Brisbane rallies to beat Fremantle in AFL grand final

Brisbane defeated Fremantle by seven points in the 2026 AFL grand final, overturning a 17-point Dockers lead with roughly four minutes left and denying the club its first premiership. Fremantle forward Shai Bolton received the Norm Smith Medal despite the loss, according to a post-match account. The final siren brought a sharp change in mood across Fremantle, where supporters had gathered at paid and free viewing sites to watch the match. Around 40,000 fans attended those locations, one local account estimated. Before the result, the city’s Cappuccino Strip had filled with supporters in purple, and crowds celebrated late in the game as Patrick Voss’s goal put Fremantle 17 points ahead. That lead did not hold. The Dockers ultimately fell short by seven points, leaving supporters stunned and quiet after the match. Fans described the result as devastating, while one supporter said the game had turned within moments. The supplied accounts do not provide the final score or a detailed sequence of Brisbane’s late scoring, so the precise way the Lions completed the comeback is unclear. The result ended Fremantle’s second attempt to win an AFL premiership.