Fremantle Dockers v Brisbane Lions: AFL grand final 2026 – live | AFL
Key occasions
Q1: 7 min remaining: Fremantle 2.3.15 – Brisbane 1.3.9
Charlie Cameron doesn’t have the leg for a shot from the pocket on the run, with loads of area. It’s marked on the road. And Fremantle go coast to coast! Dudley makes good! A well-recognized journey for the fellows from the West. Young drills an extended kick down the road to the attacking arc, Jackson grabs it simply on the boundary and holds it again into the sphere of play earlier than handballing, Dudley has overcommitted in main up, and the ball goes over his head. He has to double again, dive on the ball to knock it clear from Brisbane’s defence, then pops again up, grabs it off the deck about 45 from purpose, and slams it by means of.
Q1: 8 min remaining: Fremantle 1.3.9 – Brisbane 1.3.9
Like a greenback coin in a pair of tight denims, the ball is trapped within the pocket. Finally it will get squeezed out, then immediately Fremantle have area by means of the center. Young and Switkowzi by hand by means of the centre, however Frederick overcooks his kick ahead, organising Voss to get flattened by Andrews reasonably than have an opportunity at a mark. Scrambling within the ahead line, Bolton will get a snap at purpose but it surely falls simply quick and is punched by means of. Then when Freo mimic Brisbane’s instance in getting one other try by means of defensive strain, Isaiah Dudley flashes a shot large on the run.
Q1: 11 min remaining: Fremantle 1.1.7 – Brisbane 1.3.9
Pressure footy from Brisbane. Murphy Reid is hassled out of possession on the wing, Brisbane drive the rolling ball ahead, however McKenna misses his shot on the run, then there’s one other rushed behind moments later. Lions locking down their ahead 50 fairly properly, Freo’s subsequent try to flee can also be shut down, and there’s a sequence of ball-ups close to the boundary till Pearce will get a free for a ball that skews out of bounds off a Brisbane boot.
Q1: 13 min remaining: Fremantle 1.1.7 – Brisbane 1.7.7
Voss botches one other probability, this time dropping a mark within the pocket on the lead. Ball again outdoors Freo’s 50, the place Shai Bolton has his head eliminated, places it again on, and has it ripped off once more. Gets a free from at the least a kind of novice surgical procedures. Goes again into the pocket, however the ball is spoiled regardless of a giant fly try. The Lions virtually make them pay, good motion to the opposite finish, Cam Rayner marks on the lead, runs large of the person on the mark, and misses to the far aspect from the appropriate ahead pocket.
Q1: 16 min remaining: Fremantle 1.1.7 – Brisbane 1.0.6
The fast reply from Fremantle to take the early lead, as Josh Treacy marks strongly on the lead after an ideal centre clearance, and regardless of the moist circumstances, completely flushes the kick from outdoors 50!
Q1: 17 min remaining: Fremantle 0.1.1 – Brisbane 1.0.6
First get away of the centre sq. goes Brisbane’s means, in a vortex of tackling and flying limbs, the ball scrambled ahead reasonably than delivered. Fremantle repel the primary two entries into 50, then an unbelievable pick-up at prime pace by Jye Amiss on the wing helps neutralise a harmful scenario.
Ball again inside Lions 50, appears to be like like a rushed behind however there’s a Freo free for a push, so the rating is chalked off. Dockers get out by way of Frederick down the wing, into the pocket for Voss, however he misses a checkside on the run from the pocket. Freo level, and Brisbane rebound instantly, down the opposite finish, discovering Charlie Cameron in area… purpose!
Harris Andrews wins the toss of the coin, such because it issues, and chooses to kick… in one of many instructions. Hard to inform on the close-up. I believe he went City End?
Welcome to Country takes place, and now the nationwide anthem. Get prepared for the cheer…
Here comes the premiership cup, carried onto the sphere by Luke Hodge, then handed over to Fremantle rep Shaun McManus and Brisbane rep Simon Black, a few enormous names from the histories of those two golf equipment.
