Lachie Neale has reportedly stepped away from his media commitments in the wake of a turbulent off-season for the Brisbane Lions star, with Nick Daicos named to replace him on AFL 360 this year. Neale has stepped down as Lions co-captain, with Hugh McCluggage and Josh Dunkley joining Harris Andrews in the role for 2026.
And Neale has also reportedly opted to walk away from some media commitments, and won’t be making his regular appearance on AFL 360 for ‘players night’ this year. Speaking on Wednesday, AFL 360 co-host Garry Lyon revealed that Collingwood star Daicos will fill the Tuesday night role along with others like Zach Merrett, Harry McKay, Patrick Dangerfield and Toby Greene.
Nick Daicos will dip his toe into the media world after Lachie Neale stepped away from his role on AFL 360. Image: Getty
Lyon said he convinced Daicos to dip his toe into the media world while the pair worked together on the Victorian State of Origin team. “He’s the most sought-after player in the game, so clearly it took some decent persuading to get him across the line,” Lyon said.
“I also threatened he’d never represent the big V again if he didn’t take part! At this stage he’s told us he’ll do a handful of spots and we’ll see if he enjoys it – but it’s great that he wants to be a part of it.”
On social media, fans expressed their excitement at seeing Daicos in a media role. The Collingwood phenom is one of the top stars in the AFL, and fans are eager to see if he’s as good off-field as he is on it.
Harris Andrews lifts lid on new Lions co-captains
Speaking earlier this week, Andrews opened up about McCluggage and Dunkley’s transition to the Lions’ leadership group. “‘Dunks’ obviously sets the example by his actions. He does the small things well and leads the way out on the field with his defensive work and hunger, and he lives by really good standards off the field,” Andrews told Zero Hanger.
“His ability to pressure the opposition makes my job a lot easier as a defender, and he plays with so much heart – he’s so fierce and combative so it’s a no-brainer to have him as a co-captain.
Josh Dunkley and Hugh McCluggage have been elevated to Brisbane Lions co-captains.
(Josh Chadwick/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
“‘Hughy’ is someone I’ve had the pleasure of being alongside his journey the whole way. His emotional intelligence and ability to have a good feel of where the group is at is impressive – he’s intuitive and knows how we can keep getting better,” Andrews said.
“He’s a guy that in the middle of October, is driving it when we go back to running. He’s super professional, really well connected with a lot of younger guys and is motivated to get the best for the club.”