Lachie Neale has made Pies move official. This is what the Lions expect to get as compensation

The Brisbane Lions expect to receive an end-of-first-round draft pick as compensation for losing Lachie Neale as a free agent to Collingwood, the same as the Giants anticipate receiving for losing their captain and foundation player Toby Greene to Geelong.

Days after celebrating his third successive premiership, Neale made official the least surprising news of the season when the dual Brownlow medallist confirmed he was leaving the Lions to join Collingwood on a three-year contract worth about $900,000 per year.

While the AFL deliberately keeps the precise formula for deciding free agency compensation secret, Neale and Greene’s compensation – if the annual contract terms prove to be on par when lodged with the AFL – would be either an end-of-first-round selection or a second-round draft pick.

Greene has accepted a three-year contract worth about $1 million a year. Both players are 33 years old.

The Giants expect to receive an end-of-first-round draft pick for losing Greene. Being the club captain and a foundation player does not factor into the AFL’s compensation formula. Similarly, Neale’s two Brownlow medals and being co-captain for two years before standing down in January this year will not be taken into account.

Having won the premiership, the Lions’ first draft selection is already the last pick of the first round. By the time academy picks and compensation picks for Port Adelaide’s Zak Butters and Gold Coast’s Ben King are added to the draft, and potentially a Greene pick comes in before them, an end-of-first round compensation pick would be in the early 20s.

Neale told the Lions of his intentions the day after he and his premiership teammates were feted at a public fan event in Brisbane.

That he had not been offered a new contract at Brisbane in his free agency year suggests the only question that remained was which club the free agent would choose, not whether he would leave.

After a very public and acrimonious marriage break-up, Neale has endured a tumultuous year. Despite his wife and children moving back to Perth, Neale has opted not to ask for a move to Western Australia, fearing he would feed the circus circling his personal life.

In August Neale was revealed to have toured Collingwood’s facilities ahead of playing against Carlton the next day. Reports also suggested there had been discussion of what number he would wear and so which locker he would have.

Essendon, West Coast and Collingwood all approached Neale once it became clear he felt he needed to leave Brisbane. Fremantle, the club he began his career at, said if he wanted to return they would make it happen, but that it would be a tight squeeze financially for the grand finalists.

He also met with St Kilda coach Ross Lyon – his former coach at Fremantle with whom he maintains a good relationship – but they agreed a move there was not the right fit for Neale or the club.

Lions president Andrew Wellington told this masthead after Saturday’s win that, regardless of him leaving, the Lions would always value Neale not only for his three flags and two Brownlow medals but the impact of his arrival when the Lions were battling to win matches.

“It was a really important platform for turning the club around, and if you look at his performances in grand finals and big games, he has been incredible, so we have got nothing but gratitude for what he has done for our club,” Wellington said.

Neale was fortunate to play in Saturday’s grand final having initially been banned by the AFL tribunal for an intentional strike to the stomach of Hawthorn’s Jack Ginnivan in the preliminary final, only for that decision to be watered down to a fine by the AFL appeals board.

“Lachie has been a great player for the Brisbane Lions, and we thank him for his incredible contribution over his eight seasons,” Lions list manager Dom Ambrogio said.

“We understand Lachie’s reasons for wishing to explore free agency and we wish him all the best for the next chapter of his career.”

The club said it will further celebrate and recognise Neale’s contribution to the club in the coming days.

The league’s free agency period opens on Friday.

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