Star ‘wouldn’t have played’ in relocated AFL opener; former ump’s big MRO calls: 360 Talking Pts

Two-time Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale says he wouldn’t have played in Brisbane’s now-postponed season-opener if it was relocated and still went ahead on Thursday night.

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Plus, former AFL field umpire Ray Chamberlain says two pre-season collisions that resulted in injuries should have resulted in suspensions.

Recap the biggest storylines from Tuesday night’s edition of Fox Footy’s AFL 360 below.

NEALE ‘WOULDN’T HAVE PLAYED’ IF LIONS-CATS GOT RELOCATED

Neale told AFL 360 that unless family members were also be transported, he wouldn’t have played in Brisbane’s season-opener if it went ahead in a different location.

Asked about the idea that the Lions and Cats could have played in Melbourne or Geelong instead of the cyclone-affected Gabba, Neale said he wouldn’t have left his family to make a trip.

“I think my first opinion on that would have been I wouldn’t have played, I would have stayed here with Jules and the kids, and we have a dog here as well,” Neale told Fox Footy.

“So, unless they were willing to fly families as well — which on pretty short notice I’m not sure they could have organised that — but if they were able to fly families out of town and we could have sorted out the dog, then I would’ve done it, but I wouldn’t have left Jules (Neale’s wife) here with our three-year-old daughter and a 10-week, 11-week-old little boy.

“I wouldn’t have played.”

The superstar 31-year-old ball-winner was also asked about the current feeling in Brisbane as Cyclone Alfred prepares to make landfall in Queensland’s southeast.

“I think that (relief) is the overwhelming sense here in Brisbane (after hearing of the game’s postponement),” Neale said on Monday night. “(It was) the news that we were waiting for and expecting for a couple of days, really.

“I sort of didn’t really know too much about it until Sunday, I reckon, and then we got told in our leadership meeting Sunday afternoon that there’s a cyclone on its way and it could affect the game Thursday, and it sort of snowballed from there.

“Just looking at the weather map and the predictions of what lies ahead over the next 48-72 hours, the right call was made, I think, and we’ll bunker down here for a few days and hope for the best and then see what the damages are and go from there and move onto Sydney … the grand final rematch next week.”

Asked if he felt a sense of disappointment from the Brisbane public due to the Lions having to delay the unfurling of their 2024 flag, Neale said the main focus was elsewhere.

“To be honest, I think the cyclone that’s coming our way is more important, and that’s been the talk of the town this week, really,” he continued.

“There hasn’t been much talk about football at all — not that I’ve seen — so I think that’s been first and foremost what everyone’s thinking about and preparing for.

“There’ll be an opportunity (to unfurl the flag), I’m not sure when they’ll move that to, whether that’s our first home game or they’ll change it to when we play the Cats. Whenever that may be — I think Round 3 has been floated, we both have a bye — so they might move it to then and unfurl the flag then.

“It’ll (still) be a big occasion, and I’m sure when that occasion does pop up, we’ll have a sell-out crowd and it’ll be a great spectacle.”

PIES VETERAN’S UNIQUE PREP FOR SEASON-OPENER

It’ll be a different preparation for veteran Collingwood defender Jeremy Howe this weekend as he awaits the birth of his second child, but the 34-year-old is confident his playing status this Sunday will be unaffected.

“We’re pretty confident that it’s not going to affect the preparation in terms of for me — as selfish as that sounds — but Carly (Howe’s wife) has been amazing through the whole process, and it looks like he (Howe’s son) will be born before I have to jet off to Sydney for 24 hours,” Howe told Fox Footy on Tuesday night.

“We’ve got my mother-in-law down for a short period of time to give us a chop-out when needed, which we’ll be leaning on there for some advice and help, no doubt.”

On the topic of the Magpies’ season-opening meeting with GWS in Sydney this Sunday, Howe was asked about the state of the Engie Stadium turf after a music concert was recently held at the venue.

“It’s going to be a wet one, one to embrace, that’s for sure. Not sure if it’s my kind of day, but one that I’ll look forward to, no doubt,” Howe said.

“I’m not too sure (about the concert’s impact). I haven’t seen it, not really aware that there was a concert or anything … given the weather, I can’t imagine it’s going to be in any great nick post (our game).

“But like I said haven’t seen it, I’m sure most grounds recover pretty well anyway, and we’ll adapt to whatever comes.”

EX-UMP’S CALLS ON CONTENTIOUS PRE-SEASON INCIDENTS

Former AFL field umpire Ray Chamberlain says two pre-season collisions that resulted in injuries should have resulted in suspensions.

The 385-game veteran, who will make weekly appearances on AFL 360 this season, made calls on four instances where a player was shoved or edged under the ball and an injury was the result of that collision.

First, Chamberlain commented on the Reuben Ginbey-Sam Lalor incident that left the No.1 pick with a broken jaw.

“This one, for me, out of the four that we’ll watch, probably is the most egregious,” he said as vision of the incident was shown.

“I think it’s contributed to by the velocity of the players, but for me, there is something that is a free kick — which was paid, which is fantastic from our umpire … but I think we need to report that.

“I think it falls under rough conduct, and I think it’s unnecessary and unreasonable in the circumstances. I think that’s one that the game will be looking at very closely.

“Reuben’s never contesting the football, he’s never got any intention and it’s a forceful action, so unnecessary and unreasonable because of the level of force, and then the subsequent outcome (of concussion) we’re aware of.”

Chamberlain said the incident that saw Bulldog Laitham Vandermeer concussed in a marking contest after a shove by James Sicily wasn’t a suspendable action.

He believed Sicily was “leading up to participate in the contest”, unlike Ginbey, who he says didn’t have “any intention” to create a contest.

Chamberlain also didn’t think the incident involving Adelaide’s Daniel Curtin that left Brisbane’s Brandon Starcevich concussed was suspendable.

He said: “For mine, this is just ‘pay the mark’; this isn’t an infringement of any kind.”

Finally, Chamberlain was quizzed on the shove by Jordan Sweet that resulted in an AC joint injury for St Kilda’s Mitchito Owens last Saturday.

“I think this one’s the interesting one, for mine, because the level of force isn’t to the level of Reuben’s example, but much like Reuben’s example, Jordan doesn’t in any way, shape or form ever attempt to contest the football.

“And for me, in these circumstances, that’s the anchor that gets my antenna up … you can’t debate, they (Ginbey and Sweet, respectively) are clearly not contesting the football, and so when a player is interfered with and met in a way that they can’t protect themselves and an injury ensues, that’s problematic.”