Lachie Neale falls victim to MRP's unwelcome ego... | The Leadership Portfolio with Luke Hodge (22.09.26)
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What is the Lockie Neal incident and why is it sparking controversy?
Waitley on SEN.
I'd only seen the grainy footage. That's all there is. Yeah, well, if that's all there is, I'd like to think he's got a case then because that footage is pretty grainy and far away. It's hard to see that. the detail of the impact and things. But if that's all there
is, we'll see how it goes. I actually think that's going to be hard to defend personally. But my hope is that he does play. I think we suspend players for really innocuous things too often. But I do also understand the AFL have a responsibility and they could not have been clearer.
How does the MRP’s ego influence suspension decisions in the AFL?
They were just sick of these gut punches and they couldn't have been clearer. If you do it, you're going to get a week. There's no room to move, which doesn't give them much room to move.
Chris Scott and Craig McRae with their view of the Lockie Neal incident, which heads to the tribunal tonight at 5 o'clock. I know what guilty looks like, Luke. Hodge, what do you think, Hodgey?
Oh, look, teams that have success in September, Gerard, are teams that put their ego to the side, whether it's a player or a team. I reckon that's what the MRP should have done this week, just put the ego. They looked at it and goes, this is my time to shine. How can we get noticed? And that's tongue-in-cheek for people out there.
What patterns emerge when comparing past AFL suspensions and fines?
I'm only joking around. But I think they could have let it go. I think if you look back, and don't just say it's a grand final. Look back at the history this year of what has been suspended and what hasn't. And you go to the ones that haven't been suspended. You go to the ones that what classifies as a fine. There's two that probably match up close to. That's the Nukem on Gorn and also the Harley Reid on Johnson with the elbow at the stoppage. Both those players went down for a long period of time, a lot longer than what Jack Ginnivan did, got up and was still struggling when they got the free kick when Johnson did, and then Gorn took a long time to get up. Lockie Neal comes in, throws an arm, his left shoulder hits the back of Jack Ginnivan's shoulder, and then his arm swings around into the midriff from what we can see.
But Jack Ginnivan gets straight back up.
What exactly happened during Lockie Neal’s tackle on Jack Ginnivan?
Lockie turns around, has a bit of go at him at flopping. I think if they looked at that and went back and reverted to the ones that they gave just fines for low impact to Newcombe and Reid, that's what it classifies as. It's not something where Ginneman stayed down. He wasn't winded. He got back up and move on from there. I think that would be the right one. I feel that's the way that the Tribunal will see it tonight. Or they'll go through the 300 games, not the good bloke part that – Basher Hooley got a few years ago, they'll go back in to say, look, he's had a record where he's been bashed from pillar to post. I put him with Sam Mitchell up there with two blokes that just got whacked time and time again from week in, week out, and didn't respond.
They'll go that, they'll be physical at the ball, they'll be hard, but they just copped it because they knew that that's just what footy's about.
What outcome is the tribunal likely to deliver for Lockie Neal?
Lockie's played over 300 games and not been suspended. So I think the tribunal will sit back and go, same as the Scotty Pendleby one. We believe that this is too much question mark for him to miss a game. We'll give him a fine and move on.
Yeah. Yeah. I think that would be the sensible outcome. I truly believe that's what will happen. And if it doesn't, it'll require a lot of analysis given what's happened previously. I'm surprised how... how desperate some people are to have him suspended.
How do off‑field issues and public sentiment affect AFL disciplinary actions?
I don't know what that's related to. Is that related to his off-field or...?
Yeah. There's
no
sure thing.
Okay.
That's where people, the like...
There's such a nastiness, and it's on the text, which I'm not surprised by much that comes on the text, but I think most of the time, historically, we've leant towards, it's a grand final. Come
on. If you put... whoever's writing in as a text message, put your main player, your best player, and your player did that as a response. How would they justify that? Because you sit back and go, that's not worthy of missing a grand final, especially with a record and especially the fact that Ginnivan just got back up.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What is the Lockie Neal incident and why is it sparking controversy?
0:02–0:36
2
How does the MRP’s ego influence suspension decisions in the AFL?
0:36–1:12
3
What patterns emerge when comparing past AFL suspensions and fines?
1:12–1:55
4
What exactly happened during Lockie Neal’s tackle on Jack Ginnivan?
1:55–2:42
5
What outcome is the tribunal likely to deliver for Lockie Neal?
2:42–3:11
6
How do off‑field issues and public sentiment affect AFL disciplinary actions?
3:11–3:58
Speakers
4 identifiedMore from Whateley
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