The Brisbane Lions have reached the Grand Finals Playoffs ever since Head Coach Chris Fagan assisted the Brisbane Lions after their first two years of struggles in 2017 and 2018, and he has not missed a finals series since 2019. Last season, the Lions suffered an emotional loss to the Collingwood Magpies by 4 points. The 2024 season was a roller coaster for the Lions, who started out as cubs but finished as powerful lions. The Brisbane Lions struggled in the opening weeks of 2024, going 0-3 and then 2-5 during their first seven matches, and completed the regular season with a remarkable turnaround before a strong second half of the year that saw them qualify for the finals with a 14-8-1 record, finishing fifth on the ladder. The team defeated the Carlton Blues by 28 points in the first elimination final to advance to the semi-finals. They fought back from a 44-point deficit in the third quarter to overcome the Greater Western Sydney Giants by five points. In the preliminary final, they overcame a 25-point deficit in the third quarter to beat the Geelong Cats by 10 points and proceed to the AFL Grand Final. Brisbane was seeking to win their fourth premiership, their first since winning three consecutively in 2001, 2002, and 2003. It was also Sydney Swans and Brisbane Lions’ first AFL Grand Final meeting.
During Katy Perry’s Pre Entertainment Show, she began with her song Roar riding her rocket which it looks futuristic with the CGI Helicopters and the fans were excited to see her perform before the match began. Before she sing the whole song to shout to all of the Sydney Swans fans and the Brisbane Lions fans. While the first round of fireworks took over, the skyview had metro rails riding around the MCG Stadium of Melbourne. Then she sang Dark Horse and walked slowly in the Turf with the logo of Toyota Footy, Oh What a Feeling! Then the backup dancers went to the stage that looked like Hurricane and Katy Perry took the walkway while the performers took the edge of the stage and then followed her to the stage. By the time she sang, Gorgeous, the CGI Machines that spinned around the area by the stage. Before the song was about to end, the machines float up into the air and bottom parts went back down. Katy Perry was the center of the eye on the Hurricane, the dancers spread out on the stage while she sang California Girls. She did a phenomenal job performing the stage and shoutout to her fans to know the words of the lyrics. Even more performers with cool decorations were next to the stage. Then she sang Teenage Dream with all of the performers danced around her. Katy Perry then sing I Kissed a Girl in Alternative Rock version which she presented Tina Arena the Melbourne Singer to do the chorus with her. They both did a duet in Chains while they both walked down the mirrored stage. Then Katy Perry herself went back on stage when she played her new song Lifetimes. As she and her dance performers went back to the main stage, there was a hearts butterflies passed by. She wrapped up when she sang Fireworks as she went on top and the performers did statues before they resumed their dance moves and release the fireworks. The other performers also use the butterfly on each part of the stage. They released all of the fireworks for the final 10 seconds and performers played dead when the song ended. Katy Perry, thanked all of her fans and loved Australia. It was also one of the biggest set in pre entertainment shows in the history of AFL Grand Finals.
There was also a funny commercial on the quest to bring the footy to the MCG on Grand Final Day. Cody Simpson performed the Australian National Anthem before both teams undertook a coin toss, with Brisbane winning the toss and receiving the ball first. The 129th annual grand final of the Australian Football League (AFL) was held to determine the premiers for the 2024 AFL season. It was time to telecast the most important match of the year, and there could only be one winner in front of a sold-out crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Victoria.
The 1st Quarter began with Charlie Cameron and Joe Daniher each got a behind which it was so close to the goal post while the wind shifted the other way around. Then James Rowbottom of the Sydney Swans got a behind which the match began with a slow process of a low scoring affair for both teams. Errol Gulden passed the footy to Joel Amartey which he was tumbledown as Will Hayward kicked the footy in the goal square and give the Swans the early lead. After their first lead, Tom Papley of the Swans kicked the goal by the corner post as they gained the lead from the Lions after he was back from the bench. The Brisbane Lions played like little cubs for a start but somehow managed to go around the mighty Swans as Ryan Lester passed it to Callum Ah Chee and gives it to Kai Lohmann who give Brisbane the first Goal of the match. The Lions fans were ready to start roaring the place after a sloppy 10 minutes of the first Quarter. After a quick bounce in the centre of the field, Brisbane did some passes from Darcy Fort, Joe Daniher, Callum Ah Chee, Eric Hipwood and Kai Lohmann ran the footy and kicked it with his left foot to score another magnificent goal for the Lions and they put themselves back in the lead 14-13. Joe Daniher of the Lions give another behind while the team passed the footy as Hugh McCluggage did a terrific goal to gain the lead for Brisbane. James Rowbottom of the Sydney Swans got the goal while the Sydney fans cheered for them to get closer to the Lions. After that, Cam Rayner passed it to Jarrod Berry and gives it to Charlie Cameron caught the footy inside the 50 metre line and got his wish to kicked the footy to get the goal for the Lions as he bowed his fans in the biggest stage of the tournament as they played like survivors in the Grand Final Match. The Lions dominated time in possession during the opening quarter, restricting the Swans to just 35 per cent time in possession. The Brisbane Lions were determine to be hungry for more goals after the 1st Quarter conclude has they lead the Swans (4.3) 27- (3.1) 19.
