‘Blows my mind’: Outrage over Lachie Neale’s family, trade furore

Former AFL stars have come out swinging as Lachie Neale’s family situation puts him in the crosshairs of some disgruntled footy fans.

Where will Neale play next season? Photo Michael Klein

Former AFL stars Dale Thomas and Leigh Montagna have hit out at the reaction to news Lachie Neale is contemplating returning to Western Australia as his wife prepares to give birth to their first child.

The footy world was stunned to learn on Sunday the Lions star is exploring the possibility of returning to Fremantle so the couple can be around family and friends in wife Jules’ home state as they start a family of their own.

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Brisbane said in a club statement released on Monday no official trade request has been made, but many are assuming Neale will head west before next season — despite having two more years to run on his five-year contract with the Lions.

Many pundits have criticised Neale for letting the Lions down, and taken exception to him keeping Brisbane in the dark as news leaked out without the club having any knowledge of his desire to leave the Sunshine State.

But former Collingwood and Carlton star Thomas is filthy people aren’t showing more understanding for the position Neale and Jules are in, especially with the way interstate travel has been restricted during the pandemic.

“I can’t believe the commentary around the reason why,” Thomas told Triple M on Wednesday, as he accused some media commentators of “genuinely teeing off on him (Neale) for the reason”.

“Yes the timing, and we all admit the timing’s not great and how it’s come out but if you want to go home for family reasons, whatever they are, in this day and age and with the times that we’re in with Covid — I cannot believe how archaic the views are of some of these people.

“Heavily pregnant, first child, needing support — it just blows my mind how dumb some people’s views are.”

Jules and Lachie Neale may be headed back west. (Image/Josh Woning)

St Kilda great Montagna was of the same opinion.

“I’ve been staggered by the lack of compassion and empathy in this situation,” he told Triple M. “I get that he’s breaking a contract but when he signed this contract three years ago, he did not know we’d be living in a pandemic where essentially his wife’s been locked out of going to her own home state to visit her family and friends.

“I thought in this day and age that we took people’s welfare and all those sorts of things first and if it’s for family reasons, to have your first child around your family and friends when you haven’t been able to see them for two years, I would have thought we’d be understanding.

“These things happen, family’s more important than football and we just accept it and do the best we can.”

Neale’s father Robbie hit out this week at the “horrific” hysteria around his son’s situation, maintaining the AFL star and Jules are still weighing up whether returning to Western Australia is what they want to do and saying no official trade request has been lodged.

The couple are preparing to welcome their first child into the world. Photo: Instagram.

He would be a huge loss to the Lions if he goes. (AAP Image/Attila Csaszar)

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

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.

Originally published as ‘Blows my mind’: Outrage over Lachie Neale’s family, trade furore