Footballer Sam Draper wins AFL title with Brisbane Lions — ABC News Australia

In Australia, footballer Sam Draper helped Brisbane Lions win their third consecutive Australian Football League title in his first season with the club. In the grand final, Brisbane Lions came back from a 17-point deficit with four minutes remaining and defeated Fremantle Dockers 96:89, ABC News Australia reports.

Return after injury

Last year, Draper suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in the sixth round while playing for Essendon. The injury ended his season, and the athlete later joined Brisbane Lions as a free agent.

According to Draper, after the injury there were periods when he was not sure he would be able to play again. The footballer was also concerned about whether he would retain his explosiveness after a lengthy rehabilitation. He thanked the club's fitness specialists, list manager Dom Ambrogio and football manager Danny Daly for believing in his return.

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Before Draper's move, Essendon finished the season in 18th place, while Brisbane Lions had already won two consecutive premiership titles. Former West Coast captain Oscar Allen joined the team alongside Draper before the season.

Decisive minutes of the final

Late in the match, Fremantle led by three goals after an accurate kick by Patrick Voss. Brisbane Lions scored the final four goals of the game, with Logan Morris scoring the last two. It was his kick that put the team ahead before the final siren.

Keidean Lohmann, who spent the final four minutes on the bench, linked the team's success to the close relationships between players and staff. Ryan Lester noted that with four minutes left, a Brisbane victory looked unlikely. It was Lester's fourth consecutive grand final: the team lost to Collingwood in 2023, then defeated Sydney in 2024 and Geelong in 2025.