The Brisbane Lions have cemented themselves as the AFL’s dominant force of the modern era, backing up last year’s demolition of Sydney with a commanding 47-point grand final win over the Geelong Cats.
Unlike 2024’s one-sided contest, the start of this game brought genuine drama to more than 100,000 fans at the MCG.
The Cats went toe-to-toe with the reigning premiers early, and when the siren sounded for half-time, the scores were locked at 5.6 (36) apiece – the first time since 1909 that a grand final has been tied at the main break.
But true to the label of the ‘premiership quarter,’ the third term was where the Lions pulled away. With the contest on a knife-edge, Charlie Cameron’s two late goals broke the game open, and from there the Lions kept rolling – piling on nine goals in the final term to finish 18.14 (122) to 11.9 (75).
At just 21 years of age, Will Ashcroft was once again best on ground. With 32 disposals, 10 clearances, 10 score involvements and a goal, he is now the fifth player in history to win multiple Norm Smith Medals.
In only his third season, his story has been inspirational. After being sidelined by an ACL injury in his first season, he missed Brisbane’s four-point heartbreak against Collingwood in 2023 and the start of the 2024 season. To return from that devastation and dominate successive grand finals speaks volumes about his character.
The Lions’ triumph came despite a season marked by adversity. Key pillars Jack Payne and Eric Hipwood were sidelined, while Jarrod Berry, Lincoln McCarthy, Keidean Coleman and Noah Answerth all missed the decider.
“It’s all about the culture,” co-captain Harris Andrews told Seven amid the celebrations. “We’ve got a really special group of guys, special staff. We wrap our arms around everyone.”
The Lions were not short of other heroes. Andrews was immense in defence, cutting off Geelong’s forward entries, while veteran Dayne Zorko and Hugh McCluggage provided drive through the midfield. Zac Bailey was dangerous inside 50 despite some wayward kicking, and Jaspa Fletcher’s composure belied his youth as he racked up possessions through the middle.
Returning two-time Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale was activated as the substitute at half-time after a calf injury suffered in the first week of finals. He made an immediate impact with vital clearances and a composed goal, despite worries about his inclusion. It later emerged that Josh Dunkley carried a grade three syndesmosis ankle injury into the final, while still taking on the defensive jobs on Patrick Dangerfield and Bailey Smith — a display that underlines Brisbane’s resilience.
Fittingly, every Norm Smith Medal vote was awarded to a Brisbane player, with Ashcroft joined on the leaderboard by Andrews, Bailey, Fletcher, Zorko and McCluggage.
Over 100,000 fans packed the MCG for the 2025 AFL Grand Final (Image: Storm machine, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons).
For Geelong, defeat came with dignity. Jeremy Cameron played on with what was visibly a broken arm after a heavy collision with captain Patrick Dangerfield early in the second quarter. His courage epitomised the Cats’ resilience. They refused to fold. Three late goals lessened the blow, but ultimately the damage was done – they could not withstand Brisbane’s relentless second-half surge.
This win marks Brisbane’s second consecutive premiership and makes them the only club to have won five premierships this century, with many footy fans recalling shades of their early-2000s dynasty.
From the devastation of 2023 to the dominance of 2024 and 2025, Brisbane’s calibre of emerging stars and seasoned veterans suggests coach Chris Fagan may be building a golden era.
