Brisbane players and coach Chris Fagan celebrate their 2026 preliminary final win over Hawthorn. Picture: AFL Photos

THE OLD maxim of defence winning premierships is being seriously tested by Brisbane in 2026.

Much has been made of the Lions' defensive frailties this year, and they were on show again on Saturday night despite their win over Hawthorn in a classic preliminary final.

HAWKS v LIONS Full match coverage and stats

Often tense and tight affairs, the Lions conceded the most points (122) in VFL/AFL history by a winning preliminary finalist.

You score 100 - or 122 - and we will score more? Brisbane did just that in a remarkable shootout at the MCG as it kicked 20.11 (131) to win by nine points.

But what does history say about such high scoring affairs in preliminary finals? We have to go a fair way back into the history books to tell you.

ALL THE HIGHLIGHTS

Saturday's incredible game was just the eighth preliminary final in VFL/AFL history in which both teams scored 100 points or more.

And in bad news for the Lions, of the previous seven prelim winners, five lost the Grand Final. The exceptions were Essendon in 1993 and Melbourne way back in 1948, and even those Demons needed two goes at it.

The 1993 'Baby Bombers' staged a remarkable prelim final comeback from 42 points down at half-time to beat Adelaide 17.9 (111) to 14.16 (100), and then overcame arch rival Carlton the following week to win a memorable premiership.

Seventy-eight years ago, Melbourne destroyed Collingwood by 65 points in the 1948 prelim, but still conceded 15.11 (101) in doing so.

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The next week, the Demons drew with Essendon in the first Grand Final. They returned the following week to beat the Bombers by 39 points.

The most recent prelim final winner to concede 100 or more points was Melbourne in 2000, when the Demons gave up the previous highest by a victor - 106 - to North Melbourne, before falling to the Bombers in the Grand Final a week later.

Now, standing between the Lions and a three-peat is Fremantle, which has had the competition's best defence this year.

In their only meeting in 2026, the Dockers recorded a 25-point win at the Gabba in round 12, holding the Lions to an inaccurate 10.18 (78).

Defence wins premierships, or so they say. And if that is to proven right again, it may cost the Lions.