09/26/26 02:33:00
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09/26 02:29 CDT A three-peat for the Brisbane Lions: three Australian rules
football titles in a row
A three-peat for the Brisbane Lions: three Australian rules football titles in
a row
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) --- The Brisbane Lions overcame a 10-point deficit in
the final six minutes to beat the Fremantle Dockers by seven points and win
their third Australian Football League grand final championship in a row.
The west-coast based Dockers dominated play in the third quarter but the Lions
came back Saturday to beat the Dockers 14.12 (96) to 12.17 (89) before a
capacity crowd of 100,024 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Brisbane made it consecutive Australian rules football titles last year with a
a 47-point win over Geelong.
On Saturday, the teams were tied 43-43 at halftime, with each team kicking six
goals worth six points each and seven "behinds" worth one point each in the
opening half. The Dockers led by 10 points after three quarters.
Fremantle, a port city where the Swan River meets the Indian Ocean just south
of the state capital Perth, joined the league in 1995. The Dockers are still
seeking their first AFL title.
Two weeks ago, 100,021 spectators crammed the same stadium to watch the first
regular-season NFL game played in Australia, won 27-7 by the San Francisco
49ers over the Los Angeles Rams.
Britain-based and Melbourne-born pop star Kylie Minogue provided the pre-game
entertainment Saturday.
Australian Rules football is a often dynamic contact sport played by teams of
18 on an oval field and involves plenty of kicking. It was established in and
around Melbourne in the 1850s and is one of the most popular sports in
Australia. The top-tier national league, the AFL, features 18 clubs.
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