Geoff Lemon
Thanks Martin. That was truly fairly affecting, the best way that Kylie’s present began with a complete montage of her as a child after which as a younger girl, then it reduce to a lady in a college uniform strolling onto the MCG sporting massive Walkman headphones, the child dreaming of being there someday… and the cameras panned over to Kylie’s centre stage. Where she ended up. Top marks.
Martin Pegan
OK, I’ve virtually obtained my head again within the recreation after that unbelievable efficiency from Kylie. I’m sorry, but it surely was. And it’s time for me to seize a cuppa. Thanks loads for following alongside as we speak. Here is Geoff Lemon to information you thru what must be an absolute cracker.
Wow! An early contender for finest on floor from Kylie. I want to gather my ideas however again to the footy – listed here are the 2 lineups as named:
Fremantle
FB: 6 Jordan Clark, 25 Alex Pearce, 17 Judd McVee
HB: 23 Karl Worner, 21 Oscar McDonald, 5 Heath Chapman
C: 44 Matthew Johnson, 8 Andrew Brayshaw, 28 Neil Erasmus
HF: 32 Michael Frederick, 16 Murphy Reid, 39 Sam Switkowski
FF: 24 Jye Amiss, 35 Josh Treacy, 20 Patrick Voss
FOLL: 9 Luke Jackson, 3 Caleb Serong, 10 Shai Bolton
INT: 18 Mason Cox, 34 Corey Wagner, 26 Hayden Young, 13 Luke Ryan, 43 Isaiah Dudley
Brisbane
FB: 22 Ty Gallop, 31 Harris Andrews, 35 Ryan Lester
HB: 44 Darcy Wilmot, 27 Darcy Gardiner, 15 Dayne Zorko
C: 7 Jarrod Berry, 8 Will Ashcroft, 33 Zac Bailey
HF: 23 Charlie Cameron, 13 Logan Morris, 4 Oscar Allen
FF: 30 Eric Hipwood, 16 Cam Rayner, 1 Kai Lohmann
FOLL: 32 Darcy Fort, 5 Josh Dunkley, 9 Lachie Neale
INT: 2 Sam Draper, 3 Jaspa Fletcher, 6 Hugh McCluggage, 10 Levi Ashcroft, 26 Conor McKenna
Kylie takes flight to log off with Can’t Get You Out of My Head. This goes to take some topping from the Fremantle and Brisbane gamers.
Kylie has just a few classics up her sleeve with Confide in Me, Padam Padam and … all the best way, means again to The Loco-Motion.
If there’s a time and a spot for disco it’s absolutely 2pm on a Saturday within the center the MCG. I’m spinning round, transfer out of my means … I do know you’re feeling me ‘cause you like it like this …
The Melbourne local tests the waters with a shout out to the Fremantle fans, then on to those dressed more in maroon. An early win to the Dockers for the loudest cheer as Get Outta My Way is followed by On a Night Like This (maybe next year?).
Kylie takes centre stage in the middle of the MCG and launches into Love at First Sight. And before the crowd can catch their breath, next up is In Your Eyes. All killer, no filler …
G Flip has done their thing and Mike Brady has busted out his timeless classic Up There Cazaly. Next up is a certain rising star from the local scene …
A handful more than 100,000 fans are expected at the MCG with purple the colour of choice as the stands are filling up. But not every Dockers supporter could make the long trek across the country with the Cappuccino Strip in Fremantle filling up for the occasion.
Final teams
Teams are in with no late changes.
Fremantle are unchanged from the side that edged Geelong in the semi-final and then ran over the top of Sydney in the preliminary final. Key defender Brennan Cox has been unable to force his way back in after suffering a calf injury in the final round of the home and away season. The Dockers also resisted the urge to call on pacey defender Brandon Walker to lock down on the Lions’ fleet of half-forwards.
