Fremantle 89-96 Brisbane (FT)
(click above to see live stats on the Flashscore match centre)
5:45pm AEST: We'll cap off our coverage of the day with the final two minutes of the match, courtesy of the AFL socials time. Brisbane absolutely dominated Wharfie Time and turned it into Roarfie Time.
5:40pm AEST: Lions head coach Chris Fagan tells the Fremantle players they deserved to win today during his acceptance speech, before club legend Simon Black presents the trophy to Fagan and the three co-captains.
Most of the Lions players are holding up three fingers as they pose in a group photo with the Cup - Josh Dunkley should be holding up a fourth!
5:35pm AEST: We're absolutely devastated for Fremantle captain Alex Pearce who has to give the losing captain's speech on crutches. He struggled to get up onto the stage and was almost in tears when speaking. One of the true good guys of the competition who doesn't deserve the day to end this way.
"I know that we'll be back," he concludes. "One thing I know about this group is we won't give up and we'll be back here again."
5:30pm AEST: Paul Chapman presents the Norm Smith Medal to Fremantle's Shai Bolton for 26 disposals and nine inside 50s. We were expecting it to go to a Lion by default but don't mind that!
Will Ashcroft made a late play for a third consecutive medal by making four clearances during 'Wharfie Time', but Bolton was excellent in the first half in particular.
Bolton received three votes from Chris Judd and Michael Voss, whilst Dayne Zorko got three from Andrew McLeod and Shaun Burgoyne. Bolton finished with ten votes and Zorko six.
5:15pm AEST: Lions coach Chris Fagan is struggling to hold back tears on the boundary as he soaks up the momentous achievement of this threepeat. Brisbane kicked the last four goals of the game to overcome a 17-point deficit 22 minutes into the final term.
"When the Wharfie Time bells came on, we all just looked at each other and then we connected and got things done," says Brisbane's Josh Dunkley to the broadcast.
5:14pm AEST: Will Ashcroft handballs to Logan Morris who snaps ANOTHER GOAL to break Fremantle hearts! Brisbane will win one of the greatest Grand Finals of all time!
5:12pm AEST: Two minutes of time-on left and it's still 89-84 to Fremantle. Logan Morris takes a very strong one-on-one grab against Oscar McDonald and will line up for goal from about 45 metres out. HE SCORES AND BRISBANE LEAD!
With 64 seconds of time-on remaining, IT'S NOW ROARFIE TIME.
5:08pm AEST: Brisbane have kicked two goals in one minute and and are again one kick away from regaining the lead! You just cannot keep the reigning Premiers quiet for long. 3 minutes, 31 seconds remaining as Zac Bailey snaps one through.
5:05pm AEST: Patrick Voss extends the lead to 17 with less than five minutes remaining! A Dayne Zorko kick-in from a behind missed its target at the edge of the 50, Shai Bolton recovered and hit the chest of Voss near the goal square. He boots his third and wheels away with his chest out and arms pumped. They know they're almost there now!
IT'S OFFICIALLY WHARFIE TIME. The noise around the ground is electric.
With four minutes of time-on left, Charlie Cameron silences at least one-half of the crowd by snapping Brisbane's second of the quarter via Will Ashcroft's sixth clearance of the day.
5:00pm AEST: Freo move away from the Lions again! We hadn't seen much of Michael Frederick today, but with his fifth mark and ninth disposal of the match, he kicks his first of the afternoon. Less than eight minutes of time-on left in this thrilling Grand Final.
Josh Treacy could have almost sealed the Premiership for Fremantle with less than seven minutes left, but he has somehow missed a running kick from inside the goal square, shanking it to the right of the right goalpost.
4:55pm AEST: 12 minutes of time-on left in this Grand Final and the momentum is briefly with the Lions. Alex Pearce's absence is certainly helping Brisbane a little bit but the Dockers are holding out in their back 50.
Eric Hipwood is with team doctors after getting a knee into the ribs from Josh Treacy during a marking contest.
4:50pm AEST: Brisbane were away on a counter before Will Ashcroft got incorrectly penalised for throwing the ball. The Lions retrieved position quickly, moved inside 50, and Hugh McCluggage missed a set shot with a very poor kick.
