Lions star attempts to overturn Grand Final suspension for clash with Jack Ginnivan; start time, updates and verdict

Pinned post from yesterday 7.02pm Go to latest ‘Hopefully the attention is now off me’: Neale speaks after stunning decision By Roy Ward Lachie Neale is free to play in the grand final after the AFL appeals board sensationally handed him a fine, overturning a one-match suspension on Thursday night.

The board of chairman Richard Loveridge and members Wayne Henwood and Stephen Jurica found that the AFL tribunal should have used the exemplary and compelling circumstances exception to reduce Neale’s one-game ban for gut-punching Jack Ginnivan.

They instead gave him a $10,000 fine after the AFL was denied the opportunity to introduce new evidence in the hearing – vision taken during a trial of an optical data tracking trial by Champion Data.

Lachie Neale is free to play in Saturday’s grand final. AFL Photos Loveridge said the board only wanted to consider the evidence that the tribunal originally considered.