Brisbane are additionally unchanged from the aspect that received a basic preliminary final conflict with Hawthorn after Lachie Neale had a one-game ban to come back out of that recreation overturned on enchantment. Noah Answerth misses out after injuring an ankle within the qualifying final loss to Sydney although there would have been a temptation to recall the defender with the likes of Shai Bolton presenting a hazard to the Lions. Jarrod Berry missed out final yr as a result of a shoulder harm when Neale began that decider because the sub, however the twin Brownlow medallist appears to be like extra relaxed this time because the Lions hunt a premiership three-peat.
Jack Snape has made it to the MCG in a fairly dry state and simply in time to take pleasure in the very best of the pre-match leisure.
The ponchos are piling into the MCG forward of the Grand Final, in a rain-sodden begin to Saturday afternoon’s proceedings. Musician G Flip kicks off the leisure shortly, forward of the much-anticipated pre-match efficiency by Kylie Minogue, scheduled for 1.39pm.
Attendants have been frantically making an attempt to take away water from the four-pronged stage as followers pile in. Despite the inclement climate, and a path of mud ringing the MCG by means of Yarra Park, the eyes of followers are brilliant – particularly these sporting purple.
The conventional half-time dash will function Cathy Freeman … on the beginning gun. The 100m sprint throughout the MCG will see final yr’s winner Jed Walter (Gold Coast) up towards Willem Duursma (West Coast), Luke Davies-Uniacke (North Melbourne), Arthur Jones (Western Bulldogs), Jarman Impey (Hawthorn), Ollie Florent (Carlton) and Aliir Aliir (Port Adelaide).
The Lions long term of sustained success has helped construct the connection between the previous Fitzroy and Brisbane. The Royal Derby in Melbourne has leaned proper into the bonds that attain throughout state borders and – as Jack Snape discovered – don’t damage the pubs’ backside line with Chris Fagan’s aspect in a fourth consecutive AFL grand final.
As the publican at Brisbane’s official pub in Melbourne, the Royal Derby in Fitzroy, he has over the previous few years come to know one factor about his hospitality enterprise. When the Lions are within the massive dance, his money register sings.
‘That’s most likely a few hundred-grand kick for me,’ Tancredi says of McCluggage’s dramatic go-ahead purpose towards the Hawks. ‘I don’t know the way to not finances for it now. It’s that massive. I used to be principally praying to the footy gods on Saturday, not only for my staff however for my backside line.’
Not positive whether or not to throw your assist behind the Fremantle fairytale or a Brisbane juggernaut? Luckily Alex McKinnon has you lined is his information for the undecideds, casuals and neutrals.
Casuals will discover a lot to love in characters like Patrick “Prancing Pony” Voss, who was fined earlier this yr for the unforgivable crime of ruffling an opponent’s hair. Captain Alex Pearce has stood tall on and off the sphere, refusing to apologise for social media posts in assist of civilians in Gaza. The Dockers have recruited a bunch of unheralded cast-offs with a sprinkling of stars from different golf equipment and turned them right into a premiership pressure.
Collectively they’re a colossus, and on the entire the Lions gamers are annoyingly likable. The Ashcroft boys – Will and Levi – are the AFL’s personal Williams sisters, successful every thing in sight and being healthful whereas doing it. Veteran small ahead Charlie Cameron went from taking part in for the Newman Saints in between shifts down a Pilbara mine to turning into one of many recreation’s greatest stars. Even Dayne Zorko is compelling in a love-to-hate-him kind of means.
Adelaide’s two-time premiership participant Andrew McLeod returns to the Norm Smith panel as chair. He is joined by three extra gamers who’ve all dazzled on grand final day in Shaun Burgoyne, Chris Judd and Michael Voss, in addition to AFL reporter Lauren Wood. The 2009 Norm Smith medallist Paul Chapman will current the honour to the participant adjudged best-on-ground.
Who is your tip? I’ve taken the massive leap and gone with Will Ashcroft to make it three in a row. But I’m, admittedly, one in every of his greatest followers.
