Look, there are reunion stories in AFL football, and then there are reunion stories. Lachie Neale potentially pulling on the purple and gold again at Fremantle would sit firmly in the second category.
Dockers coach Justin Longmuir has confirmed he would welcome Neale back to Fremantle, with the two-time All-Australian's contract at the Brisbane Lions due to expire at the end of this season. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Longmuir is genuinely open to the prospect, which is exactly the kind of storyline that makes the AFL trade period appointment viewing every October.
Here's the thing about Neale: when he left Fremantle back in 2018, it stung. He was the engine room of that Dockers midfield, a bloke who ran all day and competed like his life depended on it. The move to Brisbane felt like a club in rebuild mode losing one of its better assets, and at the time plenty of fans down in Freo weren't thrilled about it.
What happened next, though, was something else entirely. Neale became arguably the best midfielder in the competition. He won the AFL Brownlow Medal in 2020 in dominant fashion, collected premiership medallions with the Lions, and cemented himself as one of the genuine superstars of his generation. You've got to hand it to the bloke, he took his opportunity and ran straight through it.
Now he is in the back nine of his career, and the question of where he plays out his final seasons is a genuinely interesting one. Brisbane have not confirmed whether they will offer him a new deal. Longmuir, for his part, is not about to pretend he would say no.
I reckon this is where it gets layered for both clubs. From Fremantle's perspective, bringing Neale home makes sense on a few levels. They are a team building toward something real under Longmuir, and a player of Neale's experience and leadership could be exactly what a young midfield group needs alongside the likes of Caleb Serong and Andrew Brayshaw. At the end of the day, elite midfielder experience does not grow on trees.
Fair dinkum, though, Brisbane's position here matters too. The Lions are coming off back-to-back grand final appearances, and Neale has been central to everything good they have done. Losing him, even to a rival, would be a significant blow to their premiership window. You can understand why the Lions faithful would be anxious about any whisper of a departure.
The AFL trade period has thrown up stranger things than a Brownlow Medallist heading back to his first club late in his career. Gary Ablett Jr returned to Geelong. Dustin Fletcher played 400 games at the one club, which is a different kind of loyalty entirely, but the point stands: the game has always had room for a good redemption arc or a proper homecoming.
Whether Neale wants to come back to Perth is another matter. He has built a life in Brisbane, won premierships there, and the city clearly suits him. Any decision will come down to what he wants for the final chapter of his career, and that is entirely his call to make.
What Longmuir has done by speaking openly is remove any awkwardness from the Fremantle side of the equation. The door is open. The rest is up to Neale, Brisbane, and whatever the trade table looks like come October. It's a big call for everyone involved, and one of the more compelling subplot stories of the 2026 season. Keep your eyes on this one.