Brisbane Lions reach AFL Grand Final after comeback win over Collingwood amid late controversy

Brisbane Lions advanced to the AFL Grand Final with a 15.10 (100) to 11.5 (71) victory over Collingwood in the preliminary final on Saturday, a result that secures a rematch with Geelong next week. The win came despite a late-quarter moment that sparked widespread debate: Jamie Elliott appeared to have earned a free kick for a front-on spoil by Brandon Starcevich near goal, but none was paid. Collingwood would have trailed by six points had the free been awarded, and Brisbane capitalized moments later with a goal, beginning a four-goal burst that decided the clash.

Collingwood began the night in control, and their surge in the second quarter put the Magpies 13 points ahead at halftime after kicking six goals to none in the stanza. The early momentum underscored a tense contest and left Brisbane needing a decisive response to avert a season-ending defeat.

Brisbane's turnaround began in the third term, when they kicked a three-goal burst in five minutes at the start of the period to wrest the momentum from Collingwood. From there, the Lions outscored the Magpies 11 goals to four in the second half, sealing a 29-point win and their third consecutive appearance in the season decider.

All-Australian Hugh McCluggage, who had been tagged out of the qualifying final against Geelong, was again influential for Brisbane with 37 disposals and 10 clearances. Ty Gallop contributed three goals, and Elliott finished with a game-high four goals for Collingwood. The Daicos brothers also played key roles for the Magpies, while Magpie captain Jamie Elliott delivered the highlight with an aerial mark in the third term before finishing with four goals.

Collingwood’s captain Scott Pendlebury, aged 37, exited early in the first quarter after pulling up with a left calf injury, his 425th game ending after about 10 minutes.

Brisbane coach Chris Fagan framed the victory as redemption for last year’s Grand Final, which the Lions lost to Collingwood. "I know we beat them a few weeks ago, but we felt as a team that we couldn't get any redemption for that loss in the 2023 grand final, until we were actually able to beat Collingwood in a final," Fagan said. The message, he added, was revisited at halftime as the game hung in the balance: "We'd been talking about that again at halftime ... Well, that's what we want to do."

Collingwood coach Craig McRae acknowledged the non-call but said there were no excuses for the result. "It looked like that, it did — no guarantee he kicks the goal though, is it?" he said. "Losers make excuses, we don't. We're winners and we didn't win today, clearly beaten by a better team. They would have beaten us anyway, the way they were playing."

The result sets up a Grand Final showdown with Geelong, who dominated their qualifying final and earned the chance to contest the title next Saturday. The Cats’ strong performance in that earlier elimination match will loom large as Brisbane seeks its first premiership since joining the competition, while Collingwood’s season ends with a hard-fought but ultimately unanswered challenge.