Neale praises Kirk for improving him
Fremantle on-baller Lachie Neale has praised assistant coach Brett Kirk for helping him unlock the skills which earned him a second Ross Glendinning Medal in yesterday’s 30-point western derby win.
One week shy of notching his 50th AFL game, Neale attacked the contest against the Eagles like a rabid dog, giving his side first use of the ball and joining in a deluge of goal scoring in the first half.
The 21-year-old finished with three goals from 42 disposals and attracted the maximum three votes from all three Glendinning Medal judges, who all gave Stephen Hill two votes and Nat Fyfe one.
Neale said it was no coincidence the Dockers performed well in a game against their cross-town rivals, declaring the club had a thirst for playing in big games.
On his own game, Neale paid homage to former Sydney captain Kirk, who he says has helped make him the player he is today.
“As you know, he’s been an inside beast of the competition,” Neale said.
“I suppose for me my hardness and tackling and things like that had to improve when I walked through the door, so he’s really helped me with that.
“He’s one of the fiercest blokes that’s played, so to have him around has been a massive help for me.”
Dockers coach Ross Lyon said Neale’s rapid rise since being drafted at the end of 2011 could be put down to plenty of hard work.
“We’re thrilled. Lachie stands up under heat, he stands up in finals-type footy because he wins his own ball and he’s a selfless team player,” Lyon said.
“The better you perform the more they’ll come after you, but what we like is weight of numbers. Do you go to Neale? Do you go to (Nat) Fyfe? Do you go to (Michael) Barlow? Do you go to Danyle Pearce?
“The best teams run deep through the midfield.
“He hasn’t been perfect, we’ve had a couple of conversations, but he’s dedicated to his footy and he wants to be a top-flight player.”
Neale said the Dockers were strong against the Eagles, but would need to fix up the second-half lapse which let their opponents cut into a 79-point third-quarter deficit.
With Sydney looming at Domain Stadium on Anzac Day, he said the club wanted to be ready to meet the challenge presented by last season’s runners-up.
