- Lions suffered rare defeat at their Brisbane home ground
- Players were then allegedly targeted on social media
- Neale has made a stand against player abuse
Brisbane Lions co-captain Lachie Neale has delivered a blistering rebuke to online trolls after a wave of abuse followed the team’s shock 52-point loss to Collingwood on Thursday night.
In an explosive Instagram story posted on Good Friday morning, Neale labelled social media abusers as ‘cowards’ and ‘the biggest stain on society.’
‘People hiding behind keyboards to attack players are the biggest stain on society,’ Neale wrote.
‘It’s getting beyond a joke now, the things I’ve seen sent are some of the most horrific messages I’ve ever seen.
‘It’s a game of football, grow the f*** up. Cowards. Put your face and name to your words.’
The Lions, who entered the match undefeated and as favourites at their home ground the Gabba, were dismantled by a ruthless Collingwood side.
Brisbane Lions star Lachie Neale has made a stand against AFL fans abusing players after a loss
He posted this message to social media after receiving abuse from fans after the loss to Collingwood at the Gabba on Thursday
While the result itself wasn’t a total shock, the 52-point margin stunned fans and commentators alike.
In the wake of the loss, the club confirmed a player received ‘appalling messages from online trolls’ and the incident has since been reported.
‘The club is aware of a player receiving some appalling messages from online trolls following the match last night,’ a Brisbane Lions spokesperson said.
‘Unfortunately it is an ongoing issue players are having to deal with. We stand by them in calling it out. The matter has been reported.’
Neale, a dual Brownlow Medallist, didn’t specify whether the abuse was aimed at him personally or a teammate.
However, some speculate the trolling may have come from disgruntled punters who lost bets tied to player statistics or team performance.
Veteran sports journalist Mark Gottlieb was among those to support Neale’s stance, writing, ‘Lachie Neale dropping some truth bombs.’
‘The way people treat athletes on the field like they’re not human beings is utterly shameful. A lot of it is gambling too.’
The loss at the Gabba was rare, and experts believe fans turn to abuse when their bet don’t win because of upset results
Neale’s comments come at a time when the AFL is battling to clean up online abuse, including racism and targeted trolling.
Earlier in the week, Port Adelaide’s Willie Rioli was granted leave after receiving racist abuse online over a post where he expressed dislike for Hawthorn.
Though Neale’s concern wasn’t racially motivated, it was clearly fuelled by ongoing frustrations surrounding the treatment of AFL players online.
The AFL has tried to curb abuse on social media but has been hampered by the rise of anonymous accounts and fake profiles.
The explosion in sports betting has further complicated the issue, with players often blamed for missed multis and underperforming in statistical markets.
