Lachlan Oliver Neale (born 24 May 1993) is an Australian rules footballer and the co-captain of the Brisbane Lions in the Australian Football League (AFL). He previously played for the Fremantle Football Club from 2012 to 2018 before being traded to the Brisbane Lions in 2019 where he won the 2020 Brownlow Medal. Early life Originally from a farm in Langkoop, near Apsley, a small town in Western Victoria, Neale moved across the border to another farm near Kybybolite, South Australia at a young age. Nicknamed 'Cowboy', after Kevin Neale, he played various junior sports in Naracoorte including basketball, soccer, cricket and football. Lachie started playing football for Kybybolite in 2004 as a 10-year-old. He kicked 8 goals for the year as his team won the under 14 KNTFL premiership alongside future AFL player Jack Trengove. Neale also won another under 14 premiership the next season once again alongside Trengove but also with future AFL teammate Alex Forster. Neale kicked 14 goals for the season but was not selected for the Grand Final. Lachie continued playing for Kybybolite and then received a scholarship to attend St Peter's College, Adelaide. He won the Opie Medal in his final year at St Peter's. He played his junior football for the Kybybolite Football Club and then the Glenelg Football Club in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL), including seven games in the league side before returning to the Under-18 team for the Grand Final. Despite Glenelg losing to Port Adelaide, he gathered 40 possessions and was awarded the Alan Stewart Medal as the best player in the game. He represented South Australia at the 2011 AFL Under 18 Championships. Growing up, Neale supported the Port Adelaide Football Club. AFL career Fremantle (2012-2018) Neale was drafted to with their fourth selection (number 58 overall) in the 2011 AFL draft. Neale's close friend and former teammate from Kybybolite Junior Football Club, Alex Forster, was also drafted by Fremantle with their previous selection in the same draft. They joined former co-captain and Port Adelaide player Jack Trengove as ex-Kybybolite players on AFL lists. Neale played very well during the 2012 NAB Cup preseason games and was predicted to make his AFL debut in the opening round of the 2012 AFL season, but hurt his ankle against Port Adelaide at Victor Harbor, South Australia. After playing two games for Swan Districts in the West Australian Football