Lachie Neale ‘has to go along with wife’s wishes’

A footy icon has revealed there were rumblings six weeks ago that Lachie Neale and wife Julie wanted out, but never thought it would happen like this.

Footy icon Leigh Matthews has confirmed the Brisbane Lions were stunned to learn in public that Lachie 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”.

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The drama surrounding Neale exploded on Sunday night when Channel 7 first reported Neale had spoken with the Dockers.

Reports are swirling it is only a matter of time before the reigning Brownlow medallist requests a trade back to Fremantle — but the Lions said in a club statement released on Monday no official trade request has been made.

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

Matthews’ comments on Tuesday afternoon came on the same day Neale was labelled a “manipulator” by veteran AFL journalist Damian Barrett.

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.”

The Lions on Monday afternoon confirmed Neale and Julie are “weighing up where they would like to raise their family”.

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

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

Former AFL coach Rodney Eade doesn’t have much sympathy for Neale seeking a trade, considering he still has two more years to run on his five-year contract with the Lions.

“Everyone’s saying it’s on compassionate grounds, but he signed a five-year deal. He would have known, signing a five-year deal, that at some stage he was going to have a family,” Eade told RSN radio.

“I’m really struggling to have compassion for him.

“If I was Brisbane, I’d be playing really hardball.”

Lachie Neale is considering a shock move back to Fremantle. (Photo by Jono Searle/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

Neale was the Lions’ best and fairest winner in his first two years at the club and also won the Brownlow Medal in 2020 in dominant fashion — 10 votes ahead of runner-up Travis Boak.

He has been plagued with injuries this season but showed glimpses of his best football, including a 46-disposal game against Melbourne in the qualifying final last weekend.

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.