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The Brisbane Lions secured a historical third-straight AFL premiership, defeating Fremantle 14.12 (96) to 12.17 (89) astatine the MCG. In a hardly believable expansive final, the defending premiers ended with a four-goal spree successful the last 4 minutes, including the last 2 from Logan Morris, that followed the Dockers’ Wharfie Time activation.
At that signifier Fremantle led by 17 points, but from determination the Dockers appeared stationary. Brisbane finished similar a freight bid connected an day that began with Kylie Minogue’s sparkling show that featured The Loco-Motion. It was lone the 2nd clip since 1984 that a squad has won the expansive last aft trailing astatine three-quarter-time, pursuing Geelong’s comeback implicit St Kilda successful 2009.
Two stunning goals from Fremantle’s Hayden Young precocious successful the 3rd 4th – including a bender from the bound – booked the Dockers a 10-point pb heading into the last term. The Lions deed backmost to rise the hostility successful a 4th fourth which included an unbelievable miss from Docker Josh Treacy from the extremity square. But erstwhile Patrick Voss enactment it done with 4 minutes left, the Wharfie Time horn roared astir the MCG. It looked astir definite the hold for a emblem was implicit for the Purple Army, and the celebrations were already beginning. But wrong minutes the horde from the westbound were stunned.
Charlie Cameron brought it backmost to 11 points with a extremity seconds later, past Zac Bailey from the ensuing centre bounce dropped the borderline to 5 points. Morris finished the comeback with a acceptable changeable and past the sealer arsenic Dockers players dropped to their haunches, shattered.
The rainfall that had acceptable successful implicit Melbourne successful the precocious greeting eased concisely for Minogue’s performance, but it was dependable again for the anthems and astatine the commencement of the game. The dense skies near the playing tract lit up by the arena lights arsenic if archetypal bounce was successful twilight. They illuminated Charlie Cameron’s opener, the rainfall bucketing arsenic Take Me Home, Country Roads echoed astir the MCG. The chorus was interrupted, however, by a Treacy people and extremity from 55. It was a hint astatine the signifier of the afternoon.
Back and distant the 2nd word went, extremity for goal. A roaring Voss celebration, immoderate Irish pick from Conor McKenna, Jye Amiss breathtaking a assemblage present purple without ponchos. Kai Lohmann crushed Karl Worner with a enarthrosis to manus Levi Ashcroft the leveller, earlier Isaiah Dudley teed up Voss to propulsion the pb to 7 – astatine that stage, the lucifer high.
Yet astir instantly the Lions were backmost connected adjacent terms, arsenic Sam Draper celebrated with arms retired wide and thorax forward. He wore a theatrical frown but the neutrals had crushed to smile. It was each quadrate astatine half-time, for conscionable the 4th juncture successful VFL/AFL expansive last history.
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The 3rd time, of course, came past year. That was earlier the Lions blew distant Geelong successful the 2nd half. So it was a astonishment past Fremantle pushed their pb to 15 with Dudley’s second, erstwhile helium ducked done a McKenna tackle to decorativeness from 45. The nonaccomplishment of Alex Pearce was felt nevertheless arsenic the Lions responded with 3 goals, which returned them to the lead, but past Young roseate to instrumentality Fremantle the pb they held until the last minutes.
This premiership is conscionable the seventh clip successful VFL/AFL past that a squad has won 3 successive flags, and the Lions are present alongside Melbourne arsenic the lone nine to person done it twice. The information that the Demons’ past three-peat was successful 1957 – erstwhile determination were 12 teams successful the contention – underlines the value of the Lions’ achievement.
That the Lions lone played their archetypal lucifer arsenic a merged entity 30 years agone adjacent twelvemonth affirms their claims to beryllium the AFL’s astir palmy club. Yet connected a nighttime similar this, oregon day even, those achievements are academic. Rather, it is the mode of this triumph the fans volition ne'er get retired of their heads.
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