Many believe the Brisbane Lions will triumph over the Sydney Swans due to a superstitious act during the grand final parade.
Lachie Neale subtly criticized Collingwood fans while addressing the crowd at the AFL grand final parade. Many also noticed that Neale, the Lions co-captain, was the last to touch the premiership cup on Friday. During last year’s grand final parade, Collingwood fans infamously booed Neale after he won the Brownlow Medal, beating Nick Daicos. Neutral onlookers found the behavior disrespectful, especially as Neale was holding his young daughter at the time.
This year, there was no such controversy as the Brisbane Lions geared up to face the Sydney Swans on Saturday. In 2023, co-captain Harris Andrews addressed the crowd during the parade, but in 2024, it was Neale who took center stage. He didn’t miss the opportunity to make a playful dig at Collingwood, remarking, “I’m just glad I’m not being booed this year.”
The spotlight was on Neale again during Friday’s grand final parade as the captains held the premiership cup aloft. Superstition suggests it’s bad luck for the captain who lets go of the cup first, and good fortune for the one who holds on the longest. Swans captain Dane Rampe, standing in for the injured Callum Mills, released the cup slightly before Neale, though Rampe downplayed any significance, stating he doesn’t believe in superstitions. Neale, on the other hand, seemed more mindful, intentionally holding on to the cup longer.
Interestingly, last year it was Lions co-captain Harris Andrews who removed his hand from the premiership cup before Collingwood’s Darcy Moore, with the Magpies ultimately winning the grand final. Andrews later confessed that he regretted letting go first, revealing that Moore had been “awkward” about making sure he held the cup longer.
“It’s haunted me all off-season, to be honest,” Andrews admitted in March. “Collingwood made a big deal about being the last to let go of the cup during the grand final parade. It felt a bit awkward up on stage because neither of us really knew what was happening.”
Determined not to repeat the mistake, Andrews gave Neale clear advice: “If I get to that situation again, or more likely Lachie this time, I’ll be making sure he doesn’t let go—and maybe even take the cup home with him,” he joked.
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