In brief
- The Brisbane Lions will face the Fremantle Dockers in the 2026 AFL Grand Final at the MCG.
- The Lions are seeking a third consecutive premiership while the Dockers would be claiming their first ever.
The Brisbane Lions and Fremantle Dockers are vying for very different places in the history books on Saturday as they face off in the 2026 AFL Grand Final.
The Lions are chasing their second three-peat this century, while the Dockers are hoping to claim their first-ever premiership.
Fremantle have just three players — former Richmond Tiger Shai Bolton, ex-Melbourne Demon Luke Jackson and former Collingwood player Mason Cox — who have tasted premiership glory.
In contrast, only two Lions have not won a flag: Recruits Sam Draper and Oscar Allen.
Up to 8mm of rain has been forecast for Melbourne on Saturday, with a very high chance of showers.
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If more than 3mm falls, it will be the wettest grand final day in nearly 25 years.
A crowd of 100,000 is expected at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
"If we can beat them, it will be the best day of my life," one Dockers fan in a sea of purple in Melbourne told SBS News.
A Brisbane fan, meanwhile, predicted a "three-peat for sure".
Here's everything you need to know ahead of the match-up.
What time is the game, and where can you watch it?
The match kicks off at 2:30pm AEST. That's 2pm in the Northern Territory and South Australia, and 12:30pm in Western Australia.
The game will be shown exclusively on Channel 7 and its streaming platform, 7Plus.
Subscription-based broadcasters such as Kayo Sports, which showed the rest of the finals, will not show the match.
If you're planning to watch Kylie Minogue perform, you'll need to tune in earlier.
The official pre-game show begins half an hour earlier, at 2pm AEST. The pop superstar is expected on stage at around 1:40pm AEST.
Australian music stars G Flip, Michael Paynter and Mike Brady are also scheduled to perform.
How did Brisbane and Fremantle get here?
Fremantle beat Brisbane 103-78 when the sides last met at the Gabba in May, at one stage leading by 51 points.
Dockers Jye Amiss and Patrick Voss kicked four goals each, while Josh Treacy added three.
Freemantle finished the home-and-away season as minor premiers, while Brisbane secured a top-four finish.
Neither side took the direct route to the grand final, with both losing their qualifying finals before fighting their way back.
Brisbane lost its qualifying final to the Sydney Swans by 53 points, then recovered with victories over the Adelaide Crows and Hawthorn Hawks to reach their fourth consecutive grand final.
Fremantle suffered a 72-40 loss to Hawthorn before bouncing back with wins over the Geelong Cats and Sydney to book a place in the final.
Brisbane won three consecutive premierships from 2001 to 2003, while the Dockers have never taken home the cup since entering the league in 1995.
Players to watch
Brisbane's 22-year-old Will Ashcroft will be chasing a third consecutive Norm Smith Medal, awarded to the best player on the ground in the grand final. If successful, he'd be the second player ever to do so.
Former Docker Lachie Neale, a key Brisbane midfielder, was only cleared to play in the final on Thursday after successfully appealing a one-match suspension.
For Fremantle, midfielder Caleb Serong enters the final in strong form after starring in the Dockers' win over Sydney.
Luke Jackson will also be one to watch, having already tasted premiership success with Melbourne in 2021.
— With additional reporting by Australian Associated Press
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