Fremantle Dockers v Brisbane Lions: AFL grand remaining 2026 – stay
Key occasions
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 remaining 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 perfect finals win-loss proportion of their VFL/AFL historical past, with Gavin Edgar first to answer with the right reply, saying “Brisbane has the perfect finals win fee … It doesn’t matter in the event you simply recognise them because the Lions or in the event you embrace the Bears.”
The Lions win fee (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%) beneath 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 remaining requires it on the MCG. What on earth is “Wharfie Time”? And does it contain Kylie in any method? Funny it is best 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 residing below a rock, the Dockers will contest this Saturday’s grand remaining in opposition to the Brisbane Lions – aiming to interrupt a longstanding duck and win the membership’s first premiership flag.
A grand remaining day custom in one in every of my extra prolific discussion groups is to tip the winner, Norm Smith medallist, first objective and first bounce. FWIW listed below are my supposedly educated guesses – ship yours, in the event you dare, with an email.
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Premiers: Brisbane by 11 factors
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Norm Smith medallist: Will Ashcroft
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First objective: Shai Bolton
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First bounce: Shai Bolton
Brisbane followers could be extra accustomed to grand remaining week. But as Joe Hinchliffe discovered, the traditions which have grow to be a staple of the day – and maybe even a small a part of the facet’s success – are liable 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 remaining for the final two years, his beloved Brisbane Lions will probably be denied one other three-peat.
‘If we don’t win, and I hadn’t carried out that, then I’m going to put on it, ?’ he says. ‘The Lions shedding will probably be on me.’
Our man on the bottom in Western Australia – Brendan Foster – could be 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 particularly.
After the Dockers’ spectacular win over the Swans within the preliminary remaining, 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 making an attempt to weave by way 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 perfect finals win-loss proportion of their VFL/AFL historical past?
If you suppose the reply, get in contact with an email …
Lachie Neale is one Brisbane participant who needs to 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 night time.
The former Dockers midfielder is regarded as enjoying his 186th and remaining sport for the Lions at present, with a transfer to the Magpies reportedly on the playing cards. But a few of our From the Pocket subscribers had been eager to query whether or not he needs to be enjoying in any respect at present.
“The penalty for punching an opponent is 1 week suspension,” Harry Collins stated. “The penalties of which can be immaterial.”
“All season the AFL has been making an attempt 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 needs to be granted clemency??? Barry Hall received away with one way back, however thuggery is thuggery. We have seen the video.”
Neale, after all, just isn’t the primary – and certainly gained’t be the final – participant to overlook a grand remaining with a preliminary remaining 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 fairly positive Steve O’Dwyer from my beloved Dees’ additionally missed a GF too – he was suspended within the prelim and missed the belting Melbourne obtained by the hands of the terrifying Hawks every week later. I’m nonetheless haunted by that terrible loss.”
Will Mrongovius went even additional again: “Phil Carmen missed two GF after being suspended in 1977.”
Brisbane followers are exhibiting no indicators of grand remaining fatigue whilst their facet marches right into a fourth AFL decider in as a few years (whereas their AFLW workforce 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 development to steer his facet into an AFL grand remaining.
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 traditional introvert who can come throughout as nervous and awkward in press conferences, a person who needed to metal himself to talk to massive 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 remaining workforce, it’s one thing that may make him a simple goal when the facet are underperforming – that he doesn’t have the enjoying document, 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 facet break the 32-year premiership drought and declare a primary AFL grand remaining.
Fremantle and Brisbane every have a slice of historical past inside touching distance as the perfect defensive workforce and the highest attacking facet of the season meet in a remaining for the primary time. I’ve gone deep into the place the sport will probably be gained – 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 tips about email.
The Dockers are the top-ranked defence with a median of 74 factors conceded this yr and confirmed within the come-from-behind victory in opposition to the Swans how they will management a sport, and restrict the opposition scoring, by dominating the territory battle. …
The Lions have flipped the script on easy methods to 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 perfect sport 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 night time earlier than because the Dockers flicked a swap late within the third time period and surged previous the Swans to guide a spot in simply their second AFL grand remaining.
Jai Arrow is on the official AFL grand remaining breakfast in Melbourne because the rugby league participant’s prognosis 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 remaining however the first in that run the place they begin because the favourites. While we will’t ensure how the added expectation will weigh on Chris Fagan’s workforce, they’ve already proven they’re at their finest when enjoying a sport that really issues. Jonathan Horn will probably 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 individuals on the MCG and I used to be Hercules,’ Brent Crosswell as soon as stated. ‘Give me a gray day on the Western Oval and I wasn’t value a cracker.’ Crosswell, who in all probability would have gained two Norm Smith medals if there was such a factor again then, would have been proper at house on this Brisbane Lions workforce. They want an enormous 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 this can be a winter sport. It is presently 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 remaining in Melbourne was in 2011 when Geelong ran away from Collingwood for his or her third flag in 5 years. But the Cats win in opposition to 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 robust and tight contest that moist and wild circumstances can convey. The 2020 grand remaining 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 stay protection of the AFL grand remaining between Fremantle and Brisbane. After extra matches than in any earlier AFL season now we have 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 could possibly be washed away with a victory in opposition to the Lions within the two groups’ first finals encounter. Justin Longmuir’s facet have already damaged new floor with 19 now their most wins in a home-and-away marketing campaign off the again of a membership document 14-match profitable streak between rounds one and 16. Whether the Dockers throw the most important monkey off their again and win a primary AFL premiership will probably be determined at about 5.30pm AEST/3.30pm AWST at present.
Brisbane have their very own slice of historical past all however of their grasp as they hunt a premiership three-peat that may underline their standing as each a modern-day nice workforce and the powerhouse membership of this century. This is the Lions’ fourth straight grand remaining 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 facet hardly ever make life simple for themselves and once more had the principle character power of Lachie Neale taking centre stage within the construct as much as the most important sport of the yr. But all this needs to 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 remaining matchup that was extensively predicted late within the season as Fremantle booked a top-two spot with a couple of weeks up their sleeve and shortly claimed the membership’s second AFL minor premiership, whereas Brisbane had 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 had been compelled to take an extended route by way of a house semi-final and a outstanding preliminary remaining victory on the highway to guide their spot within the grand remaining.
First ball-up in Melbourne will probably be at 2.30pm AEST / 12.30pm AWST – probably the final time the grand remaining will begin on the conventional time. I’ll be seeing us by way of the pre-match hype and leisure earlier than Geoff Lemon takes the reins for the principle 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 typical classics. Meanwhile, tell us your suggestions and predictions, and another 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!