The 2nd Quarter began with Chad Warner of the Sydney Swans who took a behind which the Swans were running low on energy for offense. Then Zac Bailey of Brisbane ran to get the footy as he gives it to Kai Lohmann and scored another Goal inside the 30 for the Lions and got 3 goals in the first half while the Lions fans roared the energy in Melbourne. Robbie Fox of the Swans did an remarkable goal as they continue to get close to the Lions. The had 4 behinds from Logan Morris, Darcy Fort and 2 rushed behinds. After a quick hiccup for the Lions, they decided to pass the footy to every player until Joe Daniher caught inside the circle and got the goal for the Brisbane Lions. Then Callum Ah Chee took the Goal which it was about to be a behind but somehow the ball moved to the goal at the last second for the 51 yards kick as the Brisbane Lions are hungry for scoring goals so they can evange the Swans. Nick Blakey of the Swans had a difficult time finding his teammates and ended up intercepted by Jarrod Berry of the Brisbane Lions and scored the Goal to gain the lead. Then, Jaspa Fletcher of the Lions passed it to Kai Lohmann and gives it to Eric Hipwood as he moved back to kicked it with his left foot and gives the Lions a massive goal and did the reaction like the legendary player Jason Akermanis goal celebration from the match in 2005 in a wet raining moment against the Geelong Cats. The Swans had no control of the footy at the moment while lacking the possession and no sign of communication to hand over the footy as the Lions took the lead by 35 points. Logan Morris passed the footy to Callum Ah Chee took an amazing mark and took the Goal to roar the lead by 41 points. Then Hayden McLean got himself a behind for the Swans, as Logan Morris of the Lions caught the footy and scored a terrific goal to gain confidence for the team themselves as they got 6 amazing goals in a row which wraps up the first half of the match as the Brisbane Lions lead the Sydney Swans (11.7) 73 to (4.3) 27.
During the halftime event, there was an 8 players Gatorade Grand Final Sprint race from different footy clubs which the players are Jeremy Sharp from the Fremantle Dockers, Beau McCreery of the Collingwood Magpies, Will McLachlan of the Brisbane Lions, Will Hamill of the Adelaide Crows, Eddie Ford of North Melbourne Kangaroos, Darcy Wilson of St. Kilda, Jed McEntee of Port Adelaide, and Angus Sheldrick of the Sydney Swans. The race began with all of the players running to the finish line and the final meters was really close from 3 players which it was so close for the 3 way tie as it could be McCreery of Collingwood, Wilson of St. Kilda or Ford of North Melbourne Kangaroos. They reviewed the play and it was Beau McCreery of Collingwood Magpies who was the winner of the Gatorade Finals Sprint.
The 3rd Quarter began with the Swans with a Rushed Behind, Charlie Cameron of the Brisbane Lions got a behind which then the team themselves got a rushed behind. Moment later, Eric Hipwood kicked a long range footy to Joe Daniher and gives it to Callum Ah Chee and got the goal for the Brisbane Lions as they took full control of the match. Then Lachie Neale got the footy and intercepted to the Swans as Nick Blakey took the ball and kicked it to Isaac Heeney and caught it with a great mark. Then give the Swans got a Goal which they haven’t got a goal since the 2nd quarter. While the teams struggled to catch the footy from the air, Will Ashcroft of the Brisbane Lions took the footy and kicked it to get the Goal for the Lions as they take full control of the footy match. The Lions has continued to surge the momentum of the energy as the fans were excited and thrilled about this excellent performance which it could be the moment of the team to win the Premiership. Meanwhile, Joe Daniher kicked a long range goal all the way to get Cam Rayner as he made the greatest high flying mark of the match and then kicked a great boomerang to get the Goal for the Lions as they lead by 60. Then Joe Daniher kicked a behind for the Lions as Logan Morris kicked the goal over a minute. Before they wrapped up the 3rd Quarter, Joe Daniher blocked the ball from Errol Gulden of the Swans as Cam Rayner of the Lions, which he kicked a long range to Callum Ah Chee with a long ran as he bounced the footy while he ran all the way to the goal square and kicked it out to the Goal as the Lions fans roared the MCG with Brisbane taking full control of the match. The 3rd Quarter ended with the Brisbane Lions leading the Sydney Swans (16.11) 107 to (5.4) 34.
