AFL great turned Channel Seven star Kane Cornes believes Lachie Neale standing down as co-captain of the Brisbane Lions due to his marriage breakdown is an ‘absolute win’ for the club.
Neale took the step at a press conference on January 2, during which he confirmed he has split from wife Jules and appeared to blame himself for the drama.
The fact the midfielder’s contract with the Lions ends at the end of the season has led to speculation he’ll leave the club and return to Perth to be near Jules and their children after she returned to her home town.
Now Cornes has revealed why he thinks there’s a silver lining to the scandal that has dominated AFL headlines in the off-season.
‘I think it’s an absolute win for Brisbane from a footy point of view,’ Cornes told the Eddy Cornes Podcast.
‘As much as you’ll say, well, Lachie Neale is a dual Brownlow Medallist and his performances in both grand finals have been nothing short of unbelievable.
The split between Lachie Neale and his wife Jules (pictured together) has stunned the footy world – but one AFL great believes there’s a silver lining to the drama
There’s a lot of speculation that Neale could leave the Brisbane Lions to be near his children in Perth – and Seven commentator Kane Cornes (pictured) believes that’d be a good thing
Despite Neale’s obvious star quality, Cornes believes he’d be making way for a long list of young talents if he switched to a Western Australian club
‘I thought he was the Norm Smith Medallist [for best on ground in the grand final] in 2024 and his second half in 2025 with that calf injury was something that I’ve never seen the likes of.
‘But now, with the young players coming through at Brisbane, there are midfield minutes that need to be given to the Ashcroft brothers, and [Jaspa] Fletcher’s going to end up being a midfielder.’
Cornes added that rising youngster Dan Annable is contributing to the logjam of talent in the midfield.
‘Lachie, at 32 with the issues now with his body, it’s the perfect opportunity at the end of this year for Brisbane to let him go to suit his family life and head to probably West Coast or Fremantle.’
Neale started his career with the Fremantle Dockers in 2012 but Cornes is tipping him to land with the rebuilding Eagles if he does switch to Perth.
‘I don’t think it’s a bad thing if he leaves at the end of this year, certainly from a footy point of view and we’ll see how it affects his on-field performance this year,’ Cornes said.
Neale cut a dejected figure when he dropped the news about the captaincy at his press conference.
‘I can say that I have let my family down, and I apologise for my actions, which have hurt those closest to me, and for that I am deeply sorry,’ he said.
Neale (pictured celebrating the 2025 grand final win with teammate Dayne Zorko) is a two-time Brownlow Medallist and double premiership winner
Jules Neale (pictured with Lachie) has moved back to her home state of Western Australia with the couple’s son and daughter
‘I accept this is a consequence of my actions, and I need to focus on rebuilding that trust with (wife) Jules, as the future wellbeing of our children remain the number one priority.
‘I’m extremely disappointed in myself and I’ve put plans in place to do the work on myself so that I can be the best version of myself.’
However, he refused to give a direct answer when he was asked point-blank whether he had cheated on his wife.
Neale had an unexpected win on Sunday when the horse he part owns, Two Time Charlie, won a race at Bunbury, south of Perth.
The three-year-old was sitting last heading into the straight but stormed home and just took the win right at the finish line.
Raised in South Australia, Neale spent seven years in Perth after being drafted by Fremantle, during which time he met Jules.
‘I haven’t really considered that yet,’ Neale said when asked if he might consider a move to WA in 2027.
‘My decision was always going to be put on hold with my contracts regardless, so we’ll work that out in the next six months.
‘We’ve got a bit of time.’
Lions coach Chris Fagan has given Neale the green light if he wants to leave the club.
‘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,’ Fagan said.
‘We’re not going to hold anyone to ransom. We’ll just go along with the flow on that.’
