Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan acknowledged the gamble he took by naming Lachie Neale as the substitute in Saturday's grand final against Geelong. Neale, a two-time Brownlow medallist, had feared his season was over after suffering a calf injury during the Lions' qualifying final loss to the Cats earlier this month. However, just 22 days later, he celebrated a second premiership title alongside Lions co-captain Harris Andrews.

Neale made a significant impact when he entered the match for teenager Sam Marshall at the start of the third quarter at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. He recorded 17 disposals, seven clearances, and scored a memorable goal in a second half that will be remembered in grand final history.

“I was lying in bed last night thinking, 'I'm either going to look like a total idiot or a total genius,'” Fagan said after the Lions secured a 47-point victory. He reflected on the potential backlash had the team lost, noting, “If we had lost, and he'd only played a half, we'd probably be bemoaning the fact we went about it that way.” Fagan explained that while Neale was fit to play, he was concerned about how much time he could handle on the field, given he had played only one game in the past 56 days.

Neale admitted he felt the most nervous he had ever been in his career before entering the game. Having previously been a substitute in Fremantle's 2013 grand final loss, he had not played that role since 2014. “I haven't done it in about 11 years, so I was pretty nervous knowing I was coming on to be the sub in the third,” Neale said. “Probably the most nervous I've ever been just sitting there waiting and knowing if the game was in the balance, they were going to sub me on.”

The decision to include Neale, who replaced injured teammate Jarrod Berry, was considered risky due to his initial injury assessment, which had him sidelined for six weeks. Neale informed Fagan he was ready to play during Thursday's main training session, but Berry chose to withdraw from the grand final to allow Neale to participate.

Neale had previously declared his season over on social media but later remarked that he “looks like a goose” for doubting his fitness. He remained confident about his ability to play, especially after a rigorous running session before the Lions' preliminary final against Collingwood. “You hear a bit of the noise and question yourself, but I've got great people around me who told me to delete all the apps off my phone, which I did,” Neale said. “I was confident in the calf; it was more about if I could run out the game, full stop. It's a bit of a master stroke; it looks good now. I'm glad I made a bit of an impact.”