Lions storm home late to sink Dockers and seal three-peat
Brisbane Lions have won the 2026 Toyota AFL Grand Final, beating Fremantle 14.12 (96) to 12.17 (89) at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The margin was seven points. The premiership is Brisbane's third in a row. It equals the club's famous 2001-2003 three-peat.
The decider was played on 26 September 2026 at the MCG, before a packed house and with Kylie Minogue performing the pre-game show, according to the AFL's match report. AFL For newcomers, the Grand Final is the one game that decides the Australian Football League season. Scores read as goals.behinds (total points). A goal is six points. A behind is one point.
Brisbane led by one point at quarter-time. Scores were level at half-time. Fremantle then took control.
The Dockers led 10.12 (72) to 9.8 (62) at three-quarter time. The Guardian When forward Patrick Voss kicked his third goal during time-on in the last quarter, Fremantle went 17 points clear. That was the largest lead of the match. With under five minutes left, Fremantle's first premiership looked close.
Then Brisbane kicked the last four goals of the game. Charlie Cameron started the run. Zac Bailey followed. Young forward Logan Morris kicked two of them to close it out.
Morris is now a three-time premiership player in only his third season. Midfielder Will Ashcroft had 31 disposals for Brisbane. A disposal is a kick or a handball, the game's basic measure of involvement. Josh Dunkley had 21 disposals and 12 tackles. A tackle is recorded when a player stops an opponent in possession. Dunkley has now won four premierships.
Fremantle's Shai Bolton won the Norm Smith Medal as best on ground. The medal is voted on Grand Final day for the most influential player. Bolton is the first winner from a losing side since Chris Judd in 2005 and only the fifth ever.
For Fremantle, the loss was brutal. The Dockers beat the Sydney Swans to reach the decider and were chasing the club's first flag. AFL Their only previous Grand Final appearance was a loss to Hawthorn, 11.11 (77) to 8.14 (62), in 2013. Fremantle's official site described this comeback defeat as one of the best Grand Finals in VFL/AFL history.
What makes this stand out is the timing. Fremantle had all the run late. Brisbane had the answers. Four straight goals in the last minutes of a Grand Final is rare. To do it from 17 points down is rarer still.
Brisbane's win confirmed premierships in 2024, 2025 and 2026. The 2025 flag over Geelong sealed back-to-back. This one made it three straight. It is the club's sixth premiership of the AFL era. Coach Chris Fagan avoided committing on his future after the win, according to Nine's live coverage. Nine
