A three-peat for the Brisbane Lions: a trio of Australian rules football titles in a row

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Brisbane Lions players Logan Morris, center, Charlie Cameron, rear, and Cam Rayner celebrate their win over the Fremantle Dockers in the Australian Football League grand final in Melbourne, Australia Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. (Joel Carrett/AAP Image via AP)

Murphy Reid of the Fremantle Dockers, left, is tackled by Jarrod Berry of the Brisbane Lions during the Australian Football League grand final in Melbourne, Australia Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. (James Ross/AAP Image via AP) — Brisbane Lions players Logan Morris, center, Charlie Cameron, rear, and Cam Rayner celebrate their win over the Fremantle Dockers in the Australian Football League grand final in Melbourne, Australia Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. (Joel Carrett/AAP Image via AP)

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12:29 AM on Saturday, September 26

The Associated Press

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The Brisbane Lions kicked four goals in the final five minutes to overcome a 10-point deficit and beat the Fremantle Dockers by seven points and win their third Australian Football League grand final championship in a row.

The west-coast based Dockers dominated play in the third quarter but the Lions came back Saturday to beat the Dockers 14.12 (96) to 12.17 (89) before a capacity crowd of 100,023 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Brisbane made it consecutive Australian rules football titles last year with a a 47-point win over Geelong.

On Saturday, the teams were tied 43-43 at halftime, with each team kicking six goals worth six points each and seven “behinds” worth one point each in the opening half. The Dockers led by 10 points after three quarters.

Logan Morris put the Lions in front with a minute left, then kicked the sealing points.

Fremantle, a port city where the Swan River meets the Indian Ocean just south of the state capital Perth, joined the league in 1995. The Dockers are still seeking their first AFL title.

Two weeks ago, 100,021 spectators crammed the same stadium to watch the first regular-season NFL game played in Australia, won 27-7 by the San Francisco 49ers over the Los Angeles Rams.

Britain-based and Melbourne-born pop star Kylie Minogue provided the pre-game entertainment Saturday.

Australian Rules football is a often dynamic contact sport played by teams of 18 on an oval field and involves plenty of kicking. It was established in and around Melbourne in the 1850s and is one of the most popular sports in Australia. The top-tier national league, the AFL, features 18 clubs.

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