Lions 'praying' Lachie Neale gets off but confident they will cope if AFL grand final ban stands

Brisbane Lions players are bracing for the potential absence of star midfielder Lachie Neale in Saturday's AFL grand final, with the 33-year-old facing a one-match ban for a behind-the-play strike on Hawthorn's Jack Ginnivan.

Neale and the Lions will challenge the suspension at the AFL tribunal on Tuesday evening, with the two-time Brownlow medallist's participation in the grand final against Fremantle at the MCG hanging in the balance.

Lions teammate Jarrod Berry said it would be a blow to lose Neale, but the team was confident they could cover his absence.

"One of our best traits is being able to deal with that [adversity]," Berry said.

"We do it well and there's no point putting energy into it until we know the result. We'll be sitting tight and praying that he gets off. But if he doesn't, we'll face it when it comes."

The Lions will argue that Neale's suspension should be downgraded to a fine, citing a clause that allowed Collingwood's Scott Pendlebury to avoid a suspension in March.

Geelong coach Chris Scott had a differing view on the provision, saying it implied that players with good records were being given preferential treatment.

"Seriously, when we're starting to say, 'There's a rule for you because you've done good things for the game,' it's almost implying that other people haven't done a good job," Scott said on Fox Footy.

"I know his record is exceptional, but aside from that, I just like to see them play. I actually think that's going to be hard to defend personally, but my hope is that he does play."