LACHIE Neale has joined Brisbane Lions royalty by winning his third Merrett-Murray Medal on Friday night.
Neale (66 votes) won the best and fairest count in front of a packed crowd at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre from fellow midfielder Hugh McCluggage (59) and under-rated defender Brandon Starcevich (51).
It capped another stunning season for the 29-year-old, who also finished runner-up in the Brownlow Medal after averaging 30 disposals (16 contested) and eight clearances a game.
Neale joins captain Dayne Zorko (five), and Lions champions Simon Black, Michael Voss and Jonathon Brown (three each) as the only players to win the Merrett-Murray Medal at least three times.
It was little surprise he added to his triumphs in 2019 and 2020, but that wasn't the only success for Neale on the night.
The prolific ball-winner also won the award for Best Finals Player, with his 39-disposal performance against Richmond lifting Brisbane to a memorable elimination final triumph at the Gabba.
The victory was Neale's fifth of his career, after winning the Doig Medal at Fremantle twice.
"Before I came tonight I spoke to (wife) Jules and said "when I first got drafted the guy I absolutely admired and looked up to was fellow South Australian Matthew Pavlich, he won six B&Fs by the time he retired, and I said if I win tonight that would be my fifth … and it dawned on me that that's pretty crazy," Neale said.
"A guy that I thought was like a god basically when I got drafted to Fremantle … I thought if I won one it was the best thing ever.
"When you take a back seat and look at it from that point of view, to win five is pretty mind-boggling to me and to win three at this club is pretty special."
For McCluggage it continued a run of near misses. The 24-year-old has now finished on the podium four straight years after placing third in 2019 and 2020 and second in 2021.
After moving from the wing to a more permanent midfield role, he averaged 25 disposals and kicked 20 goals for the season.
McCluggage has also been selected in the 40-man Therabody All-Australian squad the past four seasons without forcing his way into the final 22.
Starcevich's third place was great reward for another outstanding season, where he was again tasked with defending the opposition's best small-to-medium forward on a weekly basis.
The quietly-spoken 23-year-old moved up a spot from his fourth place finish 12 months earlier, and was also named the club's Trademark Player of the Year.
2022 Merrett-Murray Medal
1. Lachie Neale - 66 votes
2. Hugh McCluggage - 59
3. Brandon Starcevich 51
=4. Harris Andrews - 46
=4. Charlie Cameron - 46
6. Jarrod Berry - 43
7. Daniel Rich - 41
8. Lincoln McCarthy - 40
9. Oscar McInerney - 39
10. Zac Bailey - 38
How they vote: Coach Chris Fagan and the five assistant coaches allocate up to four votes each for an individual performance, meaning the maximum a player can receive for one match is 24 votes.
