Fagan handed keys to city after Lions storm home for three-peat

Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan has been handed the keys to the city after steering the club to three straight AFL premierships.

The honour was presented by Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner at a Lions fan day, days after Brisbane's stunning grand final win over Fremantle, according to ABC News.

Brisbane beat Fremantle 14.12 (96) to 12.17 (89) in the 2026 AFL Grand Final. That is a seven-point margin. In footy scoring, a goal is worth six points and a behind is worth one, with the total in brackets.

The Dockers led by 17 points with four minutes left. Brisbane kicked late goals to steal it. Four minutes. Seventeen points down. Season over if they blink.

It sealed a three-year run at the top. Brisbane beat Sydney in the 2024 decider and Geelong in 2025 before holding off Fremantle for the 2024, 2025 and 2026 cups, as listed in the AFL's grand final coverage.

It is the club's second three-peat. The Lions also won three in a row in 2001, 2002 and 2003 under coach Leigh Matthews.

Fagan has led the rebuild from the coach's box since 2017. He took over a side stuck near the bottom of the 18-team league and turned it into a finals regular, then a premier.

Schrinner handed over the keys at the fan celebration in Brisbane. The keys to the city are a ceremonial honour, not actual keys. They recognise service to the city.

The club knows the ritual. The Lions team was given the keys after its first flag in that 2001-03 run.

What makes this stand out is the timing. Three flags in a row demand health, nerve and luck. Brisbane needed all three against Fremantle. The Dockers had the game in hand and the clock on their side.

For fans, this means history repeating. Brisbane now owns two of the AFL's rare three-peat eras. The first belonged to Matthews' Lions. This one belongs to Fagan's.