DEFENCE wins premierships? Well, not in the AFL in 2026 as Brisbane roared to a famous three-peat.

The Lions won a Grand Final classic against Fremantle by seven points at the MCG on Saturday for their third straight flag.

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And once again, Chris Fagan's men conceded plenty – giving up 12.17 (89) to the inaccurate Dockers and needing the final four goals of the game to secure their historic feat.

Remarkably, the Lions conceded an average of 110.8 points per game in this year's finals series, the most by any premier in VFL/AFL history.

Brisbane was thrashed by Sydney in a qualifying final, giving up 141 points, and even conceded 91 to Adelaide in a semi-final, albeit with the Crows kicking six final-quarter goals.

The Lions then conceded the most points by a winning preliminary finalist in history when they beat Hawthorn 20.11 (131) to 19.8 (122) in another classic.

Whether it's recent rule changes or just the trend of the game, the Lions showed that attack led the way in 2026, and as the Dockers found out late in the Grand Final, Brisbane felt almost inevitable this year.

The Lions scored an average of 114.8 points this finals series, which ranks as the 23rd most all-time.

In contrast, Fremantle was the best defence in the competition this year and came so close to winning the premiership.

The previous most conceded in finals by a premier was by Hawthorn in 1989, with an average of 107.

But those Hawks played just two finals, including the famous decider that year when they beat Geelong by a goal, 144-138.

Richmond (1967) and Geelong (1937) also averaged more than 100 points against in finals on their way to flags, but they also played only two finals.

In 1972, Carlton averaged 103.5 points against in four finals – including a 61-61 draw in a semi-final, with the Blues winning the Grand Final that year 28.9 (177) to 22.18 (150) against Richmond.

Brisbane has continued to defy history in its three-peat run and whether the Lions' reliance on attack can be repeated - and replicated by the rest of the competition - will be something to watch.