Fremantle’s Wharfie Time was meant to celebrate the Dockers’ first premiership, but Brisbane Lions midfielder Josh Dunkley claimed it had the opposite effect following Saturday’s unforgettable grand final.
Brisbane’s remarkable comeback
The Dockers were leading by 17 points with less than four minutes left when the bells rang around the MCG. Shortly after, the Lions surged back, scoring four quick goals to achieve a stunning victory in one of the most remarkable AFL grand finals.
Dunkley’s reflections on Wharfie Time
Dunkley noted that the Lions had mentally prepared for such a situation, and seeing the purple wave on the big screen inspired them to finish the match strongly. “We talked about Wharfie Time and making that our energy,” he remarked.
“When I looked around at centre bounce and Wharfie Time came on we all looked at each other and we connected and we grew a leg and then got it done, it’s unbelievable.”
Norm Smith medal presentation
The dramatic conclusion was further underscored by the presentation of the Norm Smith medal. Fremantle’s Shai Bolton seemed surprised and hesitant as he approached the stage for his acceptance speech.
“I just want to say congrats to the Brisbane boys, you’ve been a benchmark for a couple years now,” he expressed. “To our boys, heads up, we’ll be back better and stronger. And to our fans, thank you for coming out. We appreciate you all.”
This marks the first time since West Coast’s Chris Judd in 2005 that the Norm Smith medal has been awarded to a player from the losing team.
Dockers midfielder Caleb Serong described the outcome as “[Coach Justin Longmuir] just said he was so proud of us, we held ourselves up today aside from that last two or three minutes, which we didn’t get right,” but believed it would ultimately “Aside from that, we showed up today and played Fremantle footy and we’ve got to be proud of that.” the team.
“I know you’ll be feeling tremendously disappointed right now, but if I was being completely honest you guys probably deserved to win the game today,” he shared with Channel Seven.
“But my boys, they’ve got a stack of heart and they know how to fight their way right to the end, and we’ve been able to do that two weeks in a row, and now we’ve got three premierships in a row to show for it.”
Lions coach Chris Fagan praised the Dockers after the match.
“When you talk about it and it arises, I mean there’s only one choice and it’s the go at the game,” he noted.
“He’ll probably tell you that he was off all game with his set shots and stuff like that,”
The Lions reached the grand final following a last-minute comeback win over Hawthorn in the preliminary final the previous week.
Dunkley emphasized the importance of Wharfie Time. “But for him to stand up in that moment and kick that goal, I mean it’s won us a grand final so it’s incredible.” he remarked.
He also praised 21-year-old Logan Morris, the forward who scored two of the Lions’ four goals in the final four minutes, including the decisive six-pointer.
“He’ll probably tell you that he was off all game with his set shots and stuff like that,” Dunkley said. “But for him to stand up in that moment and kick that goal, I mean it’s won us a grand final so it’s incredible.”
