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2026 AFL Grand Final

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2026 AFL Grand Final
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Outside view of the MCG in overcast and wet conditions, prior to the start of the match
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Fremantle		 Image
Brisbane Lions
12.17 (89) 14.12 (96)
1 2 3 4
Fremantle 3.4 (22) 6.7 (43) 10.12 (72) 12.17 (89)
Brisbane 3.5 (23) 6.7 (43) 9.8 (62) 14.12 (96)
Date26 September 2026, 2:30 pm[1]
StadiumMelbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Attendance100,023
FavouriteBrisbane
UmpiresNick Foot, Brett Rosebury, Hayden Meyer, Brendan Hosking
Ceremonies
Pre-match entertainmentKylie Minogue, G Flip and Mike Brady
National anthemMichael Paynter
Accolades
Norm Smith MedallistShai Bolton
Jock McHale Medallist Chris Fagan
Ron Barassi MedallistHarris Andrews, Josh Dunkley, Hugh McCluggage

The 2026 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football match that was contested between the Fremantle Football Club and the Brisbane Lions at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday, 26 September 2026.[2] It was the 131st annual grand final of the Australian Football League, staged to determine the premiers of the 2026 AFL season. Brisbane won by a margin of seven points, after kicking four goals in the final five minutes of the match to overcome a 17-point deficit. It was Brisbane's sixth premiership overall, and third consecutive premiership.[3][4]

Background

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Fremantle entered the 2026 season following a one-point elimination final loss to the seventh-placed Gold Coast Suns in 2025.[5] The Dockers claimed the 2026 minor premiership, the second in the club's history, with a 19–4 record. This run included a dominant 14-match winning streak following a first-round loss to Geelong.[6] In their first qualifying final, Fremantle suffered an upset loss at Optus Stadium to Hawthorn, 5.10 (40) to 10.12 (72).[7] The following week, they hosted Geelong in a semi-final; after trailing in the third quarter, the Dockers recovered to narrowly win 18.12 (120) to 16.10 (106).[8] Fremantle then travelled to the Sydney Cricket Ground to face the Sydney Swans in a preliminary final. After the Swans led by a game-high 28 points late in the third quarter, Fremantle kicked six consecutive goals and restricted Sydney to just one behind in the final quarter, triumphing 12.11 (83) to 10.11 (71). It was Fremantle's second-ever grand final appearance and their first since 2013.[9]

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2026 AFL Grand Final watch party in Fremantle

Brisbane entered the 2026 season as back-to-back reigning premiers, having won both the 2024 and 2025 grand finals. Brisbane sat at 6–6 after round 12, then won 10 of their next 11 matches, finishing the regular season with a 16–7 record and placing third on the ladder. Their finals campaign commenced against the Sydney Swans at the SCG. Brisbane went in as heavy favourites, as Sydney was missing several key players due to internal suspensions stemming from an investigation into player misconduct. However, in a major upset, the Lions were soundly defeated 21.15 (141) to 13.10 (88).[10] The following week, Brisbane comfortably defeated the Adelaide Crows 21.18 (144) to 13.13 (91) at the Gabba.[11] They then faced Hawthorn in a preliminary final at the MCG, winning a thriller, 20.11 (131) to 19.8 (122), in what is widely considered one of the greatest preliminary finals ever played.[12][13] Trailing in the third quarter, Brisbane kicked seven consecutive goals to take a 28-point lead early in the final term. Hawthorn responded with five unanswered goals to edge ahead by three points late in the game. In the final minute, a crucial free kick for holding the ball in the forward line allowed Hugh McCluggage to kick the go-ahead goal with just 18 seconds remaining. Brisbane secured the ensuing centre clearance and kicked another goal after the siren to extend the final margin to nine points. This victory secured Brisbane's fourth consecutive grand final appearance.[14]

Fremantle was seeking its maiden AFL premiership, having appeared in only one previous grand final, a 15-point loss to Hawthorn in 2013. Brisbane was contesting its fourth consecutive grand final, aiming for its sixth premiership overall and attempting to become the seventh VFL/AFL club in history to win three or more consecutive flags. The two sides have never previously met in a finals series.[15]

The two clubs met once during the 2026 regular season, with Fremantle recording a 25-point victory over the Lions at the Gabba in round 12.[16] Brisbane opened as the clear favourite with bookmakers, holding odds of $1.65 compared to Fremantle's $2.30 on the Sunday prior to the game.[17]

