Brisbane co-captain Lachie Neale has fronted the media after deciding to rescind his role as captain of the Lions, revealing he is working through
Neale, who has led the Queensland club alongside Harris Andrews since the 2023 season, has opted to relinquish his captaincy duties, with his teammates informed of his decision on Friday.
In a club statement, the Lions confirmed the decision, noting Neale had been working through a "challenging personal period".
An "extremely disappointed" Neale fronted Brisbane media on Friday morning, stating he is placing the well-being of children as a priority, with the AFL star apologising for actions that have "hurt those closest to me".
"I understand the interest in my personal life, but these are personal matters, and I won't be answering questions on that topic today," Neale said in a prepared statement.
"I can confirm, with regret, that Jules and I have now separated. While I won't go into specifics, I can say that I have let my family down and I apologise for my actions, which have hurt those closest to me, and for that, I am deeply sorry.
"I accept the consequences of my actions and I need to focus on rebuilding that trust with Jules, as the future well-being of our children remains the number one priority.
"I'm extremely disappointed in myself, and I've put plans in place and measures in place to do the work on myself so that I can be the best version of myself moving forward.
"Given the personal matters, I've made the decision to stand down as co-captain and from the leadership group, effective immediately."
Neale was quizzed on his decision and its relation to his personal life, with the Lions midfielder accepting responsibility for his actions.
"Of course, I have regrets about my personal life," he said in response.
"I'm extremely disappointed in my actions and the breakdown of my marriage.
"For me, yeah, it hurts. I understand that I'm a role model, and I'll probably let fans, not just of the Brisbane Lions but of the AFL, down. I accept that responsibility."
Neale revealed his recent personal issues weren't the sole reason behind his decision to step down as captain, having considered relinquishing his duties close to 12 months ago.
The veteran midfielder held talks with coach Chris Fagan prior to the 2025 season, considering the next wave of leaders at the club.
"To be honest, I probably thought about it the last 12 months with the captaincy piece," he said.
"I'm 32, about to be 33, and we've got a great crop of young leaders coming through. I actually first brought it up with 'Fages' probably 12 months ago.
Neale has captained Brisbane to three grand finals and two premierships, with the Lions winning 52 and drawing two of the 74 games he's captained.
The 32-year-old won his second Brownlow following his maiden season as skipper, and has added an All-Australian selection and best and fairest to his resume since stepping into the leadership role.
Neale has played 159 of his 294 career games with the Lions, having crossed from Fremantle at the end of the 2018 season.
The Lions are facing several changes to the nine-player leadership group they named for 2025, with members Brandon Starcevich (West Coast) and Oscar McInerney (retired) having left the club.
Under the leadership of Andrews and Neale, Brisbane also had Hugh McCluggage (vice-captain), Josh Dunkley (vice-captain), Charlie Cameron, Cameron Rayner and Jarrod Berry in its leadership group.
Neale is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2026 season, with his captaincy call making his future with the Lions further clouded.
