Brisbane edge Hawthorn in nine-point prelim classic to reach grand final

Brisbane beat Hawthorn 20.11 (131) to 19.8 (122) in the first preliminary final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 19 September 2026. The nine-point win sends the Lions into the AFL grand final against Fremantle on the following Saturday, according to The Guardian. The match was listed by the AFL as the first preliminary final of the 2026 season.

For newcomers, footy scores read as goals.behinds (total points). A goal is worth six points and a behind is worth one. Brisbane kicked 20 goals and 11 behinds for 131 points. Hawthorn kicked 19 goals and 8 behinds for 122.

A crowd of 97,835 packed the MCG. Brisbane went in with an unchanged line-up. From the first bounce, both sides found space forward and kept the scoreboard moving.

Kai Lohmann kicked five goals for Brisbane. Hawthorn small forward Nick Watson kicked six goals in the loss. Goals came fast at both ends. No defence could hold for long.

Hawthorn trailed by 28 points during the last quarter. The Hawks rallied hard. They closed the gap and then hit the front late.

Then came the finish. With 18 seconds left, Hawthorn defender Jarman Impey was penalised for holding the ball, which means failing to dispose of the ball correctly when tackled. Brisbane midfielder Hugh McCluggage took the free kick as a set shot, a kick at goal taken without play moving on, and kicked truly to put Brisbane back in front, as detailed by the ABC.

Brisbane won the next centre bounce. Lohmann marked and kicked another goal on the siren. That sealed the nine-point margin.

Next is the grand final against Fremantle. It will be the first final meeting between the two clubs. Brisbane is aiming to become the third team this century to win three premierships in a row, after Brisbane in 2001-03 and Hawthorn in 2013-15.

What makes this stand out is the swing. A 28-point lead gone. A late lead lost in seconds. In September, a preliminary final is simple. Win and play for the flag. Lose and the season ends.