Neale Appeal: Source of new vision revealed

New vision has emerged of Lachie Neale’s clash with Jack Ginnivan.

The previously unseen footage is understood to provide a far clearer picture of Neale’s swinging arm strike towards the Hawthorn forward in Saturday’s preliminary final.

The vision that could sink the “Neale Appeal” has come from the AFL’s official analytics provider, Champion Data.

Champion’s optical tracking trial is underway at the MCG, Marvel & Optus. It involves 46 cameras and a sophisticated data-capture system.

The vision could not be clearer.

The league has always had access to the vision. Bewildering as to why they never asked for it.

Sources said the vision hurts, rather than helps, Neale’s chances of overturning a one-match suspension at the AFL Appeals Board from 4pm.

As a result, it’s understood Brisbane won’t fight the intentional strike finding at today’s hearing.

Instead, the Lions will throw all their energy towards arguing Neale should be eligible for the AFL’s “exceptional and compelling circumstances” clause enacted for Scott Pendlebury earlier this year.

Neale has played 320 games and won two Brownlow medals among many others awards and never been suspended.

In upholding the suspension, the tribunal last night explained the “more difficult issue” of deciding whether Neale was eligible for the clause.

The panel also presented the differences between Pendlebury and Neale, highlighting Pendlebury’s case involved careless rough conduct that was in-play as opposed to Neale’s off the ball intentional striking classification.

“Even Neale’s outstanding record does not render a one-match suspension for that act inappropriate or unreasonable,” the tribunal said.