The 4th and Final Quarter began with Nick Blakey of the Swans with a behind and Callum Ah Chee of the Lions with a behind. Then the veteran player Luke Parker of the Sydney Swans has got the Goal even though it was already too late to catch up the Lions which it was impressive with the kick over the 50 metre line. After that, Chad Warner kicked of a 55 meters kicked to get the goal for the Swans which the team got 2 goals in a row. After that, Dayne Zorko kicked it off the ground and landed to Jaspa Fletcher and took a long range kick to Kai Lohmann of the Brisbane Lions and got himself a long enormous save at the mark. Then Kai Lohmann got himself the goal as the Lions fans continued the grow the atmosphere of the MCG with the roaring flow of this unforgettable journey of the Lions to see how far they’ve come. Even though the Swans couldn’t took most control of the ball, Tom Papley of the Swans took the footy and ended up with a behind. Then one of the Sydney Swans veteran Luke Parker scored second and third goal of the game as the Swans to come couple minutes apart. At the 2 minute mark, the clock stopped and the fans, players and coached applauded for making the journey incredible from having amazing comebacks in the 2nd half of the season and getting their fourth Grand Finals Championship for the first time in 21 years since 2003 as they won 3 years in a row from 2001, 2002 and 2003. This year was going to be their moment.
In the final two minutes of the Grand Finals Match, the Brisbane Lions were about to score one last goal with a pass from Cam Rayner to Will Ashcroft to Zac Bailey and Joe Daniher, which he kicked with his left foot as he scored the final goal for the Brisbane Lions as they achieved their dream of being Champions. All of the players on the pitch gathered around him with embraces and grins in Melbourne at the MCG, leaving spectators astonished with this motivational journey from the roller coaster 2024 season. During the final 90 seconds, the Brisbane Lions passed the ball while playing hot potato to maintain possession until the siren sounded. The fans were ecstatic, in tears of joy, and extremely proud of their efforts because the Brisbane Lions won the 2024 AFL Grand Final Championship. Head Coach Chris Fagan, Darcy Fort, Oscar Mcinerney, and the Brisbane Lions’ crew members were satisfied since working for them represented a dream come true, making it to the Finals Round and winning their fourth AFL Premiership for the first time since 2003. The match drew 100,013 fans, a record for an AFL game between two non-Victorian teams in AFL history.
During the Ceremony, there was a lot of Toyota Pickups lined up by the Stage and crew members set up the stage for the speeches and presentations. The Norm Smith Medal was given to Lions player Will Ashcroft during the Ceremony Event in recognition of his excellence on the field. Additionally, he spoke about the remarkable season in which the Lions fulfilled their goals despite the Swans’ spectacular campaign ending in defeat in the Grand Finals. Furthermore, he mentioned in his statement that despite their incredible success in recent seasons, the Brisbane Lions had certain bumps in the road along the way. Prior to concluding his remarks, he expressed his gratitude to the staff members who were sponsored by the Brisbane Lions and the supporters who traveled from Brisbane to Melbourne to witness the Grand Finals. The Jock McHale Medalist has been awarded by head coach Chris Fagan. The 2024 Grand Final marked the inaugural awarding of the Ron Barassi Medal. The winner’s captain or captains should receive the new accolade, which bears the name of ten-time Premiership player and coach Ron Barassi, Jr. Josh Kennedy, a former West Coast Eagles forward and 2018 premiership player, served as the AFL Premiership Cup ambassador. He gave the cup to Brisbane’s Premiership Cup ambassador, Leigh Matthews, who led the team to a three-peat between 2001 and 2003. Stuart Maxfield, a 200-game player for the Swans and a former club captain, was the nominee from Sydney. David Parkin, a four-time premiership coach, presented the Jock McHale Medal, while Fred Wooller, the 1963 Geelong premiership captain, gave the inaugural Ron Barassi Medal. The Brisbane footballer Marcus Ashcroft’s son, Will Ashcroft, recorded thirty disposals, eleven score involvements, and one goal. Marcus Ashcroft won three premierships. Lachie Neale came in second with 35 disposals (86% efficiency), 18 of which were disputed. Three-time Geelong premiership player and 2007 winner Steve Johnson presented the medal. Coach Chris Fagan of Brisbane made history by being the third person to win a grand final without having playing in the VFL or AFL at the age of 63. Then, at the AFL Premiership Trophy Ceremony, the kids gave the players their medals. There were some memorable moments, like when a girl told Josh Dunkley that he was her hero, when Darcy Wilmot used the microphone to yell out for the Roaring lion you little beauty as well as when the boy with the mullet gave the medal to Cam Rayner. Even the wheelchair-bound child was able to receive hugs from the players and gave the final medal to a Brisbane Lions player. In an interview, Lachie Neale told the news reporter that although the season didn’t get off to a fantastic start, someone managed to make it all the way to the Grand Final and win the Premiership Champion. Lachie Neale described the scenario as an emotional rollercoaster.
