AFL Finals 2026: Brisbane's Incredible Grand Final Comeback & How Ubud Watched the Finals

The 2026 AFL Finals delivered a finish that Australian football fans will be talking about for years.

After a dramatic finals series, the season came down to the Brisbane Lions and Fremantle Dockers at the MCG on September 26. Fremantle were chasing the first premiership in club history. Brisbane were attempting to win a remarkable third consecutive flag.

With just over four minutes remaining, Fremantle led by 17 points. The Dockers' famous Wharfie Time celebration began. The bells rang around the MCG. Fremantle supporters could almost touch their first premiership. Then everything changed.

Brisbane kicked the final four goals of the match and somehow turned a 17-point deficit into a seven-point Grand Final victory, 96–89. It was an extraordinary conclusion to the 2026 AFL season — and another memorable AFL Finals series for Australian football fans watching from Ubud, Bali.

Brisbane Lions vs Fremantle Dockers: 2026 AFL Grand Final Result

Brisbane Lions 14.12 (96) defeated Fremantle Dockers 12.17 (89)

The final score doesn't begin to explain what happened. Brisbane led Fremantle by just one point at quarter-time before the teams went into half-time completely level at 43–43. Fremantle then began to take control.

The Dockers carried a 10-point advantage into the final quarter and appeared to have weathered Brisbane's attempts to fight their way back into the contest. Then Michael Frederick kicked a goal to put Fremantle nine points ahead with less than eight minutes remaining.

And with 4:18 left, Patrick Voss kicked his third goal. Fremantle were suddenly 17 points ahead. The club had never won an AFL premiership. Now, with barely four minutes remaining, it seemed like their moment had finally arrived.

Wharfie Time: The Celebration Before Everything Went Wrong

Throughout the 2026 season, Wharfie Time had become part of Fremantle's identity. When the Dockers appeared to have a match secured, the celebration could be triggered at the stadium, with bells ringing and AC/DC's Hells Bells playing as Fremantle supporters celebrated what looked like another victory.

There had even been discussion before the Grand Final about whether the tradition would be allowed at the MCG. It was. And after Voss kicked Fremantle 17 points clear with only 258 seconds remaining, the button was pressed.

The bells rang. The Fremantle crowd erupted. After more than three decades without a premiership, the Dockers were seemingly minutes away from becoming AFL champions for the first time. Except Brisbane weren't finished.

From Wharfie Time to Country Roads

Almost immediately after Fremantle began celebrating, Brisbane won the next centre clearance. Will Ashcroft sent the ball forward. Charlie Cameron gathered it, spun and snapped a goal. And suddenly another song was echoing around the MCG:

“Take Me Home, Country Roads.”

It's Cameron's goal song, and the timing could hardly have been more dramatic. Moments earlier, the stadium had been ringing with Fremantle's Wharfie Time celebration. Now Brisbane had answered. The margin was back within reach. Then came Zac Bailey.

Another Brisbane goal. Suddenly Fremantle's 17-point lead had almost disappeared.

What had looked like a premiership celebration only minutes earlier was becoming a nightmare for Dockers supporters.

Logan Morris Completes an Incredible Grand Final Comeback

Then Logan Morris took over. Brisbane attacked again and Morris took a strong mark inside 50. He went back and kicked the goal. Brisbane were in front. The turnaround had happened in roughly three minutes. But Morris wasn't finished.

With Fremantle desperately trying to find one last response, Brisbane surged forward again. Will Ashcroft burst away from the contest and eventually found Morris, who finished another goal to effectively end Fremantle's hopes.

Four consecutive Brisbane goals. A 17-point deficit erased. The Lions had turned what appeared to be certain defeat into a seven-point premiership victory. From the moment Fremantle activated Wharfie Time to Brisbane completing the comeback, only 258 seconds had passed.

Brisbane Lions Complete the Three-Peat

The victory gave Brisbane their third consecutive AFL premiership, completing the 2024, 2025 and 2026 three-peat. It also continued an extraordinary period for the club.

Brisbane had been pushed to the edge in the Grand Final. Fremantle had controlled significant periods of the contest, led by 17 points with barely four minutes remaining and had one hand on what would have been the first premiership in Dockers history. Brisbane still found a way back.

The official AFL match report called the game one of the best Grand Finals in VFL/AFL history, with the Lions kicking the final four goals to steal the premiership. For Fremantle, it was an extraordinarily painful finish. Their only previous Grand Final appearance had come in 2013, when they lost to Hawthorn. Thirteen years later, the Dockers returned to the biggest stage and came within minutes of finally winning their first flag.

A Grand Final Full of Huge Moments

The final four minutes will understandably dominate memories of the game, but the 2026 Grand Final had drama throughout. The teams were separated by only one point after the opening quarter before reaching half-time tied at 43 apiece.