Entertainment

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The match commenced at 2:30 pm AEST as scheduled.[18]

2026 AFL Grand Final schedule
Time (AEST) Event
1:25 pmG Flip performance
1:33 pmToyota Retiree Motorcade and Mike Brady performance
1:39 pmTelstra Pre-Game Entertainment – Kylie Minogue
2:09 pmAAMI ball delivery
2:11 pmUmpires enter the field
2:13 pmBrisbane Lions enter the field
2:16 pmFremantle enter the field
2:24 pmDelivery of the 2026 Premiership Cup by Luke Hodge
2:25 pmWelcome to Country performed by Uncle Colin Hunter Jnr
2:26 pmNational Anthem performed by Michael Paynter
2:28 pmCoin Toss & Toyota Countdown to Bounce
2:30 pm2026 Toyota AFL Grand Final starts
Half-TimeNAB AFL Auskick, Telstra Half-Time Sprint

Pre-match entertainment

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A stage outside the Melbourne Cricket Ground before the start of the 2026 AFL Grand Final, where some of the performances were held.

The pre-match entertainment was headlined by Australian singer Kylie Minogue.[19] She was accompanied by regular grand final performer Mike Brady, William Barton on guitar during "Confide in Me" and multi-instrumentalist singer G Flip on "Padam Padam". The national anthem was performed by Michael Paynter.[20]

The pre-show entertainment also had appearances from Dom Dolla, who remixed "Can't Get You Out of My Head", and the comedy duo The Inspired Unemployed, who served as conductors during Minogue's performance of "The Loco-Motion".[21]

Match summary

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Scenes outside the Melbourne Cricket Ground before the start of the 2026 AFL Grand Final

The match was played in wet conditions, with light to moderate showers falling throughout the morning and first quarter of the match.[22]

First quarter

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An early miss by Fremantle's Patrick Voss led to Brisbane forward Charlie Cameron kicking the first goal of the game three minutes in. Fremantle's Josh Treacy scored less than two minutes later. The game remained close as each side missed shots, and the scores were tied until Isaiah Dudley put Fremantle ahead 18 minutes into the quarter. Brisbane quickly kicked two goals of their own, but another Fremantle goal, and a "play on; not 15m" call that prevented Treacy from having another shot at goal on the quarter-time siren, left Brisbane leading Fremantle by one point, 3.5 (23) to 3.4 (22), heading into quarter time.[23][24][25][26]

Second quarter

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An excellent contested mark by Treacy early in the second quarter led to Fremantle taking the lead with a Patrick Voss goal after a minute. The two sides continued to trade goals, though Fremantle was the stronger of the two in the midfield, with Caleb Serong amassing eight clearances by the end of the half. Voss continued to make an impact on the game, putting Fremantle ahead first with a behind and then a goal midway through the quarter. Brisbane continued to fight back, with a Sam Draper goal shortly after the halfway mark evening the scores once again; the largest margin for either team in the first half was only seven points. Desperate lunges by Brisbane co-captain Josh Dunkley at the top of the 50m arc smothered consecutive shots at goal by Fremantle players, with the second smother leaving him bloodied. By the end of the half, the scores were tied at 6.7 (43) apiece. Brisbane's Dayne Zorko had the most disposals of any player to half time with 15, while Fremantle's Murphy Reid and Shai Bolton followed with 14 and 13, respectively.[23][24][25][26]

Third quarter

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Fremantle took control of general play through the beginning of the third quarter, and over a dominant 12-minute period led inside-50s (7–2) and clearances (8–2). Fremantle managed two goals during this period – by Jye Amiss in the 5th minute and Isaiah Dudley in the 13th minute – but also kicked three behinds and failed to score with several other gettable chances, extending the margin to 15 points. Kai Lohmann kicked Brisbane's first goal in the 16th minute, sparking a run of three goals in eight minutes against the run of play for the Lions: to Lohmann, Allen (20th minute) and Cameron (23rd minute), which gave Brisbane a one-point lead. The lead was short-lived as Hayden Young kicked a goal after Fremantle won the ensuing centre clearance, and kicked another goal in the 31st minute to give Fremantle a 10.12 (72) to 9.8 (62) advantage at three-quarter time.[23][24][25][26]

