Brisbane’s Lachie Neale to miss grand final as AFL’s one-game ban upheld

By the Editorial Team · Wednesday, September 23, 2026

Brisbane Lions midfielder Lachie Neale has been suspended for one match after the AFL tribunal ruled he intentionally struck Hawthorn’s Jack Ginnivan during the preliminary final, forcing him to miss Saturday’s grand final. This ends Neale’s 320-game unsuspended streak and leaves Brisbane to revise their midfield strategy for the championship match, with an appeal still possible but uncertain.

Brisbane Lions midfielder Lachie Neale will miss Saturday’s AFL grand final after the league’s tribunal upheld a one-match suspension for striking Hawthorn’s Jack Ginnivan during last week’s preliminary final. The decision marks the first suspension of Neale’s career, ending a streak of 320 matches without suspension for the two-time Brownlow medallist.

The AFL tribunal convened on Tuesday evening to consider the incident, which occurred in the first quarter behind play. Tribunal chair Jeff Gleeson, alongside members Darren Gaspar and Scott Stevens, delivered their verdict after more than four hours of submissions and deliberation, concluding that Neale had intentionally struck Ginnivan with medium impact.

“In the end, Neale delivered an intentional strike off the ball to an unsuspecting opponent,” Gleeson said at the hearing’s conclusion around 9:40 p.m. “Neale intended to strike him in the guts for the way he behaved towards [Neale’s teammate Eric] Hipwood, and he did strike him in the guts.”

Neale had argued that his exemplary disciplinary record—having never been suspended before—should be considered an exceptional circumstance to overturn the ban, similar to a precedent set earlier this season involving Collingwood’s Scott Pendlebury. However, the tribunal rejected this argument, stating that Neale’s outstanding record did not negate the appropriateness of a one-match suspension for the conduct.

During the hearing, Neale explained that his action was a response to a prior physical confrontation between Ginnivan and fellow Brisbane player Eric Hipwood. Neale was close to the initial altercation, where Ginnivan appeared to have delivered “jumper punches” to Hipwood before moving away.

The Lions have indicated they may pursue an appeal in an attempt to have Neale available for the grand final match against Fremantle. The outcome of any such appeal remains uncertain with little time before the season decider.

With Neale sidelined, Brisbane will have to adjust their midfield setup ahead of the AFL’s marquee event this Saturday. The ruling underscores the tribunal’s emphasis on player conduct, even in the high stakes environment of finals football.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.