Lions captain's ‘extraordinary comment' clips rising star teammate
Lachie Neale's 'extraordinary comments' about Brisbane Lions rising star Will Ashcroft have caused a stir after the club's big win over Hawthorn.
The dual Brownlow Medal-winner on Monday appeared to drop a subtle reality check for the former No. 1 draft pick.
Speaking on SEN Breakfast during a 15-minute interview about the club's return to form, Neale said Ashcroft is far from a finished product at the age of 21.
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'I've seen some pretty professional blokes, and he's still working on his body and what he needs to do to get to that top echelon,' Neale said when asked about Ashcroft's professionalism.
'But he's still learning though and he's got a little way to go to be the most professional, but I think the way he handles himself is first-class.'
Ashcroft, who won the Norm Smith medal during the Lions' Grand Final thumping of the Swans, is continuing to emerge as one of the club's biggest stars, but has shown hot and cold form this season.
It's why Neale's comments caught the eye of veteran football reporter Caroline Wilson.
Wilson on Channel 7's Agenda Setters said Neale's comment was a 'bit of a clip' for Ashcroft.
'Could we have a quick listen to the Brownlow medallist, Lachie Neale, and some extraordinary comments — well, it pricked up my ears anyway,' she said.
'I thought that was a bit of a clip and really fascinating.
'He's got a lot of work to do, clearly.'
The Lions showed they are still among the teams to beat in 2025 with a big win over the Hawks in Round 11.
Small forwards Charlie Cameron and Callum Ah Chee were stand outs in kicking seven goals between them.
Neale said it had been up to the team's midfield to bring the dangerous forwards back into the game in recent weeks.
The Lions went into the Hawks clash having kicked just 32 goals in their past three games.
After a surprise loss to the Demons and a draw with North Melbourne, the pressure was on the Lions — and they delivered.
Neale said before the big win over the Hawks that the club was not at panic stations.
'Maybe it's in our heads a little bit, so we've got to release the shackles a bit,' he said.
'We've been through far worse periods than this, so we're not panicking.
'It's a really long year, it's 24 weeks if you include the bye, and I think we learned some pretty good lessons last year that if you can find form at the right time, things can change quickly and your fortunes can change.
'Even Gold Coast we played pretty well against them, they would've been disappointed with the way they played … then you look at their next two weeks.
'We feel like if we can connect a bit better and our hunt and pressure around the ball improves then we can bounce back really quickly.'
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