Flawed reasons for a just outcome: Why Neale playing in the grand final is the right thing

September 24, 2026 — 9:55pm

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Lachie Neale did not deserve to miss the grand final for his less-than-forceful gut punch on Jack Ginnivan. The final outcome, which must rank among the most stunning and contentious in the annals of AFL judicial hearings, was just.

Fremantle fans will not agree, and conspiracy theorists will enjoy speculating about the tendency for high-profile players to be cleared for grand finals, as though the overturning of the original verdict was preordained.

This is a case of questionable reasoning by the appeals tribunal that, nonetheless, has arrived at a fair outcome. Neale’s minor swinging punch on Ginnivan – call it a jog-by – was not an action that warranted the player missing the grand final.

A flawed argument – based on improvisational application of elastic AFL rules – can, and did, arrive at the fair outcome.

The appeals board, comprised of three ex-player/lawyers and headed by Richard Loveridge, invoked the rule that allows for exceptional circumstances, in this case Neale’s record of zero suspensions over 320 games; the panel argued that the AFL tribunal, which upheld the match........

© Brisbane Times