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Brisbane are the 2026 AFL premiers, beating Fremantle 14.12 (96) to 12.17 (89) in the Grand Final at the MCG after trailing by 17 points inside the last five minutes.
AFL 2026: The Grand Final in Focus
Brisbane are the 2026 AFL premiers, beating Fremantle 14.12 (96) to 12.17 (89) in the Grand Final at the MCG after trailing by 17 points inside the last five minutes. It is Brisbane’s third premiership in a row, equalling the club’s 2001 to 2003 three-peat, and it came from a position where Fremantle had one hand on the cup.
Catch up on our Grand Final preview, the preliminary final results, or the full draw on our AFL finals bracket.
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Brisbane 14.12 (96) def Fremantle 12.17 (89)
| Detail | Result |
|---|---|
| Match | 2026 Toyota AFL Grand Final |
| Date | Saturday 26 September 2026, MCG |
| Result | Brisbane Lions 14.12 (96) def Fremantle 12.17 (89), by 7 points |
| Norm Smith Medal | Shai Bolton (Fremantle), 10 votes |
| Premiership | Brisbane’s third in a row (2024, 2025, 2026) |
How it unfolded
Fremantle had more scoring shots, 29 to Brisbane’s 26, in a rain-soaked Grand Final. When Patrick Voss kicked his third goal to put them 17 points up with under five minutes left, the Dockers set off their Wharfie Time celebration and the club’s first premiership looked minutes away.
Brisbane then kicked the last four goals of the game. Charlie Cameron and Zac Bailey started it, and two late goals from Logan Morris, who had been quiet all day, took the Lions past Fremantle and home by seven. Will Ashcroft had 31 disposals, and Josh Dunkley, who won his fourth flag, had 21 disposals and 12 tackles.
Norm Smith Medal: Shai Bolton
Fremantle’s Shai Bolton won the Norm Smith Medal from the losing side, with 26 disposals, seven marks and five tackles. He is only the fifth player to win it in a losing team, and the first since Chris Judd in 2005. Will Ashcroft, trying to become the first player to win three in a row, finished equal second.
| Player | Club | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Shai Bolton | Fremantle | 10 |
| Dayne Zorko | Brisbane Lions | 6 |
| Will Ashcroft | Brisbane Lions | 6 |
| Caleb Serong | Fremantle | 4 |
| Hayden Young | Fremantle | 3 |
| Charlie Cameron | Brisbane Lions | 1 |
How our tips went
We backed Fremantle, and the pick lost. The case was the season-long gap between the two sides, and for most of the afternoon the game followed it, but a Grand Final is decided at the final siren and Brisbane owned the last five minutes. The other read in our preview was wrong too: we noted that this fixture had produced one close game in five and an average margin of 31, and this one was decided by seven points.
In the Norm Smith market we flagged Ashcroft as the proven big-game midfielder and noted that the medal goes to the losing side only occasionally. It went to the losing side, to Bolton.
What it means
Brisbane join the short list of clubs with three straight premierships in the AFL era, and they did it having lost their qualifying final to Sydney by 53. Fremantle, minor premiers on 76 points and the best side over the home-and-away season, remain without a premiership after their second Grand Final defeat, following 2013.
The men’s season is over. The AFLW season continues, with Round 8 from Thursday 1 October, and our AFL premiership odds page has the full record of how the 2026 market played out.
Looking for the best bookmakers to bet on the AFL?
Compare AFL markets, same game multis and promotions at our top-rated Australian bookmakers. Full reviews are in our best AFL betting sites guide.
#AD 18+ T&Cs Apply Imagine what you could be buying instead. For free & confidential support call 180 0858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit Limit For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit Limit For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit Limit For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
#AD 18+ T&Cs Apply Imagine what you could be buying instead. For free & confidential support call 180 0858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit Limit For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
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AFL Grand Final 2026 FAQs
Who won the 2026 AFL Grand Final?
Brisbane, who beat Fremantle 14.12 (96) to 12.17 (89) at the MCG on Saturday 26 September for a third premiership in a row.
Who won the 2026 Norm Smith Medal?
Shai Bolton of Fremantle, with 10 votes, the first Norm Smith Medallist from a losing side since Chris Judd in 2005.
How did Brisbane come back?
Fremantle led by 17 points with under five minutes to play. Brisbane kicked the last four goals, through Charlie Cameron, Zac Bailey and two from Logan Morris, to win by seven.