Moments later, Kai Lohmann had a set shot from the edge of the 50 that was smothered by Judd McVee! Lohmann ran off his mark to try and get a bit of momentum and power behind the big kick.
With 14 minutes left in the season, Logan Morris takes advantage from a free kick inside 50 and puts it through to bring the deficit back to three points!
Josh Dunkley laid his tenth tackle of the day to win a holding the ball call, but with the ball spilling out to Morris, the advantage was paid.
Less than a minute later, Shai Bolton had all the time in the world to measure himself up from 40 metres out but pushed it left.
4:40pm AEST: Fremantle lead by ten points at the final break. Only one team in the last 41 years has lost a Grand Final after being in front at the last change (and one another drew), but the way this game has ebbed and flowed, it's set to be a trend-breaker.
The Dockers piled on 22 inside 50s to 8 in that third quarter as well as 14 clearances to seven.
Fremantle captain Alex Pearce could be lifting the Premiership Cup on crutches, having been ruled out of the rest of the match.
4:35pm AEST: Hayden Young with a crucial goal on the stroke of three-quarter time! He took a mark on the boundary, and from where Dom Sheed sealed the 2018 Premiership for West Coast against Collingwood, he kicked a banana on the left forward to extend the lead to ten with less than one minute to go.
4:30pm AEST: Goodness me, this is some Grand Final! Country Road rings around the MCG for less than 30 seconds before Fremantle reclaim the lead directly from the centre bounce!
Fremantle have scored 26 points from the centre bounce compared to 2 for the Lions. The Dockers went straight inside 50 again from the next centre bounce but Brisbane were able to neutralise it.
4:25pm AEST: Oscar Allen takes his set shot record for 2026 to an outstanding 19.6 with a goal that puts the Lions within a kick of the lead!
Then, for the second time in five minutes, Brisbane have caught Fremantle short-handed in defence on the break. It was three-on-three with Zac Bailey running towards 50 and Charlie Cameron lost his opponent in the centre of the field inside 50. Cameron took an uncontested mark and converted to give Brisbane the lead!
4:20pm AEST: The Dockers draw away to record the first double-digit lead of the Grand Final through some slick and composed work from Isaiah Dudley.
Brisbane coach Chris Fagan is uncharacteristically losing his cool with his players, seen on screen shouting at Sam Draper on the bench among others.
The Lions bring the margin back to nine points with a quick counter and chain of passes between Cam Rayner, Conor McKenna, Logan Morris and Kai Lohmann.
4:10pm AEST: Jye Amiss kicks his first from little more than 15 metres out after some excellent service from Hayden Young in the centre of the ground. It was Young's third inside 50 to go with five for Bolton and four for Reid.
Fremantle captain Alex Pearce has gone down with a very serious injury and cannot stand on his right leg! He needs two physios to help him off the ground and to the bench. He was chasing down the ball in open space and got sniped. It wasn't immediately clear what he has hurt but it would be a miracle if he returns to the field today.
The AFL social media account is reporting that he has stuffed his Achilles, which could put him in doubt for the start of 2027.
4:05pm AEST: The Grand Final is back underway after Gold Coast's Jed Walter comfortably defended his Half-Time Sprint crown.
3:50pm AEST: Zorko's workrate for the first half has been quite impressive, not least for a bloke turning 38 in February:
3:45pm AEST: Dayne Zorko was one of the standout performers of the first half and he spoke briefly to Channel Seven at the break:
"Turnovers are still really important, right? We probably need to be a bit more composed on the ball.
"We're a little bit rushed but credit to Fremantle for making us do that.
"Harris (Andrews) has been huge for us. Those spoils in the first quarter for us were enormous."
3:40pm AEST: For the second successive year, the Grand Final is level at half-time!
3:35pm AEST: 60% of the quarter has been spent in Brisbane's forward half and yet they haven't been able to capitalise on it. It has been the seesawing contest we were all hoping for. Three and a half minutes of time-on left.
Fremantle completely bungled their first inside 50 entry in seemingly a long time. Sam Switkowski took a mark on the edge of a 50, handballed it off to the running Shai Bolton who had a wind-up shot smothered by Josh Dunkley. Dunkley then smothered a shot from Serong inside 50 a few moments later.
