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Lachie Neale refuses to rule out potential GF return
SEN • September 14th, 2025 11:05 am
Is Lachie Neale in the frame for a potential Grand Final return?
The dual Brownlow Medallist and 2024 Gary Ayres winner was unfortunately sidelined with a calf tear during Brisbane's Qualifying Final loss to Geelong - this coming in his return from a quad issue that saw the star miss the final three weeks of the home and away season.
In what has been a treacherous run for Neale, the Lions' co-captain was ruled out for the remainder of his side's 2025 finals campaign, with scans suggesting his calf tear would require a four-to-six week recovery.
That said, Neale has refused to rule himself out of contention if his Brisbane Lions side progresses to a Grand Final.
Facing the Gold Coast Suns on Saturday night, the Lions eased into a Preliminary Final in the first edition of the Q-Clash in September, leaving the reigning premiers just one game away from yet another Grand Final appearance.
With a contest against Collingwood at the MCG to come, the Lions still have significant work to do in order to reach the final day, however Lachie Neale is giving himself every chance of a premature return if the Lions get the job done next week.
"I’m giving myself a 50 per cent chance," Neale told Fox Footy.
"But I think the physios and the doctors and the rest of the medical fraternity are giving me about a one per cent chance.
"I spoke about it this afternoon, I think in 20 years’ time I’d be kicking myself if I didn’t try everything in my power to get up for it.
"If the dominoes fall my way and that one per cent does come through, then it would be an amazing story."
Speaking on the severity of the issue and the boxes Neale would have to tick to satisfy the medical staff, Legendary Lions coach Leigh Matthews believes the odds are well and truly against the 32-year-old.
“He’d have to train the whole of Grand Final week. In other words, not just the day before the game,” Matthews told Fox Footy.
“If you’ve got a muscular injury like that, you’d have to get through the two really big sessions, I would’ve thought, to say that, 'you’re ready to play the game', otherwise the risk would just be too great.
“Some injuries, you do (a test) the day before the game, as long as you’re okay, you play them. But this one, he’d have to be pretty much 100 per cent four, five days before the Grand Final.”
