Lachie Neale set to be offered one-match ban and could miss Brisbane’s Grand Final

Brisbane is bracing for star midfielder Lachie Neale to be offered a one-match suspension for what the AFL described as “an off-the-ball strike” in Saturday’s preliminary final, a sanction that would put him at risk of missing next week’s Grand Final against Fremantle.

AFL.com.au reported Sunday that “Lachie Neale is set to be offered a one-match ban on Sunday” after the incident in Brisbane’s preliminary final win over Hawthorn on Saturday, Sept. 19. The AFL report said the Match Review Officer’s findings were due to be confirmed Sunday evening, so the matter had not yet been formally finalized at the time of publication.

The stakes are immediate for Brisbane. The Lions advanced to the 2026 Toyota AFL Grand Final by beating Hawthorn and are due to face Fremantle on Saturday, Sept. 26. If Neale is offered a one-match ban and Brisbane accepts it, or if the sanction is upheld after a challenge, the midfielder would be unavailable for the Grand Final.

Under the AFL’s disciplinary process, the Match Review Officer reviews incidents from matches and can offer a sanction. Clubs then have the option of accepting that penalty or contesting it at the AFL Tribunal, the league body that hears disciplinary challenges. AFL.com.au reported that Brisbane would be able to challenge any offered ban at the Tribunal this week.

That makes Neale’s status one of the central issues heading into the season decider. He is one of Brisbane’s most important midfielders and was again influential in the preliminary final, finishing with 26 disposals and nine clearances. According to club records, Neale is a dual Brownlow Medallist, winning the AFL’s top individual honor in 2020 and 2023, a multiple All-Australian, and a premiership player with Brisbane in 2024 and 2025.

The possible absence of a player with that résumé would be significant for a Brisbane side seeking another flag, particularly given Neale’s role at stoppages and in contested midfield work. But for now, the issue remains procedural rather than settled: the expected sanction was reported Sunday, with formal Match Review Officer confirmation still pending and any Tribunal action yet to come.