The From the Pocket weekly AFL e-newsletter features a quiz every week. This week we requested which membership has the very best finals win-loss share of their VFL/AFL historical past, with Gavin Edgar first to answer with the right reply, saying “Brisbane has the best finals win rate … It doesn’t matter if you just recognise them as the Lions or if you include the Bears.”
The Lions win price (publish merger) is 65.9% with 29 victories from 44 finals. The Hawks are subsequent finest on 61.3% with 57 wins in 93 finals. The Dockers (42.9%) sit on the decrease finish of the dimensions with solely the Saints (40.9%) and the Bulldogs (37.3%) under them.
Fremantle and Brisbane gamers have began to reach on the MCG with the primary ball-up now lower than two hours away.
Fremantle have permission to hit the “Wharfie Time” button if and when the grand final requires it on the MCG. What on earth is “Wharfie Time”? And does it contain Kylie in any means? Funny you need to ask …
I’m seeing a number of “Wharfie Time” mentions in my feed and it appears to need to do with sport, however I want your assist. Where shall we start?
Perhaps with Fremantle’s wealthy maritime and dockworker historical past, which has had a heavy affect on the port metropolis’s AFL membership.
In case you’ve been dwelling beneath a rock, the Dockers will contest this Saturday’s grand final towards the Brisbane Lions – aiming to interrupt a longstanding duck and win the membership’s first premiership flag.
A grand final day custom in one in every of my extra prolific discussion groups is to tip the winner, Norm Smith medallist, first purpose and first bounce. FWIW listed here are my supposedly educated guesses – ship yours, when you dare, with an email.
Premiers: Brisbane by 11 factors
Norm Smith medallist: Will Ashcroft
First purpose: Shai Bolton
First bounce: Shai Bolton
Brisbane followers is perhaps extra acquainted with grand final week. But as Joe Hinchliffe discovered, the traditions which have grow to be a staple of the day – and even perhaps a small a part of the aspect’s success – are prone to turning into superstitions.
This Saturday at about 10am Scott Fletcher will put a lead on Louis the Cavoodle, pump out Angry Anderson’s Bound For Glory and pound the pavements of the Melbourne suburb of Pascoe Vale. Fletcher fears that, ought to he not repeat the acquainted routine to which he has adhered on the morning of the AFL grand final for the final two years, his beloved Brisbane Lions can be denied one other three-peat.
‘If we don’t win, and I hadn’t completed that, then I’m going to put on it, you realize?’ he says. ‘The Lions losing will be on me.’
Our man on the bottom in Western Australia – Brendan Foster – is perhaps a rusted on West Coast fan. But he hasn’t been in a position to assist up however get swept up within the wave of enthusiasm flowing round Fremantle and the port metropolis specifically.
After the Dockers’ spectacular win over the Swans within the preliminary final, Fremantle’s streets erupted in chaotic celebrations that resembled the wild scenes in New York after the Knicks’ drought-breaking NBA championship.
Maybe not that bonkers, however the port metropolis’s CBD turned a vibrant sea of purple as a whole lot of jubilant followers danced, hugged and partied within the pouring rain. Although the explosive chants of ‘MCG, MCG’ from the hollering horde appeared to terrify a number of bus drivers attempting to weave by means of the purple pandemonium.
Our and free AFL e-newsletter – From the Pocket – features a quiz every week. The final version of the season puzzled which membership has the very best finals win-loss share of their VFL/AFL historical past?
If you assume you realize the reply, get in contact with an email …
Lachie Neale is one Brisbane participant who must be arriving on the MCG with an enormous smile on his face after the twin Brownlow medallist had a one-match ban overturned on enchantment on Thursday evening.
The former Dockers midfielder is regarded as taking part in his 186th and final recreation for the Lions as we speak, with a transfer to the Magpies reportedly on the playing cards. But a few of our From the Pocket subscribers have been eager to query whether or not he must be taking part in in any respect as we speak.
