Neale’s focus is work not awards

LIONS star Lachie Neale is favoured to take out Thursday’s AFL MVP award as well this year’s Brownlow but the 27-year-old isn’t allowing the fan dom to affect his footy.

Neale looms as the current favourite to take out the AFL Player’s Association Most Valuable Player award, up against the likes of Port Adelaide’s Travis Boak and G eel on g’ s Tom Hawkins.

It comes in a season where the Brisbane Lions midfielder has also earned Brownlow Medal favouritism for his impressive 2020 performance.

Neale admitted he was embracing the accolade favouritism but said he still had work to do ahead of this year’s finals series.

“It’s a bit weird to say that I’m the favourite, but I guess that’ s the truth ,” Neal es aid.

“I embrace it because it is what it is. I can’t really control it and who knows what the umpires have put down.

“I’m just waiting until that night and if all things go my way, then great but we’ ve got a couple of big games before that moment.

“We’ll just have to see what happens.”

To his teammates, Neale is considered one of the most diligent students of the game.

Whether it be staying back after training or pouring through vision of the weekend’s match, Neale absorbs as much as he can in an effort to improve himself each week.

The 2019 Lions best and faire st said his passion to improve came from his early days after being looked over by so many clubs. “I sit down and watch a fair bit of footy, probably four or five games each weekend,”hesaid.

“I sit down with coaches every week as well and go through a bit of plan as to what the next game might bring us.

“It’s probably a little bit to do with a chip on my shoulder.

“When I was younger, I probably wasn’t rated very highly. I went pretty late in the draft and every team overlooked meat least three or four times. So I probably have never felt like anyone has really rated me that highly so that really motivates me. Internally as well, I’ve just got a real desire to get better each year but each game as well.”

The Lions first challenge starts with Richmond next weekend in the first finals footy clash of 2020.