Tasmanian-born coach Chris Fagan has guided the Brisbane Lions to a third straight premiership, with his side storming home to beat Fremantle in a Grand Final for the ages.
The Lions won 14.12 (96) to 12.17 (89) after trailing at the final change.
Scores were level at half-time before the Dockers pushed out to a 10-point lead heading into the last quarter.
Logan Morris kicked the opening goal of the final term to cut the margin to three points.
Fremantle responded to stretch the lead back out to 17 points with just minutes remaining.
Goals to Charlie Cameron and Zac Bailey brought Brisbane back within a kick.
Morris then snatched the lead with a goal with a minute left on the clock.
He added another with seconds remaining, sparking wild celebrations.
Brisbane are now the third side this century to win three premierships in a row, joining the Lions team of 2001-2003 and Hawthorn from 2013-2015.
Tasmania Devils VFL player Brandon Leary also ran in the grand final’s half-time sprint.
Chris Fagan’s mum Beth flew out of Hobart yesterday to watch the grand final in Melbourne.
Speaking to 7NEWS at Hobart Airport, Beth Fagan said she was incredibly proud of her son.
“I’m very, very proud of Chris and what he’s done. Took him a long time to get there. But he’s done it,” she said.
Fagan, who was born in Queenstown, has long kept close ties with Tasmania.
After Brisbane’s 2024 flag, he took the premiership cup back to the region for a community event on November 23.
West Coast Mayor Shane Pitt had written to Fagan asking him to bring the cup home and described the coach accepting as a “measure of his generousness and sincerity”.
“Chris Fagan is a real role-model for the young people of the West Coast and this year showed what can be achieved with passion, genuine care and guidance for those in his team, he said at the time.
