Lachie Neale thrives amid Collingwood trade talk as Brisbane fights for three-peat
Lachie Neale is widely expected to join Collingwood next year. Yet he has thrived through the speculation. Brisbane fights for a premiership.
Brisbane faces a long road to a grand final and a shot at three premierships in a row after losing to Sydney in the qualifying final. Star player Lachie Neale, a two-time Brownlow Medal winner, is widely expected to leave for Collingwood next year.
Lachie Neale has thrived through the speculation about his future. Neale played well in the first half of 2026.
He was Brisbane's best player, even through personal challenges. His teammate Zac Bailey had also been heavily pursued.
But Bailey recommitted this week with an eight-year extension. It's amazing that Bailey backed up a career-best 2025 season with a second straight All-Australian jacket.
It's rare for premiership teams to lose star players to other clubs. This Lions campaign is a unique test.
- Two-time Brownlow Medal winner
- Neale's achievement
- Eight years
- Bailey's extension
- Sydney
- Qualifying final opponent
Why it mattersBrisbane's push for three consecutive premierships now depends on whether losing Neale will weaken them down the stretch of the finals series.
AustraliaAFL followers in Australia are watching an unprecedented challenge: whether the Lions can defend their title while losing one of the era's best players during the off-season.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 12 d ago
