How Brisbane Lions star Lachie Neale raised his game — and made AFL rivals pay

The numbers show Lachie Neale is in one of the best purple patches of his lucrative career. And there’s a potent added layer to Neale’s game this season, writes CALLUM DICK.

Lachie Neale’s game has gone to another level in 2024. Picture: Getty Images

Is it possible Lachie Neale is still flying under the radar?

After a poor start to its campaign Brisbane is suddenly charting a course for September and it is on the shoulders of superstar skipper Neale that the Lions have flipped their season on its head.

Last year he was a distant fifth favourite entering the Brownlow count yet came from the clouds to clinch his second ‘Charlie’ and solidify himself among the pantheon of modern AFL greats.

Now Neale’s game has gone to another level in 2024 as he enjoys one of the best purple patches of his lucrative career.

Brisbane’s five-point victory over Melbourne last Friday was its fifth win in six games, catapulting Chris Fagan’s side into the top eight for the first time this season.

In that same six-game span Neale has been one of the top-rated players in the competition.

Since round 10, the 31 year old is averaging 31.5 disposals (AFL No. 3), 9.3 ground ball gets (No. 9), seven clearances (No. 7) and 8.2 score involvements (No. 5) per game.

Lachie Neale has been one of the top-rated players in the competition. Picture: Getty Images

It is the second-highest rated six-week block across his entire career, timed perfectly with Brisbane’s rise from finals pretender to contender.

But Neale is not just getting the ball in his hands. He is making the opposition pay.

If there has been any knock on Neale over the course of his 260-game career it is a perceived lack of damage by foot. His bread and butter has always been contested ball and clearance work, as one of – if not the best – proponents of both in the competition.

Last season he was ranked in the bottom 25 kicks in the AFL. This year he is among the top 15.

It is a dramatic shift that suggests even at 31, having already twice been recognised as the AFL’s best and fairest player, Neale is still toiling to improve his craft.

Following the agonising grand final defeat to Collingwood last season, he sat down with midfield coach Cam Bruce and the pair circled his kicking as a key growth area to work on ahead of season 2024.

“He identified he wanted to improve his kicking efficiency and so he made sure to train that a really high level of intent so that he could develop it and execute it in a game situation,” Bruce told this masthead.

“It all comes from his own personal drive. He has an unbelievable awareness of where his game is at and that makes him really easy to coach because more often than not he knows what he needs to improve and most importantly has the drive and determination to do what is required.”

Brisbane’s co-captain is also AFL No. 1 for goal assists since round 10. No player in the competition has been directly involved in more goals since the middle of May.

Over that same period he is also the third-highest rated kick in the AFL, behind only Jack Lukosius and Justin McInerney.

Lachie Neale is still toiling to improve his craft. Picture: Getty Images

The Lions are the No. 3 ranked team for scores from stoppage over the past five weeks and Neale’s work in tight is a major reason why.

It was on show in the first quarter against Melbourne when he ran on to a Kai Lohmann handball at full pace, took the ball with one hand and accelerated away from the contest before hitting Eric Hipwood on the lead inside 50 with a pinpoint pass.

Neale’s clearance numbers are slightly down on last season, when he led the AFL, but Bruce revealed that was by design.

The Lions have made a concerted effort to take some of the load from Neale’s shoulders, spreading the contested work around and allowing him to play a more balanced inside-outside game.

Naturally, now that Neale is finding more ball on the outside he also has time and space to produce a more effective kick.

“We don’t want to be a midfield that is so reliant on Lachie winning the inside ball, which he is obviously one of the best in the competition at,” Bruce said.

“That’s the strength of having (Josh) Dunkley there. Hugh (McCluggage) has improved his inside game, (Jarrod) Berry has shown he is more of an inside bull and now we have (Will) Ashcroft back to add to the mix.

“With those guys taking on some of the load it means Lachie can complement his inside game with a more established outside game.”

What makes Neale so impressive is that even when tagged he very rarely has a poor game.

When St Kilda super stopper Marcus Windhager sacrificed his own game to run with Neale in round 14, Brisbane’s superstar still managed to grind out 20 disposals and seven clearances to leave his imprint on the contest

It is a trait shared by few in the AFL. But one that has helped catapult Neale into the upper echelon of players throughout his career.

“That’s part of his game and his nature, that he thinks about others. When he does cop a tag, straight away he’s thinking about what is best for the team,” Dunkley told this masthead.

“That doesn’t translate to many players throughout the competition and that’s why he’s such a great player to play with. He’s very selfless in the way he approaches the game.”

Dunkley believes Neale’s off-field application has been just as crucial in establishing himself as one of the game’s greats.

“If you’re at the top level of the AFL you have certain skills that make you great, but the ones that take their games to new levels and new heights are the ones that are always putting in the extra work,” he said.

“They put work into not just the skill aspect of it all but even the thinking around it. I’m not talking about decision making, I’m talking about speaking to psychologists about what they are thinking about in certain moments.

“It’s all the little things they do, how they go out of their way to invest in their game and to me it’s no surprise why they’re the elite players in our competition.

“If you watch Lachie throughout the day you can’t really put a finger on exactly what it is (he has done to improve himself) but I feel it’s come more on the education side. He’s playing now like he just knows where his teammates are at all times, which is an incredible thing to be able to do.”

Josh Dunkley and Lachie Neale. Picture: Getty Images

With a new-found offensive flavour to his game, the dual-Brownlow Medallist could be rounding into career-best form right as the Lions mount their September surge.

Bruce believes if Neale played for a Melbourne club, he would be spoken about as regularly as the likes of Marcus Bontempelli, Patrick Cripps and Nick Daicos.

“There’s no doubt he’s still underrated,” Bruce said.

“The same thing happened years ago with Simon Black. He deserved to be spoken about more, but he was just out of sight and out of mind.

“The noise around Brisbane isn’t as strong as in Melbourne.

“Lachie is one of the best midfielders in the game, and so consistent. He doesn’t kick as many goals as the Bont, or do the absolutely flashy things of some other players; he might not have the physical presence of someone like Cripps, but in terms of output he’s definitely at the same level, if not outperforming them.”

Originally published as How Brisbane Lions star Lachie Neale raised his game — and made AFL rivals pay