‘We have nothing but gratitude:’ Lions give Collingwood-bound Neale their blessing

September 27, 2026 — 5:36pmLions’ champion Lachie Neale is expected to officially inform Brisbane he has decided to join Collingwood ahead of the free agency period opening on Friday and the Lions say he will go with their blessing.Essendon, West Coast and the Magpies approached the triple premiership Lion in 2026 after he became available following his marriage break-up at the end of last season.Lachie Neale signs autographs at Brunswick Street Oval on Sunday.Getty ImagesHe also met with St Kilda’s Ross Lyon – his former coach at Fremantle – during the season.Multiple industry sources have confirmed the dual Brownlow medallist has settled on joining Collingwood on a three-year deal after the Lions did not offer him a contract to continue with them in 2027.Lions president Andrew Wellington said the Lions would be forever grateful for Neale’s decision to join the club when they were battling to win matches.“It was a really important platform for turning the club around, and if you look at his performances in grand finals and big games, he has been incredible, so we have got nothing but gratitude for what he has done for our club,” Wellington said.Neale had 20 disposals in the grand final. His ball-handling was clean, and he used the ball well throughout. His seven last-quarter touches, including a vital kick to Hugh McCluggage in the dying minutes which led to Logan Morris’ go-ahead goal, were crucial to the result.He did so while being booed each time he gathered the ball after the AFL appeals board made a shock call to overturn the one-match ban that was imposed on him for striking Hawthorn’s Jack Ginnivan in the preliminary final a week earlier. The success of his appeal relied on his record of 320 matches without a suspension.On Sunday Neale joined his Lions teammates at Brunswick Street Oval after posting a cheeky reply to Ginnivan on Instagram.Neale had shared a photo of himself holding all three Lions premiership cups, captioned: “What now...”After Ginnivan replied to his post with an emoji, Neale responded: “hope your tummy okay my guy x”.Later on Sunday he posted a “court sketch” of himself to his Instagram story in reference to the tribunal case.The 33-year-old Neale admitted after the grand final he had played his last game for the Lions and that he expected the finer details of his move south to be completed in the week ahead, which will include exit meetings as the club celebrates its third consecutive flag.“We’ve still got some things to work out, but I can’t thank the [Lions] enough for the last eight years. It has been the best eight years of my life,” Neale said. “It still doesn’t really feel real that this is probably the end of my time here.”Lachie Neale leaves Brisbane with two Brownlow Medals and three premierships.via Getty ImagesFellow Lions midfielder Lions Will Ashcroft said Neale had been a huge influence on his career since he was drafted to the club for 2022.“I love him. He has helped me so much. When I came in, he won the Brownlow in my first year. He has been a great role model for me on the field and a great mate for me off the field,” Ashcroft said.More:AFL 2026Collingwood MagpiesAFL grand finalTrading and draftingFrom our partners