Live: Lachie Neale's grand final dreams on the line at AFL tribunal
The Brisbane Lions head to the AFL tribunal to challenge Lachie Neale's ban for striking Hawthorn's Jack Ginnivan, in the hopes of freeing the dual Brownlow medallist for the grand final. Follow live.
The Brisbane Lions are heading to an AFL tribunal to contest Lachie Neale's one-game ban for striking Hawthorn's Jack Ginnivan, in a desperate bid to keep the dual Brownlow medallist available for the grand final. The controversial incident occurred during the preliminary final between Hawthorn and Brisbane at the MCG on Saturday night.
The ball was near Brisbane's forward 50 when Hawthorn's Jack Ginnivan and Lions forward Eric Hipwood clashed. Neale, seemingly unaware the ball had moved, ran past Ginnivan and appeared to strike the Hawthorn player's stomach. Ginnivan briefly fell to the ground but immediately stood up again. The match review officer deemed the conduct intentional, with medium impact and body contact, resulting in a one-game ban for Neale and a potential end to his Brisbane career.
The Lions, aiming for a third consecutive premiership, will face Fremantle in the grand final on Saturday should Neale's ban be overturned. Reporter Andrew McGarry is live at the AFL tribunal, bringing you all the arguments and the final decision.
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