3:30pm AEST: One of the biggest crowd reactions of the afternoon was saved for when Lachie Neale missed a pretty easy set shot with a nervy drop punt. A wall of boos was circling around him, following by a sarcastic cheer when he chipped it to the right.
There are six minutes of time-on left in the second quarter.
3:25pm AEST: Fremantle are finding it a little easier to get inside Brisbane's defensive 50 but the Lions won't go away. Eric Hipwood had a set shot for goal on a tight angle and opted for the banana instead of the drop punt. It bent back into the left goalpost and we can hear Jason Dunstall shouting from our vantage point (not actually).
The scores are level once again after big Sam Draper drills a set shot from 55!
3:20pm AEST: Brisbane are struggling to contain Serong and Patrick Voss today. Harris Andrews is yet to take an intercept mark.
Voss has a set shot from 30 out after Isaiah Dudley puts on the afterburners through the centre square and can't be caught. He lobs it perfectly to the leading Voss, who becomes the first of the match to boot a second goal. He raises his arms triumphantly!
3:15pm AEST: Caleb Serong assists Fremantle's third with a pinpoint kick from inside 50 that finds Jye Amiss in front of goal. Amiss outmuscled Darcy Gardiner and quickly and calmly put it between the sticks. Three goals inside the first six minutes of the second quarter already!
Make that four goals in the first eight minutes after Levi Ashcroft ties things up. Cameron gathered the ball on the wing, kicked it inside 50 to Kai Lohmann who assisted the goal with a handball.
3:10pm AEST: The second quarter is underway. Brisbane have never lost a game in 2026 when ahead at quarter-time.
Dayne Zorko has had some strapping applied to his right leg, whilst Fremantle captain Alex Pearce looked a little gingerly.
It took only 90 seconds for Paddy Voss to put the Dockers back in front with a set shot.
Almost immediately, Brisbane reclaimed the lead through the little Irishman Conor McKenna, bending over to gather a ball on the ground and quickly toepoking it through before a defender could get over the top of it.
3:05pm AEST: That was a very evenly-matched contest. A combination of pre-game nerves and early quarter rain meant it was a tad sloppy, but the weather is slowly clearing which should make for some better footy.
The key stats counts are just as even as the one that matters most:
3:00pm AEST: Logan Morris wins a free kick in controversial circumstances, having initiated contact with defender Alex Pearce in a marking contest before falling to ground... very easily, we should say. Natural justice was served as his shot for goal from 35 metres out went out on the full. One minute left in the first quarter.
More drama ends the quarter after Josh Treacy grabs the ball inside 50 and walks towards the edge of the 50 to take a shot, only to not hear the umpire's call of "not 15"!
2:55pm AEST: Brisbane midfielder Josh Dunkley was seeking some medical assessment on the bench after a head knock but he has been passed fit to continue. Three minutes of play remain just after Kai Lohmann puts the Lions ahead from open play. That's three consecutive Grand Finals that Kai Lohmann has kicked a goal before quarter time.
Murphy Reid spurned an enormous goalscoring opportunity as Fremantle found themselves in a 3-on-2 situation in their forward 50 after Brisbane pushed forward a bit too aggressively. An attempted pass went out of bounds but his next act with the ball was to crumb the ball from the following throw-in.
2:50pm AEST: Dudley makes no mistake with his next score involvement, running into the forward 50 unmarked and getting on the end of a pass to put the Dockers in front. Less than seven minutes of time on left in the first term.
Brisbane then level the scores after some excellent ball handling from Kai Lohmann in a contest, who handballed over the top of his direct defender to Oscar Allen running towards goal. Hayden Young failed to land a tackle on Allen, allowing him a simple running shot at goal.
Allen gets another shot at goal less than 60 seconds later but it misses the target.
2:45pm AEST: Eight inside 50s to five in favour of the Lions so far but the defensive units have been understandably tough to get through.
We're now into the final ten minutes of the quarter, with a soapy ball responsible for the low scoring.
Isaiah Dudley had a golden opportunity to put the Dockers in front after the ball fell into his hands from a packed contest inside Freo's 50, but his shot from 30 out went left.
