There is an unmistakable irony in the fact prolific former Fremantle midfielder Lachie Neale moved to Brisbane before receiving the national recognition he deserves.

The Queensland capital has been as “off-Broadway” as it gets on the AFL landscape for most of the past decade.

But Lions coach Chris Fagan and his energetic troops are bringing sexy back in pursuit of a drought-breaking finals berth.

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Their attacking brand of football this season is fast, exciting and bold. Above all, it is fun to watch. And it is turning heads.

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At the crux of Brisbane’s unbeaten start to the season is Neale, the man lured away from the Dockers as a replacement for Dayne Beams, tasked with setting the example for the next wave of young Lion midfielders.

WA football followers already knew Neale was a gun. They’d known it for some time.

But the diminutive ball magnet, a two-time Doig and triple Ross Glendinning medallist, has taken his game to even greater heights at his new club.

Camera Icon Lachie Neale’s start to season 2019 has been remarkable. Credit: Getty Images/AFL Photos, Chris Hyde

After three rounds, Neale boasts league-high averages for disposals (38.33) and handballs (23.67) and sits second behind Patrick Cripps for clearances with 9.3. He is third behind Cripps and Ben Cunnington for contested possessions (18.33).

All would be Neale’s career-high season averages if he continued at this rate.

The 25-year-old has racked up 43 disposals twice this season, bettering his previous mark of 42, set three times during his 135 games with the Dockers.

Neale’s effort against Port Adelaide last Saturday night included career-high tallies of 25 contested possessions and 16 clearances as he led a young Brisbane midfield unit to a third straight win.

Not surprisingly, his new teammates have been suitably impressed.

“He works extremely hard,” Brisbane captain Dayne Zorko said. “He’s a fantastic player.

“I’m not sure how other teams scout us or what the go is, but it’s great for Lachie at the moment that he’s been able to share the workload in the midfield.

“We’ve had guys like Rhys Mathieson in there as well, Jarrod Berry, Hugh McCluggage.

“There’s a really good work ethic in there and the boys are doing great work and Neale’s getting on the end of a few, which is great for him.”

Neale opened as a $41 Brownlow Medal fancy with TABtouch.

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He has shortened dramatically in recent weeks to a $4.85 second favourite — behind only Geelong superstar and 2016 winner Patrick Dangerfield ($3.70) — ahead of Saturday’s meeting with Essendon at the MCG.

Yesterday, Bombers coach John Worsfold said he was weighing up whether to send a tagger to Neale in a bid to curtail the midfielder’s influence.

“He’s had an outstanding start and his last few years have been awesome as a top-line midfielder,” Worsfold said.

“From everything I read, he’s probably leading the Brownlow Medal at this point.”

Neale (seven votes) sits second behind Dangerfield (eight) in The West Australian’s Brownlow Tracker, which features in The Game each Monday.

About 19 per cent of TABtouch’s Brownlow Medal hold has been invested on Neale, who would represent a six-figure payout for the betting agency.

It would be the worst result for TABtouch, ahead of wins by West Coast midfielders Dom Sheed or Andrew Gaff.