The Sydney Morning Herald
· collected 2026-09-26 · by Indigo Lemay-Conway
On October 15, Fremantle’s Cappuccino Strip in Western Australia transformed from a jubilant atmosphere to one of despair as the Dockers lost their AFL grand final match against the Brisbane Lions by seven points. Around 40,000 fans gathered across the city to support Fremantle, but hopes were shattered when the team collapsed in the final quarter despite leading by 17 points with four minutes left. The article captures the emotional journey of Dockers supporters who had waited decades for this moment, including long-time fan Stephenie Borowiec who was "absolutely gutted" after watching her beloved team fall just short yet again.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-27,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
From the articles provided, several key themes and events leading up to the AFL Grand Final between Fremantle (Dockers) and Brisbane (Lions) stand out. Here's a summary focusing on these aspects:
- Preparation and Spirit:
- Both teams have unique approaches to motivating their players.
- Justin Longmuir, Fremantle’s coach, uses symbols like the "wharfie, boat, and chain" metaphor to convey resilience and teamwork.
- Chris Fagan, Brisbane's coach, employed powerful mantras over seasons, such as “walking on thin ice” in 2024 to encourage taking risks despite uncertainty.
- Community Support:
- Fremantle fans are expected to fill the streets of their city, with up to 40,000 supporters anticipated.
- Local events like a licensed gathering at Fremantle Oval and pub gatherings will host thousands more.
- Brisbane fans in Melbourne have established meeting points, such as a suburban pub for Dockers fans and historical venues in Fitzroy.
- Historical Context:
- The Lions aim to secure their third consecutive premiership title.
- In 2024, despite struggling with only four wins from eleven games early on, they rallied under Fagan’s guidance to win two back-to-back flags.
- The theme “run towards the fire” was adopted last year to avoid complacency and keep striving for success.
- Inspiring Speakers:
- Teams have benefited from motivational talks by high-profile individuals.
- Luc Longley, an NBA champion who won three rings alongside Michael Jordan with the Chicago Bulls, spoke about maintaining drive despite past achievements.
- Fagan’s inspirational messages like "walking on thin ice" and subsequent themes have significantly influenced players’ mindset.
- Fan Engagement in Melbourne:
- Fremantle and Brisbane fans are setting up “homes away from home” in Melbourne to welcome their fellow supporters for the grand final.
- These gatherings provide a sense of community and camaraderie among distant but passionate fan bases.
- Logistical Preparations:
- WA Police have extensive plans to ensure safety during Fremantle’s celebration events, deploying various units including motorbikes, horses, dogs, and riot gear.
In essence, the build-up to this grand final highlights a blend of strategic preparation by coaches, community engagement from fans, and motivational support through significant speakers. This combination sets the stage for an emotionally charged event for both Fremantle and Brisbane, aiming to achieve their respective goals with strong backing from supporters and inspired leadership.
Written for “AFL Grand Final” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 45 other(s) covering the same event.
Fremantle’s Cappuccino Strip went from a roaring sea of purple to the quiet of a wake in a matter of seconds, as the Dockers desperate bid for an elusive AFL premiership slipped through their fingers in a devastating final-quarter collapse.
asserted
bid → go → collapse
Fans packed the streets and stood on street corners just to catch a glimpse of the big screens of the game against the Brisbane Lions.
asserted
Fans → pack → Lions
But as the final siren sounded, sealing another agonising grand final heartbreak, over a decade of built-up hope vanished into thin air.
asserted
siren → sound → air
Minutes before bounce down, Dockers fan Lachlan Smith said he was hopeful this year would be their year.
asserted
year → say → bounce
“I’m a little bit nervous.
asserted
I → ’m → ?
I was back here in 2013, and it didn’t go our way, so hopefully we can pull it off this year.
asserted
we → go → it
But yeah, very nervous, very nervous, but we can do it!”
asserted
we → do → it
Smith said.
asserted
Smith → say → ?
Smith was here in 2013 when the Dockers lost their first chance to win the flag to Hawthorn by only 15 points.
asserted
Dockers → lose → points
After the first quarter, fans were a little on edge as to how the game would go.
asserted
game → go → edge
“There were some poor referee choices in that quarter,” James Orie said at the free viewing space in front of the National Hotel.
asserted
Orie → be → Hotel
Despite originally being an Eagles fan, Orie said it would have been a win for all if the Dockers came out on top.
asserted
Dockers → say → top
“I used to be an Eagles fan, but I’ve jumped onto the Freo bandwagon because WA is WA and if one of us wins, we all win.
asserted
we → use → us
Screams of “Freo” and “Wharfie Time” could be heard from anywhere in the CBD, and when the time came to unleash the bells, the crowds went wild.
uncertain
crowds → hear → bells
Wharfie Time went off late in the final quarter immediately following Patrick Voss’s goal, which gave the Dockers a 17-point lead with roughly four minutes remaining
Around 40,000 die-hard Dockers fans flocked into Fremantle to watch the historic game at a variety of paid and free viewing sites across the port city.
asserted
fans → go → city
Meanwhile in a sea of purple stood one proud lion.
asserted
lion → stand → purple
Father and son duo Nathan and Oliver Peek are both football fanatics, but they go for opposing teams.
asserted
they → go → teams
“I’m from Queensland, so I’ve been a Lions supporter for my life,” Nathan said.
asserted
Nathan → ’m → life
Whereas for Oliver, he says he jumped onto his mother’s team.
asserted
he → say → team
“Most of my family’s on my mum’s side, they’re all Dockers supporters, so I followed them,” he said.
asserted
he → ’ → them
With five minutes on the clock left, Nathan told his son the game was over and that Freo had won.
asserted
Freo → leave → son
When the final siren went off and the Dockers had lost by seven points, Fremantle was silent.
asserted
Fremantle → go → points
“I’ve never been to a mass funeral, but this is what I imagine it feels like,” Tom Wilco said.
asserted
Wilco → imagine → what
“I’m devastated, gutted.
asserted
I → gutte → ?
We thought we had it in the bag.
asserted
we → think → bag
I’m speechless.
asserted
I → ’m → ?
“We Wharfied too close to the sun, unfortunately.”
asserted
We → wharfie → sun
Another fan spoke through tears in shock of the outcome.
asserted
fan → speak → outcome
“Twenty seven years of my life I’ve been going for Freo, me, my whole family, and we got so close for the second time and I’m just absolutely gutted,” Stephenie Borowiec said.
“It just turned at the end, within the blink of an eye.”
asserted
It → go → eye
Borowiec said she still loved the team regardless, though.
asserted
she → say → team
“But I’d say good game to our boys.
asserted
I → say → boys
They played so well, especially for how new they are to AFL.
asserted
they → play → AFL
“We don’t have a lot of boys who have been in the team for a while or in AFL for a while.
asserted
who → have → while
So they smashed it.
asserted
they → smash → it
I’m still proud of each and every one of them.
asserted
I → ’m → them
While the Dockers may have lost, Fremantle star Shai Bolton was still a winner taking home the Norm Smith Medal.
uncertain
Bolton → lose → Medal
The Aporia
