It’s always been the Brownlow medallist. I’m embarrassed to be associated with some Pies fans, far out!”

As AAP journalist Oliver Caffrey pointed out, Collingwood’s Nathan Buckley featured on the cover of the 2004 edition despite having lost the previous year’s Grand Final.

Damn, why is there a player from the losing grand finalists on the cover? pic.twitter.com/SdrIIJ6mcE

— Oliver Caffrey (@ollycaffrey) December 20, 2023

Likewise Collingwood’s Dane Swan was pictured on the 2012 book cover, after his team lost the previous Grand Final to Geelong.

Here’s the Brownlow winner from 2011.Did his team win the Grand Final that year? pic.twitter.com/jdsbNnyt0x

— Derek Mathieson (@dingoderek) December 20, 2023

Of course, this is because both men won the previous season’s Brownlow Medal.

“The comments on this thread can’t be for real?” Caffrey asked.

Hey - you can never count out a one-eyed fan.

Originally published as ‘Can’t be for real’: Storm erupts over Lachie Neale’s front cover