Lachie Neale has been tipped to leave the Brisbane Lions at the end of the year and make a sensational switch to Collingwood as the gun midfielder mulls over his next move.
The 32-year-old, who is out of contract this year, has been heavily linked with the West Coast Eagles or a return to Fremantle after ex-wife Jules moved to Perth with their two children, Piper and Freddie, following the couple's messy separation.
However, in a staggering twist, leading AFL reporter Tom Morris believes Neale has suggested he may move to Victoria instead, as he still has high premiership ambitions and cannot see either WA club challenging for a flag in the coming years.
"It's very hard for me to say when he hasn't even made his mind up yet. I think Collingwood," Morris said on SEN on Monday speculating Neale's likely next club.
"From a family perspective (going back to Perth makes sense), but he wants to play in a premiership.
"I think Collingwood offers more of a chance of that than West Coast for example, and Freo don't necessarily need him. Adelaide are a chance, absolutely."
Family considerations
Lachie Neale is weighing up leaving the Lions with the star midfielder stating his kids will play a big role in his decision. Morris believes the Pies could benefit from Neale's experience and he could form a formidable partnership with star Nick Daicos. He could also be the ideal long-term replacement for Scott Pendlebury, who may retire at the end of the year.
While Morris believes Collingwood is the ideal landing spot for Neale, South Australian clubs are not out of the picture either. A move to the Adelaide Crows or Port Adelaide would allow him to have more family support around him, given that South Australia is where his parents reside.
In April, Jon Ralph revealed the South Australian teams are ready to swoop, with Neale's parents often chauffeuring his children around the country.
"The issue (for Neale) is that his parents ferry his young kids across the country when he does see them, and that's been quite regularly, but he hasn't really got a lot of family or help in Brisbane.
"I think there are clubs in Adelaide that would say 'okay, his parents live in Robe (in South Australia), so three or four hours south (of Adelaide), and if it was that we could offer him a deal that might satisfy him, he's close by to Perth, where he's only got his immediate family, what about if, say, an Adelaide or Port said 'two years at $750,000'?"
Neale's priorities
Neale, who is understood to be spending as much time as possible with Jules and their two children in Western Australia, has already been told by Brisbane coach Chris Fagan, "we're not going to hold anyone to ransom" when he was asked about his former captain's future.
Despite the messy break-up, both Jules and Lachie are making sure they put their kids first, with Neale making the flight to Perth whenever he gets the chance during the current AFL season. But the reality is, he is spending the majority of the season away from his kids.
In telling comments that his future likely lies away from the Lions, Neale told Triple M last month that he will weigh up the "pros and cons" of staying at the Lions or making the move to another AFL club but ultimately family comes first.
"For me, it comes down to family," he said.
"Obviously my kids, love them to bits … Piper and Freddie.
"They'll be top priority."
