AFL Grand Final 2026

The 2026 Australian Football League Grand Final is scheduled for 26 September at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, featuring the Fremantle Dockers and the Brisbane Lions.

Fremantle enter the championship seeking their first premiership, which would end what is described as the second‑longest premiership drought in AFL history. Brisbane, meanwhile, are positioned to become only the second club ever to win three consecutive titles if they are successful.

The Lions reached the Grand Final in 2023, where they were narrowly defeated by Collingwood. Since that appearance they have secured back‑to‑back championships, both victories coming at the MCG. In the week leading up to the final, Brisbane recorded a notable come‑from‑behind win over Hawthorn at the same venue.

Fremantle finished the home‑and‑away season as minor premiers. They previously defeated Brisbane in their Round 12 encounter, winning 103‑78. In that late‑May match, Fremantle’s Jye Amiss, Patrick Voss and Josh Treacy contributed heavily, helping the Dockers build a 51‑point lead before Brisbane rallied.

Brisbane’s midfielder Lachie Neale successfully appealed a one‑match suspension that had been imposed after an ankle incident in the previous season, allowing him to be available for selection in the Grand Final.