Fremantle dominated most aspects of the third quarter, recording 21 inside-50s and winning every centre clearance; but errant goalkicking meant they had scored only 4.5 (29), with several other misses, compared with Brisbane's 3.1 (19). Serong continued his dominance in clearances, having now had 12 for the match. Fremantle captain Alex Pearce left the field with an achilles tendon injury early in the quarter, immediately ruling him out for the remainder of the game.[23][24][25][26]

Final quarter

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The fourth quarter continued as a tight affair. Brisbane had the better of the first fifteen minutes, controlling 70% of territory, but only managed one goal during that time, Logan Morris' first for the match. Both teams missed chances, Brisbane kicking four behinds during that time and Fremantle kicking three, with the margin reduced to two points.[25]

Over the following seven minutes, Fremantle had the better of play. Michael Frederick intercepted an errant attemped rebound and kicked a goal from a 30m set shot to extend the lead to nine points in the 17th minute.[25] Three minutes later, Josh Treacy gathered the ball over the back of a pack in the goal square: he went to thump the ball into the upper grandstands, but was just nudged off his kick by a defensive effort from Brisbane's Ryan Lester, causing him to miss the goal from only a couple of metres out.[26] Matthew Johnson kicked a further behind one minute later; but Bolton intercepted Brisbane's kick-in and passed to Voss at the top of the goal square, who kicked his third goal in the 22nd minute. With 4:18 of game time remaining, Fremantle now led by a game-high 17 points.[26] Fremantle's off-field team chose this moment to activate their crowd support routine "Wharfie Time" after the goal, a once-per-match call for noise accompanied by AC/DC's "Hells Bells", generating excitement from the Fremantle fans.[27]

The celebrations were then quickly silenced, as Brisbane kicked two goals in the next 45 seconds of playing time to bring the margin back to five points: Cameron kicked the first with a 25m snap after collecting on the lead; and Zac Bailey kicked the second from a 40m snap out of congestion. With two minutes remaining, a quick Brisbane rebound chain from defensive 50 ended with a contested overhead mark by Logan Morris, and he kicked a goal from 35m directly in front to put Brisbane one point ahead with 1:04 remaining. Fremantle had one more foray forward inside the final minute, but Brisbane cleared to a stoppage on the wing. Brisbane cleared from the final stoppage, finishing with Morris snapping his third goal of the quarter in the final seconds to extend the margin to seven points.[28] The final score was Brisbane 14.12 (96) def. Fremantle 12.17 (89).[23][24][25][26]

Will Ashcroft was dominant during the final four minutes, with six disposals and four clearances, including three centre clearances; he had twelve disposals across the entire final quarter.[27] Logan Morris kicked three final quarter goals.[25]

Overall

[edit]

Over the match, Brisbane led most basic statistical indicators, including disposals (358–308), kicks (245–203), handballs (113–105) and marks (84–77)[29] – although Fremantle was able to keep Brisbane well below its season average of 108 marks.[29] Fremantle, on the other hand, dominated most of the contested statistics, including free kicks (12–7), contested marks (17–7), inside-50s (62–48), hitouts (51–33), clearances (45–31) and centre clearances (17–9)[29] – for centre clearances in particular, Fremantle won every centre clearance in the second and third quarters, and Brisbane had won only five for the entire match before it won four in a row during the comeback in the final four minutes.[30] Inaccurate goalkicking by Fremantle across the match proved decisive, as the expected score based on the league average for the quality of shots taken at goal would have seen Fremantle win by nine points.[31] Brisbane coach Chris Fagan, in his post-match speech while receiving the Jock McHale Medal, admitted that Fremantle had probably deserved to win the match.[32]

Fremantle's very late game collapse was considered one of the most heartbreaking losses in grand final history,[32] and the decision to enact Wharfie Time in the moment that Fremantle chose was, with benefit of hindsight, criticised as a case of premature celebration. Following the match, Brisbane players commented that they had mentally prepared for Wharfie Time during the week in team meetings, planning to use the music as their own motivation; co-captain Josh Dunkley in particular could be seen waving his arms to encourage the Brisbane players as "Hells Bells" played.[33]

The match is the highest-rating AFL game of all time in total television viewership, averaging 4.52 million people who watched the match on TV nationally and peaking at 6.5 million viewers.[34][35]

Norm Smith Medal

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Shai Bolton won the Norm Smith Medal.

