“Events dear boy, events.” – Ex-British prime minister Harold Macmillan (1957-1963), purportedly when asked what his government should be concerned about.

The Lachie Neale drama isn’t in the same post code as the Profumo affair – a sexual scandal involving one of Harold Macmillan’s ministers – that precipitated the end of Macmillan’s time in Downing Street. But it is still an unwelcome “event” that the reigning premiers have had to navigate.

Lachie Neale as he spoke to the media about his decision to step down from the Lions co-captaincy.Credit: Getty

To date, the handling of Neale’s marital travails by Chris Fagan and the Lions has been smart. Neale fronted the media, quit the captaincy and took ownership of a private matter that had crept into the public domain.

Fagan has been the Lions’ primary voice on Neale, and while he’s maintained this is a private matter for Neale and his estranged wife Jules, the coach has been honest in acknowledging that he didn’t know if the dual Brownlow medallist would remain at the club after 2026.

Fagan says he was not informed of the Neale break-up until shortly before Christmas. Wisely, the Lions have been proactive in mitigating the fallout by moving quickly, rather than allowing the soap opera to gather unstoppable momentum, like a tabloid boulder hurtling downhill, via social media - and especially through the Instagram accounts of Jules Neale and others.

What impact will Neale’s issues have on team performance? Based on personnel the Lions have - and incoming/young talent assembled - they should make........

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