Brisbane produced a scintillating performance to claim their first flag since 2003 as they completely over-ran Sydney before a capacity crowd at the MCG (100,013).
Having suffered the heartache of being runners-up last year, they have shown immense character in doing it the hard way and returning again to win the big prize.
The Queenslanders becoming only the second club in AFL history to have overcome a zip-three start, the other being North Melbourne in 1975, and then go on to salute.
Defeats in the last two games of the regular home-and-away season meant that they slipped out of the top four and therefore had to go on the road during the point end.
Comeback Kings
They looked dead and buried in the semi-finals, trailing by a massive 44 margin in the third term, before coming from the clouds to get up over Greater Western Sydney and also then had to fightback from 25 points down to beat Geelong in the Prelims.
The big team news coming into this fixture saw ruckman Darcy Fort (pictured above) given a big call-up, playing only his third game of the year, in place of the injured Oscar McInerney.
Will Hayward (pictured below) booted the first goal of the afternoon, around the ten minute mark, for the Swans in what was a very tight and keenly contested opening quarter.
However, it was the second that proved to be pivotal when the Lions really got on top, scoring six in a row towards the end, to take a sizeable lead into half-time.
Katy Perry dazzles the MCG crowd
The crowd were treated to musical performances during the interval which were headlined by US pop star Katy Perry, rumoured to be earning $5million for the gig, who brought out a surprise guest in Aussie singer Tina Arena to sing “I kissed a girl”.
John Longmire’s outfit would have had overhaul the biggest deficit in AFL GF history, going into the second half, but in truth they never looked like that would be possible.
Lions forward Joe Daniher, said by the club to be ‘considering the shape of his life after football with his family’, booted the last major of the showpiece event to cap off a fine individual display which included an equal career-high 12 score involvements.
The final siren was met with utter jubilation and a real outpouring of emotion from everyone connected with the maroon, blue and gold. Cameras captured a very special moment between coach Chris Fagan and club legend Leigh Matthews.
Chris Fagan makes AFL history
The 63-year-old making history as the first ever gaffer to have never played at AFL/VFL level but still lead a club to a flag. It completes the project and an amazing turnaround given they finished wooden spooners in 2017 – his first season in charge.
He becomes the oldest ever to complete the feat and was presented with the Jock McHale Medal by Hall of Famer David Parkin, considered one of the most influential coaches of the modern era, who has won the accolade himself on four occasions.
Co-captains Harris Andrews and Lachie Neale were recipients of the inaugural Ron Barassi Medal from Fred Wooller – the oldest living VFL premiership captain (1963).
Will Ashcroft won the Norm Smith Medal, second youngest player in history to do so at 20 years and four months, for an outstanding best-on-ground display and chalking-up 30 disposals, five marks, five clearances, three tackles and a major.
He received a total of 14 votes from the panel made up of Jack Riewoldt, Shaun Burgoyne, Rory Sloane, Riley Beveridge and Anna Harrington. It has been a remarkable change in fortunes as this time last year he was out injured, after rupturing his ACL, and had to come through a tough rehabilitation programme.
Player interviews
Brisbane Lions rooms
Cam Rayner: “Halfway through the year, we wanted to try and get here but it still felt so far away. Even in this finals series, we had our backs against the wall. But this was a game where we started to get our ball movement from the start and finish it off. The rest have been tough, big slogs. It’s been unbelievable.”
“Obviously, to come to a club as a No.1 pick, it means they’re on the bottom of the ladder. To be able to do this journey, with this group of boys especially and to have Chris Fagan, who was under the pump all season, he and we have proved all of those doubters wrong. It’s an unbelievable feeling. I just really hope everyone can feel something like this for one time in their life.”
Kai Lohmann: “I love the big moments. I just want to always play my role and not be too selfish but when I get my opportunities I want to take them with both hands. I want to keep rolling and if I’m feeling good, then the boys know I’m feeling good.”
“This is the best feeling I’ve ever had in my life. It’s very surreal and very raw. It means a lot. I was weighing up my options last year and to stick around and get the silverware, which is why I stuck around, is just amazing.”
Callum Ah Chee: “I’m pretty proud of myself, to be honest. I’m so proud of the boys as well. That season was unreal. To be able to finish it off like we did, it’s so special. I don’t think I’ll ever get over this feeling. It’s special, really special.”
“I feel like I’ve paid the club back this year. It’s been a bit of a journey. I’m pretty proud to say that I’m a premiership player now and we’re a premiership team.”
Will Ashcroft: “I can’t believe it. As hard as it was to miss last year, I set myself a goal. I set myself a goal in the second half of the year and to come back and play my first finals. To be here and then win it…unbelievable.”
Eric Hipwood: “It’s really, really special to go through the Academy from 12 years old to now. What I’m even prouder of is when I got to the club we were bottom of the ladder and we were able to rebuild. This is amazing.”
Sydney Swans rooms
Chad Warner: “The funny thing is that we actually started well for once. I don’t think we could have prepped any better, mentally and physically we went into the game great. I guess the footy gods have something else to say on this day.”
“At the end of the day life moves on, it is not the end of the world. Going to be a long year, next year, obviously the work that we have done this year to get to this point is tiring but I think we have shown time and time again we can back it up. You aren’t going to get anything sooking and sitting there, so we’ll be back next year.”
Dane Rampe: “The emotions are still pretty raw and don’t know what to make of it right now. Unfortunately, I have been in this position a few times but I am completely at peace with our prep which is what I guess makes it so hollow as we don’t know where we went wrong, obviously apart from today.”
Errol Gulden: “I think our pressure and our contest wasn’t up to the level that they had it in that second quarter. In finals, in Grand Finals, if you don’t match or win it at the contest then generally you won’t win the game.”
View from the coach’s box
Chris Fagan (Brisbane Lions): “When you’re the coach of an AFL team you’ve got to put up with a lot of scrutiny and a lot of pressure. To come from where we’ve come from eight years ago, to be able to do this today is a very special moment.”
“We were in a lot of trouble at the halfway mark of the season, and we found a way to get ourselves back in the contest and we’re here today. So yeah, I’d probably say that it is my greatest moment.”
“It’s pretty intoxicating winning an AFL premiership. I think the group will be pretty motivated to have that feeling again. We’ll enjoy what we’ve done this season for a little while. We will get back to work and hopefully next year we can turn up an even better version of ourselves from all the experiences we’ve had.”
John Longmire (Sydney Swans): “I don’t think we gave it our best shot compared to what we’ve been doing, and we didn’t do what was required on the day.”
“I don’t think we used our run enough from the start. We blasted away a bit too much. Then we were beaten at ground level and they were able to get it back, go back through us a bit too easy. We didn’t put enough pressure on around the ball.”
“Ultimately, we’ve been able to get ourselves in the position where we’ve had an opportunity and we haven’t got it done today. We didn’t pass the test. We have a group of people, right across the footy club, who are able to do that. It’s very hard to win it if you’re not in it.”
“Thank everyone for the amount of support we have received this year – it’s something like I’ve never experienced before. We didn’t get the job done today but the support we have felt is extraordinary.”
Result
Sydney 9.6 (60)
Brisbane 18.12 (120)
