Lachie Neale: Footy superstar reveals emotional reason he would have REFUSED to play if the AFL didn’t postpone cyclone-hit game
Brisbane skipper Lachie Neale has revealed fears for his family’s safety would have seen him refuse to play against Geelong if the AFL hadn’t decided to postpone the match due to Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
The league announced the huge change to the Opening Round fixture on Tuesday, with the Gold Coast’s Saturday clash with Essendon also shelved due to the looming disaster.
That means Sydney and Hawthorn will now open the season on Friday as the AFL is left with just two matches in its controversial Opening Round, which was meant to kick off with the Lions vs Cats game on Thursday night.
While the league hasn’t announced any details about the rescheduling of the fixtures, one possible solution was to switch the games to Melbourne – but Neale shot down that idea in no uncertain terms.
‘I wouldn’t have played, I would’ve stayed here with [wife] Jules and the kids, and we have a dog here as well,’ he told the AFL 360 show on Tuesday night.
‘So unless they were willing to fly families as well – which on pretty short notice I’m not sure if they could’ve organised that – but if they were able to fly families out of town and we could’ve sorted out the dog, then I would’ve done it.
Brisbane skipper Lachie Neale (pictured with wife Jules) has revealed he would’ve refused to play against Geelong if the match had been moved to Melbourne due to Cyclone Alfred
Neale (pictured with his baby son Freddie) said he would never leave his young family on their own in Brisbane with the natural disaster looming
‘But I wouldn’t have left Jules here with our three-year-old daughter and a 10-week, 11-week-old little boy, so that would’ve been pretty hard to do.’
The NRL’s Dolphins vs South Sydney match was scheduled to be played in Brisbane on Friday night, but the league switched that game to Sydney, leading many AFL fans to wonder why their games couldn’t get the same treatment.
Aside from Neale’s concerns, there’s also the issue of finding a ground to host any shifted game, with the MCG still being prepared for its 2025 footy debut in the Richmond vs Carlton match on March 13, and Marvel Stadium just hosted a huge Green Day concert, which would’ve had an impact on the playing surface.
Neale’s worries about his family were echoed by the wife of Dolphins star Kodi Nikorima, who blasted the NRL for refusing to postpone the match.
‘Leaving the families behind to ride out the direct line of cyclone alone. Some with no support at all,’ Bree Nikorima wrote on Instagram.
‘I’m six months pregnant with two young kids in an area that can flood, disgusting.
‘Do better @nrl.’
AFL CEO Andrew Dillon referred to concerns about stars’ families when he explained the reasoning behind the league’s move on Tuesday.
The Brownlow and premiership winner (pictured with wife Jules) will now have to wait until March 15 to start his season as the Lions take on the Swans in Sydney
‘It was a tough decision, but in the end, we didn’t have any alternative,’ he said.
‘What we want to do is have the minimum number of people flying in and out of Queensland at the moment.
‘They want to be at home with their families and looking after their houses.’
Brisbane coach Chris Fagan earlier urged the AFL to make the ‘logical’ decision.
‘It’s just a game of football,’ Fagan told reporters.
‘It’s a cyclone … I have seen the carnage they have cause at different periods of Australian history, so I’m not too keen on the idea of things going ahead if it’s going to be like that … it can’t, can it?’
Geelong coach Chris Scott empathised with ‘people who have responsibilities beyond the actual game of football’.
‘It sort of reminds me of the COVID situation,’ Scott told reporters.
‘It’s a bit unpalatable talking about when you prefer to play a game of footy when people are sandbagging their houses.’
