Lachie Neale’s commitment to Brisbane’s premiership quest has been questioned with AFL great Kane Cornes arguing the star midfielder is not “all-in”.
Neale has been a walking headline this year with his much-publicised marriage breakdown and future at the Lions a constant talking point.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Lachie Neale faces scrutiny for finals flop
Despite the seemingly big off-field distractions, the two-time Brownlow medallist has put together another brilliant season with the Lions, averaging over 29 possessions a game.
But he was off the boil in the shock loss to Sydney in Saturday’s qualifying final as he managed just 18 disposals — his second-lowest tally of the season.
He also had a season-low two clearances and six contested possessions.
Neale is widely expected to join Collingwood as a free agent at the end of the season on a blockbuster three-year deal.
He recently created headlines for touring the Magpies a day before a game and last week 7NEWS reporter Xander McGuire revealed Neale is already enquiring about what jumper numbers are available.
“You have to say no (he’s not all-in),” Cornes said on The Agenda Setters.
“Here’s his numbers from the week, and you can have a bad game. I get it.
“But we were there on Thursday night, and we saw a team that was fully committed who were all in. The Hawks. And they were prepared to physically sacrifice for their team, their teammates, their coach, their club, their supporters, in the thought that they may be able to cause a huge upset and put themselves in the box seat to win a premiership.
“Lachie’s not doing that.
“Lachie’s touring Collingwood the day before a game during the year. Lachie, during the week, is ringing Collingwood, trying to work out what number he’s going to wear at the Pies next year.”
Cornes also put the blowtorch on fellow Lions Zac Bailey, who is weighing up his own free agency decision, Hugh McCluggage and Cam Rayner.
“Zac Bailey’s not doing that. He’s worrying about an extra 100 grand on his contract,” he continued.
“Hugh McCluggage’s just trying to get through and get himself back from injury.
“You just cannot say the same about Brisbane. And unless you’re all doing that, you’re not winning a third premiership in a row.”
Neale’s personal life was thrust back into the spotlight recently when Jules Neale and Tess Crosley both gave tell-all interviews on separate podcasts.
He has also been pictured with a new flame in another potential distraction.
“It has to be (a distraction),” Nick Riewoldt said.
“We’re three weeks away from the end of your Brisbane Lions career, and there’s an opportunity to end it on the highest of all highs.
“So rare air if they’re able to go three in a row. And it has become a bit of a travelling circus when it concerns Lachie Neale.”
Cornes added: “This is distracting. It’s unusual, and it’s tabloid fodder, and we understand that.”
Rayner was also singled out for his poor performances as well.
“He’s a guy that I feel like we’re always just waiting to be the firestarter, to be the igniter,” Riewoldt said.
“But I don’t really know whether that’s his go. Is he a guy that … Does he help you win? Or does he help you win by more when everything’s going really well on the inside?
“Because he’s not the break-glass-in-case-of-emergency guy that we think he is at times.”
Cornes said the Lions should have given Rayner a wake-up call by dropping him to the VFL during the season.
“That never happens. But then the next week, he’ll break eight tackles like he did in the final against Gold Coast and he’ll play a good game every seven or eight weeks,” Cornes said.
“So then you go, OK, well, Cam Rayner’s back. But he wasn’t back on the weekend.
“I just think they need to be more demanding of Cam and they’ve let him get away with some faults for too long.”
