Kybybolite awash in blue, gold and maroon as ex-local star Lachie Neale prepares for grand final

This weekend, nearly everyone you can find in a South-East SA community that’s barely a speck on the map will be cheering on a team based nearly 2000km away.

On the oval at Naracoorte South Primary School where dual Brownlow Medallist Lachie Neale used to run around as a kiddie, Isla and Joel Slotegraaf are arguing about the grand final.

Much to his older sister’s disgust, 8-year-old Joel has gone against family tradition and ditched Collingwood to throw his lot in with the Brisbane Lions.

And that is the fault of the local boy.

Lachie Neale played not only for Naracoorte South but also for Kybybolite, a dot on the map 20km out of town.

“That is why I go for Brisbane, because Lachie Neale played for Kyby and I go for Kyby,’’ Joel said. Kyby being the local shorthand for the more of a mouthful Kybybolite. (Pronounced Ki-bee-bo-lite).

The 10-year-old Isla’s not impressed with any of that and declines to answer when asked if, at least, she will be happy for Neale if the Lions prevail on Saturday, but gives a prediction on the result.

“I feel like Collingwood’s going to win, most likely by a goal,’’ she said.

For her younger brother it could be a lonely day in a Pies’ mad house.

“I think my mum will kick me out and put me in a different room,’’ Joel said.

Students from Lachie Neale’s old school, Naracoorte South Primary – Isla and Joel Slotegraaf with Matilda Lush and Isaac Marshall. Picture: Dean Martin

Not that Joel is alone in switching his allegiances based on the achievements of the school’s best-known student.

Ten-year-old Matilda Lush comes from a mixed family of Sydney and Richmond fans, but has become a Lions’ tragic.

“It’s because Lachie Neale is my favourite player, he’s tough,’’ she said.

She also things the Lions will pick up the cup.

“I reckon Collingwood will be winning for the first and second quarters, but in the third quarter we will get up,’’ she said.

Lachie Neale, the kid from Kybybolite turned dual Brownlow Medallist. Picture: Russell Freeman/AFL Photos via Getty Images

The Lachie Neale effect is real in the southeast.

Apart from the one-eyed Magpies’ fans everyone else is on the Lions.

In the reception area at Naracoorte South hangs a signed Lachie Neale Brisbane jumper. In the gym there is one from Neale’s time at Fremantle.

Principal Jess Edwards would love Neale to come for a visit and have a chat to the students to “talk about his journey growing up here and how his success panned out’’.

The principal believes Neale’s career can show the students just what is possible for country kids, not just in footy but in all aspects of life.

“It’s so exciting for the kids to have a role model like Lachie,’’ she said.

Robbie Neale, father of Brownlow winner Lachie Neale, in Robe with his wife Deb. Picture: Dean Martin

Out at Kyby Oval, footy president Paul Russell also talks about the Neale effect. In the clubroom, Neale’s face can still be seen in team premiership photographs from his days in the junior colts.

Other familiar AFL names are also there including former Melbourne captain Jack Trengove and ex-Fremantle player Alex Forster. Russell remembers Neale playing a couple of senior games as well when he returned from boarding school in Adelaide, including one where stood out “against Lucindale and I think he actually nearly kicked the winning goal at the end of the day’’.

Russell would love Neale to come back and play for Kyby when his AFL days are over, but says his impact now is a huge positive for country footy, which has struggled to keep up player numbers, revenue and supporters in recent years.

“What I like about it is it draws more attention to smaller clubs,’’ Russell said. “I’m pretty sure 1000s of people would have asked where the hell is Kybybolite?

“You look at the town and there’s nothing here, but the opportunities this club has given a lot of kids, we’ve had three in the AFL and heaps in SANFL, the stepping stone is just fantastic.

“If we lose the clubs, the AFL, the SANFL we’re going to lose those players come through, they’ll find another sport, and it is a fight to get those numbers back out here.’’

Paul Russell, president of Kybybolite football club. Picture: Dean Martin

Two minutes down the road from Kyby Oval is the Mullinger Park property run by Neale’s mum Amanda Taylor and his stepdad Brett Shepherd. It’s a busy week for the family. There was the surprise of their son’s second Brownlow win on Monday, he had assured all his family he wasn’t winning this time, the Grand Final on Saturday, then there is the sale of 330 rams next week.

Of course, Amanda and Brett will be at the MCG on Saturday to watch their boy. Naturally, there is some pause for reflection about how far Lachie has come since those early days to be now counted as one of the finest football players produced by South Australia.

“To think that little boy running around has ended up doing that is a credit to him because he has worked very hard,’’ his mum said. “He deserves it. He deserves it. He put in a lot of time and effort and work.’’

Amanda said being a football player was all her son ever wanted to do. Parental pleas to consider a back-up plan, maybe physio, fell on deaf ears.

The family also lived when Neale was young in a house in Naracoorte. It had two arches, which Brett said, Neale used to use as goals and play out entire AFL seasons in his head. As a young boy Neale was a Port supporter and his favourite player was Gavin Wanganeen, a player now with one fewer Brownlow Medal than Neale.

“He was Lachie Neale playing for Port Power, he’d play every one, have a season, get every score sheet. He’d appear from nowhere and take a mark over you. Commentate on it, it was pretty freaky,’’ Brett said.

Amanda and Brett were at Neale’s first grand final appearance for Fremantle in 2013. He was sub that day and came on in the last quarter. He will have a much bigger role to play in 2023.

“It’s super exciting. I can’t wait. But I will be a nervous wreck on the morning,’’ she said.

Amanda Taylor, mum of Lachie Neale, with son Will, 19, and partner Brett, at Mullinger Park at Kybybolite in SA’s South-East. Picture: Dean Martin

Neale’s father Robbie Neale and his wife Deb will also be in Melbourne.

Growing up, Robbie Neale said his son always had a ball in hand. He played regional basketball in a team with Lions’ teammate Lincoln McCarthy. He won a junior soccer premiership with Naracoorte United. He would play backyard cricket for hours.

“I think working in tight spaces in those games (basketball and soccer) gave him his peripheral vision, which is very good,’’ Robbie said. “I think those combined sports really helped develop his awareness of what is around him.’’

Now he is looking forward to watching that young boy play on the game’s biggest stage. He said he will resist the temptation just to watch how Lachie goes.

“I figure if you are watching the game you will see him get the ball. But if you try to track him you will miss a fair bit of footy and you will lose perspective on what is actually happening.

“We will start really start looking forward to Saturday now. Everything is out of our control, so we might as well just absorb it and enjoy it.’’

Originally published as Kybybolite awash in blue, gold and maroon as ex-local star Lachie Neale prepares for grand final