‘Horrific’ consequence of AFL star Lachie Neale’s trade drama

The bombshell report surrounding Lachie Neale and pregnant wife Julie has taken a sad turn, the father of the football star has revealed.

Lachie Neale and Julie Neale are expecting. Photo: Instagram, @jules_neale.

Brisbane Lions star Lachie Neale and pregnant wife Julie are enduring a “horrific” reaction to news of their interest in returning to Perth.

Neale’s father Robbie has revealed the couple need family support as a result of the drama that has followed reports it is only a matter of time before the reigning Brownlow medallist requests a trade back to Fremantle.

The Lions said in a club statement released on Monday no official trade request has been made, but many in the footy world are assuming Neale will head west before next season.

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Neale’s father has told rural South Australian ABC radio that paparazzi have been camped outside the couple’s Brisbane home.

Robbie Neale said the reaction to his son’s confirmation he was “weighing up where they would like to raise their family” has been over the top and premature.

He also says he has been disappointed by some of the public commentary directed at the 28-year-old, with some pundits accusing Neale of letting down the Lions because he still has two seasons to run on his five-year deal.

Robbie Neale said he is travelling to Brisbane in the next few days to support his son and daughter-in-law Julie ahead of the birth of their first child. Their due date is October 12.

“They need a bit of support. It’s been bordering on horrific,” Robbie Neale told the ABC’s Narelle Graham.

“They’ve got paparazzi following them around and camped outside the house. This is not how it should have been. It should have been a nice quiet conversation with Brisbane and then through his management group to make the right decision and if a request was to come, fair enough, then it becomes a headline. It’s far from that at this stage.”

Robbie said there has been a reaction on social media, where Julie has 17,000 Instagram followers, that has left him asking the couple to stay away from social media for now.

“We’ll go into damage control and try to take some stress off her and tell her not to worry about social media because that is just a shocking platform,” he said.

Lachie Neale and Julie Neale are expecting. Photo: Instagram, @jules_neale.

“It does disappoint me how people are so strong in their opinions. But that’s people we don’t know. So what’s important to them is family and friends at the moment.”

Robbie said Lachie and Julie need to work through some details and is adamant the couple have not made a final decision to leave Brisbane.

“It hasn’t really reached that stage. He hasn’t requested a trade,” he said.

“The disappointing thing for us is it sort of hit the media and it’s sort of gone into meltdown the last couple of days.

“Certain sections of the footy media have had strong opinions about it. But they’re five steps ahead of reality. The reality is, it was purely a discussion that was had internally.”

Meanwhile, footy icon Leigh Matthews on Tuesday confirmed the Brisbane Lions were stunned to learn in public that Neale is considering a move to Fremantle.

Matthews, who remains a director on the Lions’ board, said he first heard rumblings six weeks ago that Neale’s wife Julie wanted to consider moving back to Perth to be closer to family ahead of the birth of the couple’s first child.

However, he says the club remained shocked to learn Neale is serious about “going along with her wishes”.

Lachie Neale took one in the jaw against Geelong. Pic: Michael Klein

The former Lions premiership-winning coach said the biggest surprise was the way the situation unfolded with the club reported to have being given no prior warning the story was about to be made public following the team’s heartbreaking semi-final loss to the Western Bulldogs on Saturday night.

“It came as a surprise to everyone at the Lions that he was seriously thinking of going back,” Matthews said on 3AW’s Sportsday.

“It would have hit them between the eyes that it’s quite possible that Lachie will say that his wife wants to go back to Perth and that he … has to go along with her wishes.

“The fact that Lachie was seriously thinking about, ‘My wife wants to go back to Perth and that’s where I should be looking to play my football’ is not totally surprising, just the fact that it happened yesterday. I’m sure it hit everyone between the eyes at the Lions.

“If his wife wants to go back to Perth, it’s very hard for Neale not to think that should be the first priority in his life. He’s (stuck) between a rock and a hard place.”

Neale finally spoke to Brisbane on Monday afternoon in a meeting with CEO Greg Swann, football boss Danny Daly and coach Chris Fagan, the club said in a statement.

Neale was the Lions’ best and fairest winner in his first two years at the club and also won the Brownlow Medal in 2020.

The couple are weighing up what’s best for their family. Photo by Daniel Wilkins.

It is unclear how a potential trade to Fremantle would work, but the Dockers would likely have the No. 6 draft pick to offer as a result of midfielder Adam Cerra’s impending move to Carlton.

Neale played 135 games for Fremantle and is a two-time best and fairest winner at the Dockers.

The surprising development comes three years after Brisbane gave up picks six, 19, 30 and 55 in the huge 2018 deal to acquire Neale.

The AFL trade period will begin in a few weeks’ time after the grand final is played.