The Brisbane Lions have gone back to back to back, coming back from a 17-point deficit by kicking four goals in the final four minutes, in what has been described as one of the best Grand Finals in AFL/VFL history
Saturday’s AFL Grand Final produced one of the most unbelievable games imaginable and just fans thought Fremantle had the premiership locked away, the Brisbane Lions pulle dout the most remarkable premiership-winning performances we have ever seen.
Brisbane’s Charlie Cameron got the goal-scoring fest started, kicking the first of the game two and a half minutes in, but it wouldn’t take long for Fremantle to strike back, with Josh Treacy slotting his set shot from just outside the 50 metre arc less than a minute after the opening goal. While the slippery conditions made it difficult for both sides to gain full momentum, both sides kicked two goals apiece in the last 7 minutes of the quarter, with Brisbane leading by just one point heading into the break.
Fremantle got up early in the second quarter, but the game quickly turned into a tough, attacking game of footy, as the sides started going goal for goal, with neither side able to gain the edge on the other. With scores level at half-time, Fremantle’s reputation as second-half specialists was going to be a key factor in the otucome of this year’s flag.
Dominating the third term, Fremantle struggled to capitalise on their opportunities from out in front, with disaster striking five minutes in when captain Alex Pearce went down with an Achilles injury and was ruled out for the remainder of the game. The Dockers rallied to a 15-point lead, but the Lions did what they do best and kicked three goals within six minutes to bring the score back in their favour. Fremantle would not stay down for long, with some heroics from Young; kicking two goals back-to-back gave his side a 10-point lead heading into the last quarter.
Just as everything looked to be going Fremantle’s way and the premiership was all but won, Brisbane came out firing, and nobody was prepared for what was about to come. Kicking two goals in the space of a minute, Brisbane were just five points behind. Panic set in, and what should’ve been a dream quickly turned into a nightmare for the Dockers as Brisbane’s Logan Morris kicked the go-ahead goal with just over a minute left on the clock. A final boundary throw-in halfway up the ground with 30 seconds to go was the last-gasp effort for Fremantle to try and get ahead, but Will Ashcroft gained possession, running downfield and delivering back to Morris, who sealed the deal for Brisbane.
Whether you are a footy fan or not, this was a Grand Final for the ages,
FREMANTLE 3.4 6.7 10.12 12.17 (89)
BRISBANE 3.5 6.7 9.8 14.12 (96)
GOALS
Fremantle: Voss 3, Young 2, Dudley 2, Amiss 2, Treacy, Reid, Frederick
Brisbane: Cameron 3, Morris 3, Lohmann 2, Allen 2, McKenna, Draper, L.Ashcroft, Bailey
BEST
Fremantle: Serong, Young, Voss, Reid, Jackson, Bolton
Brisbane: Dunkley, W.Ashcroft, Zorko, Cameron, Wilmot, Gallop, Lohmann