“The penalty for punching an opponent is 1 week suspension,” Harry Collins stated. “The consequences of that are immaterial.”
“All season the AFL has been trying to clamp down on off-the-ball hits like that,” Nick Seuss added. “But Lachie Neale does it in a prelim and [Tim] Watson thinks he should be granted clemency??? Barry Hall got away with one long ago, but thuggery is thuggery. We have seen the video.”
Neale, after all, just isn’t the primary – and absolutely received’t be the final – participant to overlook a grand final with a preliminary final mind fade. I can nonetheless really feel the ache of Kangaroos defender Jason McCartney’s swinging arm that collected Lions ruck Clark Keating in 1999.
Jacqueline Randall additionally had an incident to recall: “I’m pretty sure Steve O’Dwyer from my beloved Dees’ also missed a GF too – he was suspended in the prelim and missed the belting Melbourne received at the hands of the terrifying Hawks a week later. I’m still haunted by that awful loss.”
Will Mrongovius went even additional again: “Phil Carmen missed two GF after being suspended in 1977.”
Brisbane followers are displaying no indicators of grand final fatigue at the same time as their aspect marches right into a fourth AFL decider in as a few years (whereas their AFLW staff has appeared up to now 4 ladies’s grand finals!).
Jonathan Horn explores the introverted enigma that’s Justin Longmuir because the Dockers coach bucks the pattern to guide his aspect into an AFL grand final.
While you’re right here, start your preseason now and make sure you get extra gems like this by signing up for our free weekly AFL newsletter – From the Pocket.
Justin Longmuir has all the time been one thing of an outlier – a basic introvert who can come throughout as nervous and awkward in press conferences, a person who needed to metal himself to talk to giant teams when he began teaching. He’s not a coach who picks fights or creates diversions or speaks in riddles. He says he’s an over-thinker. He says he’s tougher on himself than any critic, and there was loads of these. As one in every of simply two senior coaches who’ve by no means performed in or coached a grand final staff, it’s one thing that may make him a simple goal when the aspect are underperforming – that he doesn’t have the taking part in file, the aura, the eloquence, the polish, the prick in him.
Fremantle followers are arriving on the MCG as they hope to create the eternal reminiscence of seeing their aspect break the 32-year premiership drought and declare a primary AFL grand final.
Fremantle and Brisbane every have a slice of historical past inside touching distance as the very best defensive staff and the highest attacking aspect of the season meet in a final for the primary time. I’ve gone deep into the place the sport can be received – and misplaced – in addition to the gamers set to form the decider. And additionally throw in a prediction for the way it will all play out – ship us your recommendations on email.
The Dockers are the top-ranked defence with a mean of 74 factors conceded this yr and confirmed within the come-from-behind victory towards the Swans how they’ll management a recreation, and restrict the opposition scoring, by dominating the territory battle. …
The Lions have flipped the script on how you can attain the sharp finish of the season as they lean into their enviable unfold of firepower to grow to be an offensive juggernaut. The Lions have averaged 118 factors since they put three straight mid-season defeats behind them to win 12 of their previous 14 matches.
How did Fremantle and Brisbane take the final step to the grandest stage? Only with a victory in one of many extra outstanding weekends of soccer in reminiscence.
The Lions’ nail-biting win over the Hawks has robust claims to be the very best recreation of Australian rules football ever performed – and Jonathan Horn presents the case for each the prosecution and the defence.
Jonathan was on the SCG the evening earlier than because the Dockers flicked a change late within the third time period and surged previous the Swans to guide a spot in simply their second AFL grand final.
Jai Arrow is on the official AFL grand final breakfast in Melbourne because the rugby league participant’s analysis with motor neurone illness on the age of 30 crosses the divide between Australia’s hottest sporting codes.
