Brisbane coach Chris Fagan says they planned for dual Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale not to play in this year’s grand final before his suspension was over-turned by the appeals board on Thursday.

Neale had been hit with a one-match ban for striking Hawthorn’s Jack Ginnivan in the first quarter of their thrilling preliminary final victory at the MCG on Saturday.

The Lions failed to have the ban downgraded at the tribunal on Tuesday night, but were successful upon appeal with the board finding his “exemplary” record enough for it to warrant a $10,000 fine.

Neale will now line up for a chance to become a three-time premiership player when they take on Fremantle at the MCG on Saturday.

Fagan said he was shocked the 33-year-old was free to play and that the decision was good for football.

“It was good news. I didn’t think he would (have his suspension overturned). It was a bit like last year, we didn’t know he was going to play last year until the day before the game when he got through a fitness test so it’s sort of history repeating itself but just in a different way,” he said.

“It was a good thing, good for Lachie and good for footy I reckon. We were pretty much ready for him not to be playing I must admit.

“We were preparing for him not to play last year too and we went OK in the grand final, so nothing different.”

Neale’s availability means the Lions will go into the game unchanged, with important defender Noah Answerth to miss despite being fit from an ankle injury which kept him out of the past two games.

“It was a difficult decision. Coaches aren’t supposed to have favourite players he’s one of mine,” Fagan said.

“If Lachie hadn’t of played, Noah would’ve come into the team and Jaspa Fletcher would’ve been pushed up onto a wing.

“That’s how close he was, but we decided to go with the group that’s been playing the past couple of weeks. They’ve got the match fitness behind them and we’re going to need that tomorrow. So, that’s why we made that choice.”

Co-captain Josh Dunkley will play in a remarkable sixth grand final, and another 10 Lions their fourth, while 15 are gunning to become three-time premiership players while only recruits Oscar Allen and Sam Draper are playing in their first decider.

Fagan denied the dual reigning premiers had an advantage because of their vast grand final experience headed into the clash.

“Maybe it helps a little bit but not much. Once the game’s going, I don’t think players are running around thinking ‘I’ve had all this experience and other guys haven’t’,” he said.

“It’s not something that we’ve sort of honed in on this week.

“It could be an ‘equal-dogs’ game again I think. Freo’s year has been sensational, to what they’ve done we appreciate it because we’re an interstate team as well.

“To be 19-4 at the end of the home-and-away (season) is an incredible effort. I take our hat off to them, a brilliant effort. I feel like we started the year slowly, we were six wins and six losses, but we’ve been 12 and two since then so our form line’s been pretty strong.

“I think the teams are really evenly matched and it will be just who turns up on the day and plays the best footy that will win the game I’m sure.”

Fagan admitted he had to appeal to “the better side of their character” to get them on track for an incredible three-peat.

“We’ve had our moments during the year. It’s really hard in a competition like this to maintain the high level that we’ve been able to for the last eight years really,” he said.

“Every now and then, there needs to be a little bit of a wake-up call as part of the journey. I don’t do that very often. They’re a really good group of men to coach and who am I to have a go at them when I’ve seen what they’ve done over the past few years.

“It’s been more me appealing to the better side of their character and their desires as footballers to encourage them to get the best out of themselves. And fortunately, that’s pretty much what has happened.”

Despite the looming pressure of joining one of the greatest teams in AFL history which is the Brisbane outfit which won premierships from 2001 to 2003, Fagan was his usual jovial self ahead of the blockbuster game,

“I think it’s the best week of the year. There’s obviously a lot of stress and a lot of nerves but as a coach you always feel like it’s a culmination of a lot of hard work put in by not just the players but all the staff and the football club in general,” he said.

“What you’ve got to try to do is enjoy it because you never know when you’re going to get back there again. We’ve been very fortunate, incredibly fortunate, but we don’t take it for granted and try to soak it all in.”