The Norm Smith Medal was won by Fremantle midfielder Shai Bolton, polling 10 of a possible 15 votes. The panel judged Bolton best on ground for a consistent performance across four quarters which included 26 disposals, a game-high 686 metres gained and 9 score involvements. He was the fifth player to win the medal in a losing team, and the first since Chris Judd in 2005.[36]

Brisbane rebounding defender Dayne Zorko (28 disposals, 660 metres gained) was second with six votes. Brisbane midfielder Will Ashcroft (31 disposals and 9 clearances for the match; 12 disposals and 4 clearances in the final quarter) was third, also with six votes but behind Zorko on countback; Fremantle midfielders Caleb Serong (24 disposals, 13 clearances) and Hayden Young (22 disposals, 2 goals) polled four and three votes respectively, and Brisbane small forward Charlie Cameron (3 goals) polled one.[37]

2026 Norm Smith Medal voting[36]
Panellist 3 votes 2 votes 1 vote
Andrew McLeod (chair) Dayne Zorko (Brisbane) Hayden Young (Fremantle) Shai Bolton (Fremantle)
Shaun Burgoyne Dayne Zorko (Brisbane) Shai Bolton (Fremantle) Hayden Young (Fremantle)
Chris Judd Shai Bolton (Fremantle) Will Ashcroft (Brisbane) Charlie Cameron (Brisbane)
Michael Voss Shai Bolton (Fremantle) Caleb Serong (Fremantle) Will Ashcroft (Brisbane)
Lauren Wood Will Ashcroft (Brisbane) Caleb Serong (Fremantle) Shai Bolton (Fremantle)
Leaderboard[36]
Player Team Votes Total
Shai Bolton Fremantle 3, 3, 2, 1, 1 10
Dayne Zorko Brisbane 3, 3 6
Will Ashcroft Brisbane 3, 2, 1 6
Caleb Serong Fremantle 2, 2 4
Hayden Young Fremantle 2, 1 3
Charlie Cameron Brisbane 1 1

Other Brisbane players considered among the best were defensive midfielder Josh Dunkley (21 disposals, 12 tackles and several crucial smothers), forward Kai Lohmann (2 goals, 2 assists, 10 tackles), wingman Jarrod Berry (17 disposals, 6 intercept marks) and midfielder Cam Rayner (18 disposals, 8 score involvements).[38][39] Other Fremantle players among the best were ruckman Luke Jackson (47 hitouts including 13 to advantage, 4 clearances), defender Heath Chapman (5 intercept marks), small forward Isaiah Dudley (2 goals) and key forward Patrick Voss (3 goals and an effective defensive forward's role at limiting Harris Andrews' influence).[40][39]

Award presenters

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Four-time Hawthorn premiership player Luke Hodge is the premiership cup ambassador and carried the cup onto the ground before the match. Three-time Geelong premiership player Paul Chapman presented the Norm Smith Medal to the player adjudged best on ground; Chapman himself won the medal in 2009. Former Sydney coach Paul Roos, who coached the Swans to the 2005 premiership, presented the Jock McHale Medal to the successful coach, while Richmond's 1969 premiership captain Roger Dean presented the Ron Barassi Medal to the winning captain.[41]

Retired Lions great Simon Black, who played a key role in the club's hat-trick of premierships in the early 2000s, presented the premiership cup to his former side.[42] Had Fremantle won the match, Shaun McManus, a member of the inaugural 1995 Fremantle, would have presented the cup.[43]

Teams

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The teams were announced on the Thursday before the match. Neither club made any changes to the line-ups that featured in their respective preliminary finals.[44]

In the days leading up to the game, Brisbane faced a potential forced change. Former co-captain Lachie Neale was initially suspended for one match for striking Hawthorn's Jack Ginnivan in the stomach off the ball during the first quarter of their preliminary final. Neale was suspended by the match review officer, and the ban was upheld by the AFL Tribunal on Tuesday.[45] Brisbane subsequently appealed to the league's Appeal Board,[46] which overturned the decision on Thursday. The Board ruled that the tribunal had failed to give sufficient weight to Neale's exemplary record of 320 games without a suspension. Determining that this satisfied the clause relating to exceptional and compelling circumstances in the league's regulations, the Board downgraded Neale's suspension to a $10,000 fine, clearing him to play.[47][48]

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Fremantle Dockers
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Brisbane Lions

Umpires

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The umpiring panel is composed of four field umpires, four boundary umpires, two goal umpires, and one emergency in each position.

