Wharfie disaster: Hype button backfires as Lions stun Dockers in all-time grand final
With three minutes left in the grand final, Fremantle led by 17 points. Patrick Voss put them three goals clear and the Dockers were mere seconds away from lifting their inaugural AFL premiership cup.
So confident were they, they hit the “Wharfie Time” button designed to hype up their fans. The rest will now be history.
Wharfie Time to disaster time for Freo Seven
Brisbane kicked four unanswered goals in four minutes to win their third consecutive premiership 14.12. (96) to 12.17. (89). The undefeated Wharfie Time button, that has become a character of its own for the Dockers this season, exploded in real time.
Freo fans were ready to pop the champagne, before goals to Charlie Cameron, Zac Bailey and two to Logan Morris flipped history on its head.
“We knew they were going to pull that Wharfie Time… soon and we knew we were going to use it as energy,” Morris said immediately after the game.
Brisbane star Josh Dunkley said similar: "We used it as energy. We heard it going off and all looked at each other".
One of the greatest grand finals of all time, there were 13 lead changes across the afternoon, culminating in potentially the most thrilling finish the league has ever seen.
For Brisbane, they have completed their three-peat. The club’s second this century, following the 2001-2003 golden era. They join their predecessors and Hawthorn as the only teams to accomplish the hat-trick since 2000.
They’ve proven themselves to be the dominant team of the 2020s and the best club of the 21st century, winning their sixth flag.
Chris Fagan is now a three-time premiership coach and rumours will circle as to whether he will continue or retire.
Fremantle fans, meanwhile, will be feeling sick. They looked home for all money.
Wharfie Time is most certainly dead. They petitioned the AFL to have access to the hype button during the week and after initially denying them, the league granted them the request.
They will never press it again. They can't. It will haunt them for all eternity.
Logan Morris of the Lions celebrates. Getty Images
Beyond that, Freo kicked 17 behinds and wasted many more opportunities beyond that.
Josh Treacy missed one from a metre out in the final quarter, while Shai Bolton blundered two golden opportunities streaming forward himself.
Brisbane were clutch, as they have been for three years now. They took their opportunities and did not give up when it all looked over in the dying stages.
The biggest shock of the game came in the third quarter, when Fremantle captain Alex Pearce lost his balance chasing the footy and immediately put his head down in significant pain.
He was helped from the field with what looked like a classic Achilles injury. He was iced up and ruled out, with the club confirming that injury.
A brutal blow for the Freo skipper, he remained composed and still made his way to the three-quarter-time huddle on crutches to inspire the troops.
Kai Lohmann of the Lions and Dayne Zorko of the Lions celebrate. Getty Images
He will likely miss a significant chunk of 2027, on top of every other piece of heartbreak for Fremantle.
Dockers forward Bolton won the Norm Smith Medal, despite kicking 0.2 from his five shots for goal. The first man to win the award in a losing team since West Coast’s Chris Judd in 2005. Judd was one of the men voting on Saturday.
The Lions were dead and buried last week against Hawthorn in the final minute, they lost the qualifying final to Sydney and they were gone for all money with three minutes to play on Saturday.
And yet, they are premiers - again.
