Lions roar their way to back-to-back AFL premierships

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Charlie Cameron and Will Ashcroft starred arsenic the Brisbane Lions finished afloat of moving successful the expansive last against Geelong to assertion a 2nd successive flag.

The Brisbane Lions person laid the level for different AFL dynasty aft securing back-to-back premierships with a crushing 47-point win implicit Geelong successful the expansive final.

Charlie Cameron (four goals) and Will Ashcroft (32 disposals) starred when it mattered astir successful the Lions’ 18.14 (122) to 11.9 (75) victory successful beforehand of 100,022 fans connected Saturday astatine the MCG.

Father-son merchandise Ashcroft was awarded the Norm Smith Medal arsenic champion afield successful the play decider for the 2nd straight year.

Co-captain Harris Andrews and Dayne Zorko were superb successful defence, arsenic Brisbane rubber-stamped themselves arsenic the astir successful nine this period with a 5th flag.

Geelong and Hawthorn person 4 each.

The Lions’ latest success could beryllium the making of a ascendant play under Chris Fagan, akin to the Leigh Matthews-led premiership juggernaut of 2001-03.

Fagan took implicit successful 2017 when the Lions were astatine their lowest ebb and has since steered them to three straight expansive finals and two flags.

“It’s each astir the culture,” Andrews told Seven.

“We’ve got a truly special radical of guys, special staff. We wrap our arms astir everyone.

“To spot the adversity we’ve gone done this year and past year arsenic well and to travel retired the different side, it’s phenomenal.

“It’s ταξινόμηση of dawning connected maine a small spot the travel we’ve been connected since Fages got present … it’s awesome.”

Nothing split the two champion sides successful the contention successful the archetypal half, with scores locked astatine the main interruption for the archetypal clip successful a expansive last since 1909.

Brisbane weapon Lachie Neale started arsenic the sub connected his aboriginal instrumentality from a calf wounded and was activated for the 2nd half, tallying 17 disposals, 7 clearances and 1 goal.

The two-time Brownlow Medal winner slotted 1 of three important majors precocious successful the third 4th – Cameron kicked the others – arsenic the Lions seized power of a choky contention successful the space of six minutes.

Geelong held the pb 18 minutes into the third term, but Brisbane kicked 8 of the adjacent 9 goals to tally distant with the flag.

“I’m so arrogant of this radical … that show was hard to describe,” Neale told Seven.

“When we’re on, we’re on. At halftime it surely didn’t look similar it was going to beryllium a effect similar that.

“Maybe halfway done the past when we piled connected a few, I was like, ‘Oh my god, we’re going to bash it again’.”

The Lions played astir of the 2nd fractional a antheral down aft Brandon Starcevich suffered concussion.

Hugh McCluggage (25 touches, 4 goals) and Jaspa Fletcher (29 touches) shone, and Zac Bailey had 1.6 to his sanction astatine 1 stage but finished with three majors.

Geelong speedster Max Holmes (33 disposals) and Ollie Dempsey (four goals) fought each time for the losing side.

Coleman Medal winner Jeremy Cameron was held goalless by Darcy Gardiner and struggled with a close limb wounded aft helium was wounded under affable occurrence from Cats skipper Patrick Dangerfield.

It was Geelong’s 2nd nonaccomplishment from 4 expansive finals under 15-year manager Chris Scott, and a third successful 7 deciders this century.