2026 AFL Grand Final umpiring panel[49]
Position Emergency
Field 8 Brett Rosebury (10) 14 Hayden Meyer (3) 16 Brendan Hosking (2) 2 Nick Foot (2) 22 Nathan Williamson
Boundary Matt Tomkins (7) Michael Barlow (5) Jordan Russell (1) Benjamin Fely (1) Michael Marantelli
Goal Dylan Benwell (1) Matthew Dervan (5) Steven Piperno

Numbers in brackets represent the number of grand finals umpired, including 2026.

Scorecard

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Grand final
Saturday, 26 September (2:30 pm) Fremantle def. by Brisbane Lions Melbourne Cricket Ground (crowd: 100,023) Report
3.4 (22)
6.7 (43)
10.12 (72)
12.17 (89)		 Q1
Q2
Q3
Final		 3.5 (23)
6.7 (43)
9.8 (62)
14.12 (96)		 Umpires: Foot, Rosebury, Meyer, Hosking
Norm Smith Medal: Shai Bolton
Television broadcast: Seven Network
National anthem: Michael Paynter
Voss 3, Young 2, Dudley 2, Amiss 2, Treacy, Reid, Frederick Goals Morris 3, Cameron 3, Lohmann 2, Allen 2, McKenna, Draper, Bailey, L. Ashcroft
Serong, Young, Voss, Reid, Jackson, Bolton Best Dunkley, W. Ashcroft, Zorko, Cameron, Wilmot, Gallop, Lohmann
Pearce (Achilles) Injuries

