This AFL off-season has proven to be a tumultuous one for club captains, with Lachie Neale now the fifth who has stood down in controversial fashion.
Neale, fresh off lifting up his second-straight premiership cup as Brisbane skipper, announced on Friday he would relinquish the reins.
It comes following a self-described “challenging personal period” as he confirmed during a press conference that he had split from his wife Jules.
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Lachie Neale speaks after quitting as Brisbane Lions captain. Nine
The two-time Brownlow Medallist joins Essendon’s Zach Merrett, North Melbourne’s Jy Simpkin, St Kilda’s Jack Steele and West Coast’s Oscar Allen as captains who have all stepped down this off-season and all have been for controversial reasons.
“I can confirm that, with regret, Jules and I have now separated,” Neale said on Friday.
“I have let my family down, and I apologise for my actions which have hurt those closest to me. For that I am deeply sorry.
“I accept this is a consequence of my actions, and I need to focus on rebuilding that trust with Jules as the future wellbeing of our children remains our number one priority.
“I’m extremely disappointed in myself, and I’ve put plans and measures in place to work on myself so I can be the best version of myself moving forward.”
While the 32-year-old’s situation is deeply personal, the three of the other who stepped down were pushed to make a decision after a falling out with their respective clubs.
The 2025 AFL Captain’s Day. AFL Photos via Getty Images
Merrett requested a trade out of Essendon and was desperate to get to Hawthorn for a fresh start, but the Bombers refused to trade him, despite the spotlight, awkwardly forcing the star midfielder back to the club for the 2026 season.
However, he then relinquished the captaincy shortly after the trade period, something that certainly wouldn’t have happened if not for his attempts to leave.
Andrew McGrath has now taken up the mantle at the club.
Simpkin found himself in a similar spot after he requested a trade out of the Kangaroos, hoping for greater midfield time elsewhere as the Roos continued to focus on younger players like George Wardlaw, Colby McKercher, Luke Davies-Uniacke and Harry Sheezel in recent years, which has pushed Simpkin to flanks and wings.
His trade request came out of nowhere and was one of the bombshell news stories of October, but things fizzled quickly due to limited interest from rivals.
Just like Merrett, he relinquished the captaincy in the aftermath, with key forward Nick Larkey set to lead the club in 2026.
Oscar Allen of the Eagles looks on during the AFL Captains Day at Marvel Stadium. AFL Photos via Getty Images
Allen’s tenure as West Coast captain was likely dead in the water as early on in the year as April, after he was spotted meeting with Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell.
It all proved moot as the key forward settled on Brisbane as his destination of choice for 2026 in the months that followed anyway.
He joined Neale and the Lions as a free agent, with the Eagles yet to make a call on their captaincy situation going forward.
Liam Duggan served as co-captain alongside Allen and is keen to continue in the role, but nothing has been confirmed to this point.
It is incredibly rare that the AFL would have four captains standing down in acrimonious circumstances in one off-season.
Then, separately, there’s the odd case at the Saints, where their captain Steele was effectively pushed to look for a trade by the club, while also announcing he would be stepping down as captain going forward.
St Kilda went on a spending spree in the trade and free agency period, and moving on from the veteran midfielder helped balance the club’s books.
Jack Steele in the red and the blue. Melbourne Football Club
Steele was traded to Melbourne at the deadline, with defender Callum Wilkie expected to take the reins at the Saints – though he also flirted with a move out of the club in the trade period.
The league will certainly need to ensure it holds its annual captain’s day photoshoot in 2026 given how out of date the 2025 version now is.
Nobody roaming Marvel Stadium alongside those five skippers in March would have anticipated the level of changeover that has now occurred.
And there could yet be more changes before a ball is bounced next season.
Sydney’s Callum Mills, Carlton’s Patrick Cripps, Collingwood’s Darcy Moore, Richmond’s Toby Nankervis and Geelong’s Patrick Dangerfield are not guaranteed to lead their respective teams once the first ball is kicked for the 2026 campaign.