Brisbane are right into a fourth straight grand final however the first in that run the place they begin because the favourites. While we are able to’t make certain how the added expectation will weigh on Chris Fagan’s staff, they’ve already proven they’re at their finest when taking part in a recreation that actually issues. Jonathan Horn can be on the MCG to report on the Lions’ chase for a premiership three-peat, and has already checked out why they’ve spent seven years on the pointy finish of the ladder.
‘Give me 80,000 people at the MCG and I was Hercules,’ Brent Crosswell as soon as stated. ‘Give me a grey day at the Western Oval and I wasn’t price a cracker.’ Crosswell, who most likely would have received two Norm Smith medals if there was such a factor again then, would have been proper at dwelling on this Brisbane Lions staff. They want a giant event. They want the sport to have weight. When it’s a sleepy shift in western Sydney or Tasmania, they drift. They drive their coach spare. When it’s all chips in, they’re peerless.
The climate in Melbourne is … a reminder that it is a winter sport. It is at present 12C with an anticipated excessive of 15C. There is loads of fog and a little bit of drizzle hanging round although the forecast suggests the latter would possibly clear up by about quarter-time.
The final correctly soaked grand final in Melbourne was in 2011 when Geelong ran away from Collingwood for his or her third flag in 5 years. But the Cats win towards the Saints two years earlier is one other that continues to be burned in my reminiscence (humble brag: I used to be there!) for the powerful and tight contest that moist and wild circumstances can carry. The 2020 grand final performed on the Gabba was one other slippery conflict when heavy storms and rain lashed Brisbane hours earlier than the opening bounce.
Preamble
Martin Pegan
Hello and welcome to live protection of the AFL grand final between Fremantle and Brisbane. After extra matches than in any earlier AFL season we’ve lastly arrived at our vacation spot with this yr’s minor premiers assembly the two-time reigning premiers on the MCG.
Fremantle are one win away from lastly sealing their very own fairytale ending. The Dockers have had extra lows than highs throughout their 32 years within the league. But all that ache might be washed away with a victory towards the Lions within the two groups’ first finals encounter. Justin Longmuir’s aspect have already damaged new floor with 19 now their most wins in a home-and-away marketing campaign off the again of a membership file 14-match successful streak between rounds one and 16. Whether the Dockers throw the most important monkey off their again and win a primary AFL premiership can be determined at about 5.30pm AEST/3.30pm AWST as we speak.
Brisbane have their very own slice of historical past all however of their grasp as they hunt a premiership three-peat that will underline their standing as each a modern-day nice staff and the powerhouse membership of this century. This is the Lions’ fourth straight grand final and a 3rd consecutive triumph would make them simply the second membership to win a pair of premiership three-peats in VFL/AFL historical past. Chris Fagan’s finals-hardened aspect hardly ever make life simple for themselves and once more had the primary character power of Lachie Neale taking centre stage within the construct as much as the most important recreation of the yr. But all this must be like second nature to the Lions with solely two gamers – first-year recruits Sam Draper and Oscar Allen – on the grand stage for the primary time.
This is the grand final matchup that was broadly predicted late within the season as Fremantle booked a top-two spot with just a few weeks up their sleeve and shortly claimed the membership’s second AFL minor premiership, whereas Brisbane have been thought to have a transparent path to the decider with the embattled Sydney their first opponent within the finals. But each the Dockers and Lions have been compelled to take an extended route by means of a house semi-final and a outstanding preliminary final victory on the street to guide their spot within the grand final.
First ball-up in Melbourne can be at 2.30pm AEST / 12.30pm AWST – probably the final time the grand final will begin on the conventional time. I’ll be seeing us by means of the pre-match hype and leisure earlier than Geoff Lemon takes the reins for the primary occasion. There is greater than sufficient motion to maintain us busy as Kylie hits the stage, G Flip will get issues warmed up and Mike Brady belts out his standard classics. Meanwhile, tell us your ideas and predictions, and some other ideas on how the sport will play out – shoot me an email or discover me on Bluesky @martinpegan.bsky.social. Let’s get into it!