Neale Faces Grand Final Ban After Preliminary Final Incident

Brisbane Lions star Lachie Neale is reportedly facing a one-match suspension for a first-half incident that could rule him out of the AFL Grand Final against Fremantle. Neale is alleged to have delivered a gut punch to Hawthorn's Jack Ginnivan during the Lions' preliminary final victory on Saturday night.

If the suspension stands, Neale would miss the premiership decider against his former club, and it could also mark his final game for the Lions. Neale, a two-time Brownlow Medal winner, is widely expected to join Collingwood as a free agent in the off-season.

The incident involved Ginnivan grappling with Lions forward Eric Hipwood, before Neale approached and struck Ginnivan in the stomach with his left hand. This potential ban comes after similar incidents this season resulted in suspensions for Adelaide's Riley Thilthorpe and Hawthorn's James Sicily and Dylan Moore.

This action follows a recent policy change by former Lions CEO Greg Swann, now the AFL's football boss, which established a minimum one-match penalty for gut punches. The preliminary final itself concluded with controversy when a holding-the-ball free against Hawthorn's Jarman Impey led to Brisbane's Hugh McCluggage scoring the go-ahead goal late in the game. Following the siren, Hawks defenders Sicily and Tom Barrass were seen confronting umpires and are likely to face fines for misconduct.