This was a season to remember, as Head Coach Chris Fagan, Lachie Neale, Dayne Zorko, and Harris Andrews lifted the trophy during the award ceremony before the entire team entered to take a team photo. Even the players celebrated by taking a stroll around the MCG cricket field with their friends, family, and current romantic partners. After Hugh McCluggage and Jarrod Berry poured Gatorade to Chris Fagan, he laughed a lot while speaking with the media team that recorded the moment. While most people were prepared to go and others were still joyfully playing snow angels with confetti, every player and coach relished the opportunity to interact with the fans. As the players headed to their lockers, they celebrated this wild season by having a beer and belting out the Brisbane Lions theme song with all of their might. The players celebrated their great season with a group selfie before calling it a night at the deserted Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Here’s some of the best match of the match in the Grand FInal Match
SYDNEY SWANS 3.1 4.3 5.4 9.6 (60)
BRISBANE LIONS 4.3 11.7 16.11 18.12 (120)
GOALS
Sydney: Parker 3, Warner, Rowbottom, Papley, Heeney, Hayward, Fox
Brisbane: Lohmann 4, Ah Chee 4, Morris 2, Daniher 2, Rayner, McCluggage, Hipwood, Cameron, Berry, Ashcroft
BEST
Sydney: Rowbottom, Florent, Fox, Gulden, Parker
Brisbane: Neale, Ashcroft, Lohmann, Ah Chee, Daniher, McCluggage
INJURIES
Sydney: McDonald (ankle)
Brisbane: Nil
SUBSTITUTES
Sydney: Braeden Campbell (replaced Logan McDonald in the third quarter)
Brisbane: Conor McKenna (replaced Logan Morris in the final quarter)
Crowd: 100,013 at the MCG, Melbourne, Victoria
The next morning, they resumed the Celebration Party in Fitzroy at the Brunswick Street Oval to commemorate the Premiership victory. The players lifted the trophy to reunite Fitzroy fans with some former Bears followers before the club relocated to Brisbane, Queensland in 1996. The Brisbane Bears existed from 1987 to 1996 before being renamed the Brisbane Lions. Following the fans’ departure, they carried on with the celebrations at the Melbourne Cricket Ground the following evening and proceeded to the bar to toast to their supporters while sipping champagne from the championship cup. Many of the players gave speeches on the day of the celebration at Fitzroy’s Brunswick Street Oval, sharing their experiences of participating in the Grand Final. Following the speech, supporters flocked to get signatures, took photographs with their famous players, and carried posters to show the players. Following the Women’s Lions Team’s thrilling late victory over the Adelaide Crows in a close match, the celebration will continue as the team boards the plane to return to Queensland. The day of the Men’s Team’s Premiership victory, the Women’s Lions Team held a huge celebration at Brighton Homes Arena. The men’s Lions team arrived that evening to join the thousands of supporters celebrating their victory at Brighton Homes Arena as the fans displayed the trophy. Fans couldn’t be more excited with hooray and cheers from the atmosphere of fans who supported the Brisbane Lions.
The Brisbane Lions had a celebration Party in Queens Garden to on a beautiful Tuesday sunny afternoon to resume their party with all of the fans who were able to watch the moment. Brisbane City was packed of fans who came to see their favourite players and Coach Fagan on Stage with some of the greatest speeches and lifted the 2024 AFL Premiership Trophy. Tuesday afternoon in Brisbane’s central business district, 5000 people congratulated the all-conquering Lions as the club’s 60-point victory over Sydney in the grand final got underway. While Brisbane’s Joe Daniher’s future remains uncertain, it is certain that the Lions should receive a significant Gabba upgrade or a new stadium as a prize for winning the AFL premiership. The Lions are likely to see a rise in membership, with or without Daniher, as a result of their premiership triumph. Adrian Schrinner, the Lord Mayor of Brisbane, stated that the team had outgrown the aging Gabba, which can accommodate 36,000 spectators when full. We are opposed to to think about this in the future. We want to see them keep getting better and succeeding. Lions co-captain Lachie Neale had scans on his injured foot before to the civic reception, and he came out of the procedure optimistic. The Party is still going around the Queen City of Queensland.
Here are some the iconic moments in our social media posts of the Best Moments in the Brisbane Lions from this iconic Match to get their first Premiership in 21 years.
0 Comments