"Why?": Cooney questions Neale's departure after three-peat flag

Lachie Neale yesterday confirmed that he had played his final game for Brisbane, with a move to Collingwood fast approaching.

However, Adam Cooney and Josh Jenkins can’t quite figure out why anyone would choose to leave the Lions.

Saturday’s remarkable Grand Final win over Fremantle made history, handing the Lions their third straight premiership to immortalise Brisbane's modern-day dynasty.

And it might not end there for the Lions.

With serious young talent spread across their 23 and reserves, Brisbane’s stocks are extremely well placed going forward, and with so much finals experience behind them, the Lions might not be done just yet.

That said, two-time Brownlow Medallist Lachie Neale has confirmed his departure from the club after eight seasons and three premierships.

After a tumultuous off-season outside of football last year, rumours of Neale’s departure commenced, driven by a desire to shift closer to home and with his contract set to expire at the end of this season.

However, rather than heading back to his home state of South Australia, Neale is all but guaranteed to head to Collingwood in the coming weeks.

The move has raised some serious questions.

“Maybe it is just the circumstance of everything that has happened in his last 12 months,” Cooney told SEN's Crunch Time.

“It has affected his footy and looked to be weighing heavily on him at stages, and even yesterday.

“He has become public enemy number one – due to all his own reasons and his own faults.

“Maybe it has just weighed so heavily on him that it has affected his footy. Maybe he had a couple of injuries throughout the year as well, a few niggles that players generally have.

“But it looks like when it comes to those moments, he is still going to be the guy for the next couple of years.

“I know he has left for other reasons other than football, but… why? Why would you be leaving the Brisbane Lions now?”

Josh Jenkins echoed the sentiment.

“It almost looks like it’s got to the point now that he’s just leaving and it is what it is,” he said.

“Everyone is sort of like, righto, you can move on and we can afford to lose you, and you want to move on.

“No one has ever sort of thought… why do you need to leave?”

The 33-year-old is expected to sign a three-year, approx. $3 million deal to join the Magpies from 2027.