2:40pm AEST: Charlie Cameron recovered a dropped mark in the centre square and lobbed it out inside 50 to his right, finding Cam Rayner running into space. Rayner had a jittery run-up from outside 50 and hooked the shot. 7-7.
2:35pm AEST: Charlie Cameron had the first ping, and after his shot went across the face of goal, Logan Morris gave away a free kick for a push. Those 'first goal scorer' punters are still waiting nervously for the first blood to be drawn.
Patrick Voss got the scoring under way, running into goal only to miss a checkside shot.
Not long later, Charlie Cameron kicks the first goal on the rebound!
A rendition of Country Road goes around the crowd as Cameron boots his 62nd finals goal in his 31st appearance. He's a September specialist.
It didn't take long for Josh Treacy to hit back for Freo with a 52 metre bomb in the rain after taking a strong leading mark just inside 50. It was only his second mark inside 50 for this entire finals.
2:30pm AEST: The floodlights are on, the rain is lightly falling and the team captains are speaking their final words in the pre-game huddles. It's showtime at the 'G! This is probably the heaviest the rain has been all day, but it should clear soon.
The Brisbane Lions won a Grand Final coin toss for the eighth consecutive time, remarkably.
Lachie Neale is starting on the bench for the Lions.
2:15pm AEST: The noise is really being dialled up now with the teams coming out onto the ground for their pre-match photos and final warm-ups.
Will Ashcroft is a warm favourite to be the Norm Smith Medallist after doing so in both 2025 and 2024. All eyes will be on Lachie Neale's performance after what was probably the most difficult year of his career, not just with this week's judicial proceedings but with all that unfolded with his personal life in the middle of the public spotlight.
It'll be interesting to see if the Dockers' midfielders target him early. He dominated the second half of last year's Grand Final win after starting as the substitute because of injury the week prior.
2:10pm AEST: The official match ball is being presented to the umpires as a light drizzle falls over the ground, testing the resilience of those supporters out in the open. The MCC released a final set of tickets to restricted members at 10:30am today, so we probably won't see this crowd spilling over into the 100,000 like we did with the NFL 15 days ago.
The first win of the day belonged to the great Kylie Minogue, who absolutely smashed her pre-game performance. A million bucks well spent, if you ask us.
2:05pm AEST: It's not the most familiar surroundings for many of Fremantle's players, with the club making just two trips per year to the Mecca of footy over the last three seasons:
2026: lost to Melbourne 113-109, def. Essendon 104-61
2025: def. Collingwood 79-78, lost to Melbourne 107-97
2024: lost to Essendon 90-89, def. Richmond 103-49
1:55pm AEST: These teams met in Round 12 when the Dockers delivered Brisbane their longest losing streak of 2026, winning 103-78 at The Gabba. It was Brisbane's third consecutive loss (following heavy defeats to Geelong and GWS), but Brisbane had to get over some patches of bad form on their way to the 2024 and 2025 Premierships, so nobody would be putting an act of revenge beyond them today.
There'll be no home ground advantage on offer for either side today, but the Lions players ought to draw an extra edge from this being their fourth consecutive Grand Final in Melbourne.
1:45pm AEST: The big day is finally upon us! Hello everyone and welcome to Flashscore's live coverage of the 2026 AFL Grand Final from the MCG. Will it be a first Premiership for Fremantle, or a sixth for the Brisbane Lions?
The Dockers entered the competition two years before the merger of the Bears and Fitzroy but have had to watch on as the Lions went on an extraordinary threepeat under Leigh Matthews (2001-03), one of the idols of current Brisbane head coach Chris Fagan.
Fagan has the opportunity today to go out as Brisbane's greatest coach of all-time with three flags and a greater win rate than Lethal, so there's no surprise he had to address speculation of a potential post-game retirement during the week. Of course, he batted the questions away in his iconic fashion, telling reporters he's not looking beyond 5pm Saturday at this point.
Aaron Murphy has been with Flashscore since 2018 and, as the founding editor of the Australian newsdesk, has reported on-site at several major events in Melbourne including the Australian Open, State of Origin, A-League, NBL and international cricket. You can read his pieces here and contact him on X or LinkedIn.
