My personal speculation is that Lachie Neale:
i. recognised a lucrative opportunity when it was offered;
ii. made an assessment that there was a better prospect of team success at Brisbane than at Fremantle (their draft picks of the last few years have all been winners and effective in their first years);
iii. his talents would be utilised better in a midfield where he was not alongside another champion player in Fyfe; and
iv. his new bride was supportive of the move.
He has clearly made a big difference at the Lions, and they are likely to go deep into September. He is likely to be in the top five of Brownlow votes, maybe top three. Whatever he and they achieve it will be well deserved.
You'd have to think (up until the present time) we did better out of the Lachie Weller trade (think Andy Brayshaw) than the Lachie Neale trade (think Jesse Hogan)
