The $100,000 kick: Brisbane pub rides Lions' run to another grand final

Hugh McCluggage's last-minute kick against Hawthorn was worth about a hundred grand to one Melbourne pub.

That was the verdict from Kane Tancredi, lifelong Brisbane Lions fan and owner of the Royal Derby in Fitzroy. His pub is known as the Lions' official pub in Melbourne, and McCluggage's go-ahead goal sealed Brisbane's 20.11 (131) to 19.8 (122) win over the Hawks in the preliminary final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 19 September 2026, as reported by Fox Sports.

The margin was nine points. The prize was bigger. Brisbane reached a fourth straight AFL grand final and set up a decider against the Dockers.

The winner came from a set shot, a kick taken without pressure after a free kick. It followed a holding-the-ball decision against Hawthorn's Jarman Impey in front of goal, penalised for failing to dispose of the ball correctly when tackled. McCluggage, the Lions' co-captain, converted. The pub erupted.

Tancredi called it "about a hundred-grand kick" for his hospitality business, according to the Guardian. A preliminary final is the last step before the grand final. Win, and you play for the premiership. Lose, and the season ends.

The Royal Derby has become the gathering point for Melbourne-based Lions fans. The club's official supporter group in the city is called the Lionhearts. For away fans in footy heartland, a packed home base matters.

That base now includes the Roar Deal, a Lions fan podcast founded in 2023 by AFL reporter Michael Whiting and Brisbane radio host Dom Fay. Its live recording at the Royal Derby sold out 260 tickets at $35 each within minutes. The show also earns more than $6,000 per month on Patreon.

Brisbane's run has given them plenty to talk about. The Lions have made four consecutive grand finals, including wins in the past two years. The club last secured a three-peat, three flags in a row, in 2003.

What makes this stand out is the scale beyond one pub. Queensland now has 625,000 registered Australian rules participants, growing at 7% a year. A new 63,000-seat Brisbane Olympic Stadium is being built at a cost of $3.8 billion.

For fans, this means plenty of noise before the bounce. A team chasing another flag. A pub pouring through it. And one kick still paying off.