Lachie Neale is chaired off after the R5 clash between Brisbane and Collingwood on April 14, 2022. Picture: AFL Photos

LACHIE Neale will be at Brisbane until late in his career after extending his contract by a further three years.

The new deal, which ties him to the Lions until at least the end of 2026, puts to bed any speculation of a move back to Fremantle that surfaced late last season.

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Neale came to Brisbane on a five-year contract at the end of 2018 in a bombshell trade with the Dockers and has flourished since.

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He still had more than 12 months on his initial contract before extending.

The 29-year-old has won a Brownlow Medal in 2020, two club best and fairests and two Therabody AFL All-Australian jackets since heading east almost four years ago.

He is in the midst of another terrific campaign, averaging 31 disposals a game and currently placed second in the AFL Coaches Association Champion Player of the Year Award behind Melbourne's Clayton Oliver.

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Neale was the centre of a media storm last September when it was reported he flirted with the idea of returning west.

The prolific midfielder said during pre-season he was comfortable with the Lions.

"I'll never apologise for doing what's best for my family and that's all I was trying to do, and in the end what's best for us is to be here (Brisbane)," Neale said on the eve of the season.

"Probably when the story came out it rushed my decision. 

"I feel like I would have gone through the process and came up with the same result. We just did it in two days instead of maybe two weeks."