Dual Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale has backed himself to play in the AFL grand final but the decision now rests with Brisbane coach Chris Fagan and his staff.
The 32-year-old was officially ruled out of playing again this year after suffering a calf injury in the qualifying final against Geelong — next week’s opponents — three weeks ago, with scans detailing an injury worth 4-6 weeks on the sidelines.
But he has spent several hours a week in a hyperbaric chamber and put in the work to now be sure that he is fit enough to pull on the Lions jumper in the premiership decider.
Neale finished an 8km session on Saturday, complete with “a lot of high-speed stuff”.
“I think I’ve ticked every box so far that I’ve had to,” he said in the rooms after Brisbane’s win over Collingwood.
“I think