Lachie Neale is reportedly edging towards rejecting offers to join a Western Australian club and would instead ‘prefer’ to continue playing for the Brisbane Lions when his contract expires at the end of the 2026 season.
Speculation has been mounting that the 32-year-old could seek out a move to return to a Western Australian club, following the breakdown of his marriage with his wife Julie.
At the start of the year, Neale fronted reporters to explain that he and Julie had separated after eight years of marriage, adding that he would also be stepping aside as Brisbane’s captain, with Harris Andrews, Josh Dunkley and Hugh McCluggage taking over as the side’s new leadership group.
Julie has since returned home to Western Australia with the couple’s two young children, Piper and Freddie. The couple have since sold their marital home for $3.2million, with Neale moving into his own apartment in Brisbane.
The footy star, who joined the Lions in 2018, has been jetting back and forth from Brisbane to Perth to see his young children while completing pre-season training.
And according to Herald Sun reporter John Ralph, Neale is expected to spend the next few weeks with his daughter Piper, before flying to Perth during the Lions’ bye week in Round Two. However, he claimed that Neale is angling to stay at the Queensland outfit beyond the 2026 season.
Lachie Neale (pictured with Julie Neale) is understood to be keen to continue playing for the Brisbane Lions following the expiration of his current contract in 2026
It comes as speculation has been mounting that the footy star could move to play for a club in Western Australia to be closer to his children, following the breakdown of his marriage
‘The accepted wisdom is that he will play out the season, he’ll jump on a plane, and he’ll be playing for a WA-based club next season,’ Ralph said during Fox Footy’s On the Couch show on Monday.
‘I can tell you tonight that Neale’s preferred outcome is very much playing at this football club [Brisbane] next season.
“It will require a supreme juggling act; it will require him to, of course, see his kids across this season. That’s going to be challenging.
‘But Brisbane and Neale are very much trying to make it work until the end of the season, after his marriage break-up.
‘So, he’ll spend time with his daughter across the next couple of weeks. He’ll spend the Round Two bye in Perth. There’s a nine-day break after Gather Round. So, there are possibilities there.
‘Brisbane has told him it will make it effortless for him to play with a WA-based side next year, if that’s what he wants.’
Brisbane coach Chris Fagan addressed the matter earlier this year, explaining that he hoped Neale would stay for another season.
‘I don’t know the answer,’ Fagan said in January, when asked about the midfielder’s future. ‘I hope he does (stay), but he’s an unrestricted free agent.’
Brisbane coach Chris Fagan (right) explained that he hoped Neale (left) would continue to play for the club in 2027
Fagan added that Neale would be given his blessing to leave if he chose to call time on his stint with the Lions
Fagan added that Neale would be given his blessing to leave if he chose to call time on his stint with the Lions.
‘He can make a call on what he needs to do,’ the dual-premiership-winning coach said.
‘He probably needs the next six or seven months to see what the next right step is.
‘I hope he stays and plays with us. But if he chooses to move back to Perth, because he needs to be close to his children, then he’ll do that with our blessing.
‘We’re not going to hold anyone to ransom. We’ll just go along with the flow on that.’
Ralph added that Neale had approached Fremantle back in 2021 when he was considering returning to WA. The four-time All-Australian was drafted to the Dockers back in 2011 and would go on to play for Fremantle for six years before moving east to Brisbane.
‘Right now all options are open; staying, going and potentially retiring. Until he’s shown that the current situation can’t work, I think he’s really open to staying with Brisbane next year,’ Ralph added.
West Coast and Fremantle are understood to both be interested in signing the 32-year-old but it appears the Eagles would likely trump their rivals with a bigger contract offer.
Julie has moved back to her home in Western Australia with the couple’s children
The footy star, who joined the Lions in 2018, has been jetting back and forth from Brisbane to Perth to see his young children in recent months
Neale will be keen to help the Lions claim a historic three-peat this season, with Fagan also revealing that this has been one of the midfielder’s best pre-seasons on record.
Neale also starred for the Lions during their 126 (19.12) to 101 (15.11) pre-season victory against the Gold Coast last Thursday, amassing 31 disposals – the most of any player.
Speculation had begun to emerge at the back end of 2025 that Neale and his wife Julie were experiencing some difficulties in their marriage.
Julie later took to social media to answer those rumours, writing: ‘I want to make it very clear that I am not “working through” anything. I have been betrayed in the most unimaginable way.’
Neale then revealed to members of the media that he and Julie had separated.
‘While I won’t go into specifics, I can say that I have let my family down and I apologise for my actions, which have hurt those closest to me. For that, I am deeply sorry,’ he said.
‘I accept that this is a consequence of my actions, and I need to focus on rebuilding that trust with Jules as the future wellbeing of our children remains our number one priority.’
He has been keeping a low profile since their high-profile split, but has published photographs of himself spending some time with his children over the past few months, notably travelling to WA for his daughter’s first day of kindergarten.
The midfielder, who has played 159 matches for the Lions, has also reportedly put a hold on some of his media responsibilities in 2026, with the footy star now no longer set to appear on Fox Footy’s show AFL 360.
He is in line to start for the Lions during their season-opener against the Western Bulldogs on March 7.