Live: Lachie Neale's grand final dreams on the line at AFL tribunal
The Brisbane Lions head to the AFL tribunal to challenge Lachie Neale's ban for striking Hawthorn's Jack Ginnivan, in the hopes of freeing the dual Brownlow medallist for the grand final.
Neale's "gut-punch" on Ginnivan could mean the former Brisbane co-captain has played his last game for the Lions, as the team prepares to face Fremantle on Saturday seeking a second premiership three-peat in club history.
Follow all the proceedings and news in our live blog.
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Gut punches have led to bans this season
The Brisbane Lions will be hoping to overturn the one-week ban at today's hearing.
However, it has to be said that several AFL players have been banned for gut punches this season alone.
These include Adelaide's Max Michalanney and Riley Thilthorpe, Carlton's Will Hayward, Richmond's Samson Ryan, and Hawthorn pair James Sicily and Dylan Moore.
So there is precedent for the penalty issued by the MRO.
We will have to wait a while to find out whether Lachie Neale joins this list or not.
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The incident that saw Lachie Neale banned
It was the first quarter of the dramatic preliminary final between Hawthorn and Brisbane at the MCG on Saturday night.
The ball was in or near Brisbane's forward 50 when Hawthorn's Jack Ginnivan clashed with Lions forward Eric Hipwood.
The ball had moved on, and as Hipwood lay on the ground, Neale ran past Ginnivan and appeared to swing at the Hawthorn player's stomach. Ginnivan went down, but almost immediately got up again.
The assessment of the match review officer was: Intentional conduct, medium impact, and body contact.
That all adds up to a one-game ban as things stand — and no grand final for Neale. You can view the clip below:
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Welcome
Hello, good afternoon and welcome to ABC's live coverage of the AFL Tribunal hearing for Brisbane's Lachie Neale ahead of the grand final.
Some Tribunal hearings are normal occasions, and while they mean something to the team involved, they don't move the needle, so to speak.
Today, however, is not one of those occasions.
A dual Brownlow medallist, and former co-captain of the Lions, is facing the end of his career with Brisbane, and potentially missing out on a fourth straight grand final, thanks to a one-match striking ban following the preliminary final.
The stakes, then, are … high.
Will Neale win the day and manage to finish his time with the Lions on the last Saturday in September, or will the next game he plays potentially be in black and white?
My name is Andrew McGarry, and I will be bringing you all the arguments and the decision out of today's hearing.
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