Brisbane Lions completed a comeback victory in the AFL grand final to claim a third consecutive premiership, a result that set new television ratings records for the decider, according to theage.com.au. The match was played on Sunday, 27 September 2026, with Fremantle leading before the Lions turned the game around.
The scale of the turnaround drew attention beyond the scoreboard. ABC News described the Lions' win as going from "very unlikely" to a three-peat, and reported that emotions ran high as the result became clear. The grand final was covered as a live wash-up by theage.com.au, which led its coverage on the ratings record set by the Brisbane comeback.
Attention also fell on Fremantle's side of the story. The Age asked whether "Wharfie Time" is dead, reporting that the Dockers' football boss weighed in after what it called a capitulation. The West Australian, meanwhile, published its Laidley ratings, examining who outpointed Fremantle's Norm Smith medallist.
The result has also prompted historical comparison. AFL.com.au posed the question of who would make the best combined team drawn from Brisbane's two separate three-peats, putting the current side alongside the club's earlier run of flags.
What to watch next: whether Fremantle's football department responds further to the loss, and how Brisbane's place among the game's great teams is assessed in the coming days.
