Past loyalty and future success were the key factors in Lachie Neale’s decision to agree to a three year contract extension with the Fremantle Dockers.

Speculation of whether the prolific midfielder would accept an offer from an Eastern club or return to his home state of South Australia was silenced when the midfielder agreed to a three-year deal, and Neale said it was the exact result he wanted.

“I sat down with (my family) and had a couple of really good discussions, (about) the future of the club. I’m here to win games of footy and I see that happening in the future,” Neale said.

“Loyalty (was a factor) as well, this club gave me the chance five years ago, I was a pretty late draft pick so they took a chance on me and to repay them was a factor.

“I wanted to deal with Fremantle and that’s the way it stayed.”

Neale agrees to contract extension 

Neale, who is currently leading the AFL in disposals with 459, is in career best form and while his play on the field garnered the attention of rival clubs, he said he didn’t pay attention to the hype.

“I knew in my mind that some of the stuff that was being written was garbage,” he said.

“I tried not to buy into the media surrounding it and I knew in myself what was true and what wasn’t.

“I felt I handled it well and my friends and family were a big part of that.”

Clearances counted against Collingwood

While the likelihood of Neale returning to South Australia was a popular storyline surrounding the young midfielder’s negotiations, Neale said homesickness was never a determining factor.

“I was a boarder at school in Adelaide and was there for three years without my family before coming over here, so it was never really an issue of homesickness.”

Neale has played 84 games since making his debut for Freo in round four 2012, and the extension will see him at the club through to the end of the 2019 season.