Australian Rules-Brisbane deny Fremantle in Grand Final thriller to win third straight AFL premiership

Sept 26 : The Brisbane Lions clawed their way to a third successive Australian Football League premiership on Saturday, overcoming the Fremantle Dockers by seven points in a Grand Final thriller before a crowd of 100,023 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Key forwards Logan Morris and Charlie Cameron combined for six goals to help the Lions to an audacious 14.12 (96) - 12.17 (89) come-from-behind victory and their second three-peat, emulating their 2001-03 dynasty.

Brisbane nailed four goals in the final four minutes to overhaul a 17-point deficit, with Morris ensuring the Lions edged ahead in the final 60 seconds, kicking truly after taking a strong contested mark to give his side the lead and subsequently icing the game with a snap from 40 metres.

"My boys have got a stack of heart and know how to fight to the end... Now we've got three premierships in a row to show for it," Lions coach Chris Fagan said.

In the first half, ladder-toppers Fremantle - contesting their first Grand Final since 2013 - were not overawed by the occasion and forced the back-to-back defending champions into over-possession and risky corridor play, although nothing separated the teams on the scoreboard with 43 apiece.

Command shifted to the Dockers during the third quarter, but a leg injury to captain Alex Pearce left a void in their back-line, which the Lions capitalised on with three straight majors to narrow Fremantle's lead to 10 points at the final break.

"I thought we were in a bit of trouble, I’m not going to lie," Lions on-baller Will Ashcroft said, leading all comers with 31 disposals and three goal assists. "But it’s crazy, the swings of momentum in big games."

Late majors to forwards Michael Frederick and Patrick Voss (three goals) put the