Fremantle then pushed ahead during the third quarter, with Hayden Young kicking two important goals as the Dockers established a 10-point advantage at the final change. There was also heartbreak for Fremantle captain Alex Pearce, who suffered an Achilles injury during the third quarter and was forced out of the game. His absence would become increasingly important as Brisbane launched its final attack.

Fremantle even had opportunities to push the margin further out during the final term.

Josh Treacy came desperately close to a goal that could have made Brisbane's task significantly harder, but Ryan Lester's pressure helped force the miss. Voss then kicked the goal that stretched the margin to 17. Wharfie Time began. And from there, the entire Grand Final changed.

The 2026 AFL Grand Final at a Glance

Premiers: Brisbane Lions

Runners-up: Fremantle Dockers

Final score: Brisbane 14.12 (96) defeated Fremantle 12.17 (89)

Winning margin: 7 points

Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)

Date: Saturday, September 26, 2026

Quarter-time: Brisbane 23–22 Fremantle

Half-time: Brisbane 43–43 Fremantle

Three-quarter time: Fremantle 72–62 Brisbane

Largest late Fremantle lead: 17 points with 4:18 remaining

Final four goals: Brisbane

Crowd: 100,023

The Lions' leading goalkickers were Charlie Cameron and Logan Morris with three each, while Patrick Voss kicked three for Fremantle.

Watching the 2026 AFL Finals in Ubud, Bali

The Grand Final was also the conclusion of another huge AFL Finals series for footy fans in Bali.

At The Melting Pot Saloon in Ubud, AFL is part of the regular live sports schedule throughout the season — not something that appears only when the Grand Final arrives.

We show every AFL game.

That includes the home-and-away season, the finals and, of course, the AFL Grand Final.

For Australian travellers, expats and AFL supporters living around Ubud, it means you don't have to leave the footy behind when you're in Bali.

The Melting Pot has multiple screens, match sound for major games, food, 33 beers including 23 on tap, and plenty to do around the venue before and after the game.

And with 10 full-sized pool tables, darts, axe throwing, shuffleboard, ping pong and other games, there's plenty happening beyond the screens as well.

Why AFL Has Such a Strong Following in Bali

AFL and Bali have a natural connection. Australians make up a major part of Bali's visitor market, and for supporters travelling during footy season, finding somewhere showing their club can become part of the trip. That's particularly noticeable during the finals.

A Grand Final involving Fremantle was always going to attract attention in Bali. Western Australia has exceptionally strong travel links with the island, making Bali a familiar destination for many Fremantle supporters. When the Dockers made it all the way to the 2026 Grand Final, purple shirts were never going to be difficult to find. For those fans, though, this particular Grand Final will probably take a little longer to forget.

How the 2026 AFL Finals Format Worked

The 2026 AFL season introduced one of the biggest changes to the finals system in decades: the Wildcard Round, which expanded finals contention from eight teams to ten.

Under the new format, the top six teams advanced directly to the traditional finals series, while teams finishing seventh through tenth competed in two knockout wildcard matches. Seventh played tenth, and eighth played ninth, with the two winners earning the remaining places in the final eight.

The inaugural Wildcard Round saw Carlton defeat Melbourne, while the Western Bulldogs defeated Collingwood in a thrilling 96–93 contest. Both winning teams advanced into the traditional finals series.

From there, the competition followed the familiar pathway through qualifying finals, elimination finals, semi-finals, preliminary finals and ultimately the Grand Final. The new system gave more teams an opportunity to compete in September and added another layer of excitement to the road towards Brisbane's unforgettable premiership victory.

The 2026 AFL Finals Will Be Remembered for That Finish

Every AFL season eventually gets reduced to a handful of moments. The 2026 season has one that will be very difficult to forget.

Fremantle were 17 points ahead.

There were 258 seconds remaining.

Wharfie Time was ringing around the MCG.

A first Fremantle premiership appeared to be arriving.

Then Charlie Cameron kicked a goal and Country Roads started playing.

Zac Bailey followed.

Logan Morris put Brisbane ahead.

Then Morris kicked another.

By the final siren, Brisbane were premiers for the third consecutive season and Fremantle were left wondering how a premiership that seemed so close had disappeared in barely four minutes. That's why the 2026 AFL Grand Final won't simply be remembered for who won.

It will be remembered for how they won it.

Watch AFL in Bali at The Melting Pot

The 2026 Finals are finished, but AFL at The Melting Pot isn't limited to September.

The Melting Pot shows every AFL game, so if you're in Ubud during the AFL season, you can follow your team from the opening rounds through to the finals.

For our permanent guide to watching the competition from Bali, see our Watch AFL in Bali page for more information. You can also explore our Live Sports in Ubud guide to see the other sports shown at The Melting Pot throughout the year.

Looking for a particular match? Check The Melting Pot's latest sports schedule or contact us to confirm what's showing.