The AFL Appeals Board has overturned Lachie Neale’s one-match suspension, clearing the Brisbane midfielder to play in Saturday’s Grand Final against Fremantle.
Neale was originally suspended for an off-the-ball strike during Saturday’s preliminary final win over Hawthorn. Although the AFL Tribunal initially upheld the ban after more than four hours of hearings and deliberations, the Appeals Board overturned the decision on Thursday afternoon.
The Appeals Board determined that the Tribunal failed to give sufficient weight to Neale’s “exemplary record”—highlighted by two Brownlow Medals and 320 games without a suspension—which was enough to trigger the rules’ exceptional and compelling circumstances clause.
Upon hearing the final verdict, Neale simply replied, “thank you, Mr Chairman”.
