The Brisbane Lions have bounced back from the heartbreak of last year’s grand final in stunning fashion, beating Sydney by 60 points to claim their first AFL premiership in more than two decades.
Lachie Neale (33 disposals) and Norm Smith Medal winner Will Ashcroft (30) starred in the 18.12 (120) to 9.6 (60) victory at the MCG on Saturday, which completes the Lions’ long rise to the top with Chris Fagan.
The 63-year-old took over eight years ago after a three-win season and is now the oldest coach in the competition.
He is also the first flag-winning tactician to never play a senior match.
It is Brisbane’s fourth flag since the Bears-Fitzroy merger in 1996, and the first since the famous hat-trick of wins from 2001-2003.
By rising from fifth place, the Lions became just the second team under the current finals system, introduced in 2000, to win the premiership outside the top four.
Neale and co-captain Harris Andrews led superbly, while Callum Ah Chee and Kai Lohmann scored four goals.
Ah Chee executed his role perfectly with Australian defender Nick Blakey, as did Brandon Starcevich with dangerous Swans forward Tom Papley.
The Brisbane Lions have bounced back from the heartbreak of last year’s grand final in stunning fashion, beating Sydney by 60 points to claim their first AFL premiership in more than two decades.
Lions teammates Joe Daniher and Cam Rayner celebrate a goal late in the final quarter with victory secured at the MCG.
Dayne Zorko (26 disposals) was also influential and Joe Daniher (16 touches, 2.4) stood out in what could be his last game, with the veteran striker considering retirement.
It has been a year filled with adversity following Brisbane’s four-point loss to Collingwood in last season’s decider, with the Lions losing five players to long-term knee injuries early in the 2024 campaign.
The club also had to endure a scandal in Las Vegas last October, which threatened to leave the playing group in tatters.
In April it was reported that a rift developed between Lions teammates over what happened in Sin City and, as a result, some players had “difficult conversations” with each other.
After a slow start to their campaign, Brisbane faltered at different stages (they fell to 2-5 and 4-6-1) before a nine-match winning streak put them back in contention for top spot.
Back on the big stage after three hard-fought knockout final victories, Brisbane conceded the first two goals before Lohmann kicked off his team with two in one minute.
They led by eight points in the quarter and took control of the game in a brilliant blitz in the second quarter.
The Lions went 7.4 to 1.2 on the season, including a brilliant goal from Eric Hipwood on the boundary line, to increase their lead to 46 points at the main break.
The Swans had no answers to Brisbane’s attacking brilliance (pictured left, Charlie Cameron and Josh Dunkley with the Premiership Cup)
Sydney recovered late but the likes of Kai Lohmann (right) proved too much to handle.
They never let up, kicking after half-time as a solid defense led by Andrews held firm.
Cam Rayner (one goal) stood out when he beat Tom McCartin for a spectacular score during the third period.
Sydney’s defeat was their fourth in a grand final since the 2012 flag, leaving John Longmire with a horrendous 1-4 record as coach in the season’s deciding games.
The latest failure comes two years after a terrible 81-point loss to Geelong at the same venue.
Key forward Logan McDonald had an ankle problem in the grand final and had to be substituted at half-time after re-injuring the joint.
Superstar midfielder Isaac Heeney was also out for most of the final period with a lower leg injury.
Errol Gulden and Oliver Florent (24 disposals each) were the Swans’ best ballwinners on a dismal day, and veteran Luke Parker finished with three goals.
Winning on the AFL’s grandest stage also made a football superstition a reality, after Lions co-captain Lachie Neale made sure he kept the premiership trophy a little longer than his United States counterpart. Swans, Dane Rampe, on Friday.
Many football fans are convinced that whoever is the last to drop the trophies in the final grand parade will end up winning the flag, and that was the case again on Saturday.
Nearly 12 months to the day, Collingwood captain Darcy Moore won mind games against Lions co-captain Harris Andrews in the build-up, and the Magpies defender was a feature player the following day .