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "Fremantle v Brisbane: Your ultimate guide to the 2026 AFL Grand Final". The Australian. 19 September 2026.
  2. ↑ "2026 AFL Grand Final". Melbourne Cricket Ground.
  3. ↑ Lemon, Geoff; Pegan, Martin; Lemon (now), Geoff; Pegan (earlier), Martin (26 September 2026). "Brisbane claim AFL premiership three-peat with grand final win against Fremantle – live reaction". the Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  4. ↑ "The Unstoppables: Lions come from nowhere to win epic GF, break Freo hearts". www.afl.com.au. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  5. ↑ Paddy Sweeney (15 September 2025). "Success or failure? How Fremantle's season rated – and what the club needs to do next". The Age.
  6. ↑ "AFL overreactions: If the Dockers don't reach the Grand Final, their season is a fail". ESPN. 18 August 2026.
  7. ↑ Andrew McGarry (3 September 2026). "Hawthorn completes stunning upset over Fremantle in Perth qualifying final to secure home prelim". ABC News.
  8. ↑ Dean Bilton (11 September 2026). "Fremantle defeats Geelong in AFL semifinal, as Ollie Dempsey goal controversially not awarded". ABC News.
  9. ↑ Jonathan Horn (19 September 2026). "Fremantle's night of nights as they overrun Sydney and seal spot in second AFL grand final". The Guardian.
  10. ↑ Martin Pegan (5 September 2026). "Sydney blow away shellshocked Brisbane to revive 'torpedoed' AFL season". The Guardian.
  11. ↑ Dean Bilton (12 September 2026). "Brisbane smashes Adelaide by 53 points in AFL semifinal to keep premiership three-peat dream alive". ABC News.
  12. ↑ Horn, Jonathan (20 September 2026). "Was Hawthorn v Brisbane the best game of Australian rules football ever played?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
  13. ↑ Connolly, Rohan (19 September 2026). "What we learned: Was this one of the greatest games of all?". ESPN.
  14. ↑ "'Best game I've ever seen': AFL world stunned by all-time final we will 'never, ever forget'". Fox Sports. 19 September 2026. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  15. ↑ "AFL Tables - Fremantle Win-Loss Records". afltables.com. Archived from the original on 25 September 2026. Retrieved 25 September 2026.
  16. ↑ "Fagan fumes as dashing Dockers firm as flag fancies". ESPN. 30 May 2026.
  17. ↑ "Fremantle v Brisbane: Your ultimate guide to the 2026 AFL Grand Final". Herald Sun. 20 September 2026. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  18. ↑ "What time is the AFL Grand Final 2026? Key start times, details". Fox Sports. 26 September 2026.
  19. ↑ "Kylie's coming home: Aussie superstar to headline GF entertainment". afl.com.au. 29 March 2026. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  20. ↑ "Home grown talent added to Telstra Pre-Game Entertainment line-up". afl.com.au. 15 September 2026.
  21. ↑ Cassie Tongue (26 September 2026). "Kylie Minogue brings the party to AFL grand final with 20 minutes of dizzying, sparkling joy". The Guardian.
  22. ↑ Jonty Ralphsmith (26 September 2026). "How much rain had fallen at the MCG on grand final day". Retrieved 27 September 2026.
  23. 1 2 3 4 5 Twomey, Callum (26 September 2026). "The Unstoppables: Lions come from nowhere to win epic GF, break Freo hearts". Australian Football League. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 Pollard, Kyle; McGarry, Andrew; De Silva, Chris (26 September 2026). "Lions stage epic comeback to beat Dockers by seven points in AFL grand final and win third straight flag". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  25. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Fremantle v Brisbane Lions". Australian Football League. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  26. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 McCartney, Damien; Negrepontis, Nic; Brunsdon, Simon; Harper, Lachlan (26 September 2026). "AFL grand final as it happened: Fagan avoids committing his future after three-peat". Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  27. 1 2 Cameron Noakes (26 September 2026). "Brisbane co-captain Josh Dunkley explains why Wharfie Time backfired for Fremantle in epic grand final". 7 News. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
  28. ↑ Schmook, Nathan (26 September 2026). "Timeline: How the final frantic minutes of the 2026 Grand Final unfolded". ABC News. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  29. 1 2 3 "Team Stats". Australian Football League. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
  30. ↑ Riley Beveridge (26 September 2026). "The moment: How the Wharfiewobbles stole Freo's dream in 258 seconds". Australian Football League. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
  31. ↑ Max Laughton (26 September 2026). "DYNASTY: Lions enter AFL's rarest air as 'Wharfie Time' backfires in greatest Grand Final comeback ever". Fox Sports. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
  32. 1 2 Laughton, Max (26 September 2026). "'Worst Wharfie Time call of all-time': AFL world reacts to historic Dockers choke". Fox Sports. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  33. ↑ Smith, Martin (26 September 2026). "'We grew a leg': How premature Wharfie Time sparked greatest GF comeback". Australian Football League. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  34. ↑ Lee, Natasha (27 September 2026). "AFL Grand Final becomes most watched ever with 4.52 million viewers". www.mediaweek.com.au. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
  35. ↑ Laidlaw, Kyle (27 September 2026). "2026 AFL GRAND FINAL breaks ratings records for Seven". www.tvblackbox.com.au. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
  36. 1 2 3 Gabelich, Josh (26 September 2026). "See the full votes: Bolton joins rare club by winning Norm Smith in losing team". Australian Football League. Melbourne. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  37. ↑ "Dockers star Shai Bolton wins Norm Smith Medal in AFL grand final loss to Lions". ABC. 26 September 2026. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
  38. ↑ Michael Whiting (26 September 2026). "Flag veterans and GF debutants shine: Every Brisbane player rated". Australian Football League. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
  39. 1 2 "AFL Grand Final player ratings: Every Fremantle and Brisbane player graded". ESPN. 26 September 2026. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
  40. ↑ Nathan Schmook (26 September 2026). "Stars rise to occasion, tall unable to impact: Every Fremantle player rated". Australian Football League. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
  41. ↑ "Brownlow winner Lions' pick to present premiership cup". AAP. afl.com.au. 24 August 2026.
  42. ↑ "Brownlow winner Lions' pick to present premiership cup". AAP. afl.com.au. 24 September 2026.
  43. ↑ "Beloved inaugural Docker to present cup if Freo wins GF". AAP. afl.com.au. 21 September 2026.
  44. ↑ Michael Rogers (24 September 2026). "GRAND FINAL TEAMS: Dockers, Lions make huge selection calls for decider". afl.com.au.
  45. ↑ "Lachie Neale learns his fate after marathon hearing to overturn grand final ban". Herald Sun. 22 September 2026. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
  46. ↑ "Lachie Neale speaks on appeal as Brisbane adopts 'next man up' mentality for AFL grand final". ABC News. 23 September 2026.
  47. ↑ Andrew McGarry (24 September 2026). "AFL Appeal Board live updates: Brisbane's Lachie Neale free to play grand final after ban extraordinarily overturned". ABC News.
  48. ↑ Martin Smith (24 September 2026). "LIVE: Verdict handed down after two-and-a-half hour hearing". afl.com.au.
  49. ↑ "2026 Toyota AFL Grand Final umpiring panel announced". afl.com.au. 22 September 2026.
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