It's the second year running the Brisbane Lions have won the AFL Grand Final after they beat the Sydney Swans in 2024 (pictured here) and now the Geelong Cats in 2025. Photo: JAMES ROSS / PHOTOSPORT
By Dean Bilton and Kyle Pollard, ABC
Brisbane has secured its second straight AFL premiership, taking control in the final quarter of an otherwise gripping grand final against Geelong.
After a suitably tense opening half left scores tied at the long break for the first grand final since 1909, captain Lachie Neale was injected to start the third term, which fulfilled its reputation as the premiership quarter.
Three goals - two to Charlie Cameron and a long bomb by Neale - gave the Lions some breathing room at three-quarter-time, before they kicked seven of the next eight majors in the fourth, ending the game as a contest.
Despite three junk-time goals by the Cats to end the game, Brisbane carried on to a massive 18.14 (122) to 11.9 (75) victory, with Charlie Cameron and Hugh McCluggage kicking four goals each.
But they were not best on ground, as 21-year-old Will Ashcroft won the Norm Smith Medal for the second straight year, becoming just the fifth player in history to win it multiple times.
Geelong faded from the fight around the same time superstar forward Jeremy Cameron was forced from the field with a broken arm suffered in an accidental collision with teammate Patrick Dangerfield in the second quarter.
Cameron played on for much of the second half with heavy strapping on his right arm but struggled to make an impact outside of a stunning one-handed tackle on Jaspa Fletcher that led directly to a Geelong goal, but seemed to exacerbate his injury.
The effectiveness of captain Dangerfield was similarly blunted - limited in the first half by a hard tag from Brandon Starcevich, and continuing to struggle after the Lion left with a concussion.
Dangerfield, whose phenomenal preliminary final performance against Hawthorn carried the Cats into the decider, finished with just 10 disposals, two marks and no points or clearances for the game.
- ABC
