There are not too many holes in the Lachie Neale football career, but as the Brisbane Lions head to Perth to play the Fremantle Dockers on Sunday he will be desperately hoping to fill in one of them.

In five years with the Lions the much-decorated former Dockers star has never won in Perth.

He has a 2-2 record for Brisbane against Fremantle but both wins were at the Gabba. He missed the 2021 win in Perth through injury. And he’s never played for Brisbane against West Coast in Perth.

A Brisbane win, needed after the disappointing loss to the Gold Coast Suns in the QClash on Saturday, will be top priority for the now 30-year-old Brownlow Medalist, who is also in line for another big personal milestone.

With 2983 possessions in 104 games for Brisbane, the midfield ball magnet will look to become just the 17^th player to have 3000 possessions for the club. And not for the first time, he will re-write the club record books.

If he gets the 17 possessions necessary on Sunday he will be 10 games quicker to 3000 than the club’s second-quickest, and 29 games quicker than the third-quickest.

Second on the list is ex-captain Tom Rockliff, who was 115 games to 3000 possessions. Then comes Simon Black (134), Dayne Zorko and Hugh McCluggage (141), Michael Voss (147), Daniel Rich (156), Marcus Ashcroft (160), Luke Power (161), Nigel Lappin (163), Jed Adcock (167), Chris Scott (170), Jason Akermanis (172), Shaun Hart (174), Tim Notting (207) and Darryl White and Jonathan Brown (222).

Neale, who played his first seven years and 135 games with Fremantle and in his 23^rd game was the Dockers’ starting substitute in their 2013 grand final loss, will be quicker, too, than the quickest Fitzroy player to 3000 possessions – Garry Wilson. He was 120 games - quicker than every other Brisbane player except Rockliff.

Neale’s first Perth ‘homecoming’ was a heart-breaker in Round 10 2019. The Lions led at every change but were beaten by a point after a long Michael Walters goal 18 minutes into the final quarter. The last eight minutes were goalless as Nat Fyfe took three Brownlow Medal votes and McCluggage picked up two. Neale had 26 possessions.

In Round 12 2022 Brisbane led at the first and second changes but lost by 14 points. Dockers midfielders Andrew Brayshaw and Caleb Serong, each with 30-plus possessions, took the major medal votes and Zac Bailey collected one for 22 possessions and four goals.

In the Lions’ 2021 visit to Perth, when they won by 64 points, the votes went to Zorko (34 possessions, 10 tackles, one goal), Jarryd Lyons (29 possessions, seven tackles and eight clearances) and Joe Daniher (four goals).

Neale heads a disproportionately large group of eight ex-Perth players on the Brisbane list who between them were drafted from seven of the eight WAFL clubs - Brandon Starcevich and Jimmy Tunstill (East Perth), Jaxon Prior (West Perth), Deven Robertson (Perth), Daniel Rich (Subiaco), Callum Ah Chee (South Fremantle), Charlie Cameron (Swan Districts) and rookie Kailin Lane (Claremont).

Recent history says the Lions will bounce back hard from the bad loss to the Suns, as they’ve done the last four times they’ve been beaten by 40 points or more in the home-and-away season. They’ve won the next week each time.

The 2023 ladder says the Lions, third with a 13-6 record and a percentage of 125.2 are locked in a battle for positions in the top four behind Collingwood (16-3, 132.7), Port Adelaide (14-5) and Melbourne (14-5, 124.3). The draw for each club in the last four rounds is:-

Collingwood: Hawthorn (MCG), Geelong (MCG), Brisbane (Marvel), Essendon (MCG)
Port Adelaide: Geelong (Geelong), GWS (Adelaide), Fremantle (Perth), Richmond (Adelaide)
Brisbane: Fremantle (Perth), Adelaide (Gabba), Collingwood (Marvel), St.Kilda (Gabba)
Melbourne: North Melb (Hobart), Carlton (MCG), Hawthorn (MCG), Sydney (Sydney).

But the third-placed Lions would be foolish to look at the ladder and take any notice of the fact that Fremantle are 15th with an 8-11 record. They’ve beaten defending premiers Geelong twice this year – by seven points in Geelong last Saturday – and are the only team to have beaten Melbourne at the MCG.

When Brisbane and Fremantle met at the Gabba in Round 7 the Lions led all the way and dominated clearances 46-28 to win 17-13 (115) to 10-7 (67).

Neale had 35 possessions, Will Ashcroft and Josh Dunkley 28 possessions, and Daniher and Eric Hipwood kicked three goals. Hayden Young (33) and Brayshaw (30) topped the Fremantle possession-count while Brayshaw, Jaeger O’Meara and Sam Switkowski kicked two goals.

Brisbane swept the coaches votes, with Neale (10) judged best afield from Ashcroft (7), Oscar McInerney (5), Dayne Zorko (3), Brandon Starcevich (3) and Dunkley (2).

The Fremantle form guide shows Serong (551) and Brayshaw (544) have been easily their biggest ball-winners. They rank third and fifth in the League behind overall behind Collingwood’s Nick Daicos (620) and Richmond’s Tim Taranto (572) and split by GWS’ Stephen Coniglio (549). Neale (522) is equal 10^th.

Rising key forward Jye Amiss (33) heads the Fremantle goal-kicking list from Walters (30), Lachie Schulz (25), Michael Frederick (21) and Luke Jackson (19).

The 2023 coaches votes say Serong has been the Dockers’ best player this year. He has 63 votes to sit equal 11^th overall in the coaches player of the year award. Jackson (39), Brayshaw (34), Luke Ryan (22) and injured ruckman Sean Darcy (20) are next best.