Brisbane Lions have been the dominant force in the AFL over the last two seasons, winning back-to-back Grand Finals against Sydney Swans in 2024 and Geelong 12 months later.
Those victories moved the Lions up to five AFL premierships overall, with their other three having come in consecutive years between 2001 and 2003, while Hawthorn (2013-2015) were the last team to secure a hat-trick of titles.
Brisbane also narrowly lost to Collingwood in the 2023 Grand Final, so this is clearly a period of domination for the Lions, one they will be hoping to extend this season.
2026 AFL Season Tips Summary
Best Bet - Geelong to win Grand Final @ 9.00
Alternative Bet - Gold Coast Suns to reach the Grand Final @ 4.00
Alternative Bet - Brisbane Lions to win Grand Final @ 4.75
2026 AFL Season Prediction
Best Bet - Geelong to win Grand Final @ 9.00
Geelong seemed all set for glory last season, only for the Cats to fall at the final hurdle as they were beaten 122-75 by the Lions at the MCG.
The Cats had previously defeated Brisbane 112-74 in their qualifying final match-up but could not repeat the trick when the title was on the line in Melbourne.
A loss in such a big game could cause long-term issues for some teams, but Geelong have plenty of experience amongst their ranks to cope, with Patrick Dangerfield, Tom Stewart and the prolific Jeremy Cameron leading the way.
Having finished outside the top four just once in the last seven seasons and won two Grand Finals in that time - in 2019 and 2022 - Geelong will surely be right in the mix for an 11th AFL crown.
Alternative Bet - Gold Coast Suns to reach the Grand Final @ 4.00
Gold Coast Suns enjoyed a breakthrough campaign last season, making finals for the first time in their history and reaching the semi-finals, only to be crushed 100-47 by the Lions.
However, the additions of Christian Petracca (Melbourne Demons) and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan (Western Bulldogs) have given coach Damien Hardwick even more options and an opening fixture against Geelong gives his side an ideal opportunity to lay down an early marker.
Winning a Grand Final may be just too much to ask of the Suns this season, but certainly they have the ability to go all the way to the showpiece finale and continue their journey to becoming major contenders.
Alternative Bet - Brisbane Lions to win Grand Final @ 4.75
Well, the Lions couldn't be ignored completely, could they? They remain absolutely the team to beat, even with the pressure of being the side with the target on their back.
Chris Fagan will have his roster highly motivated and an opening round clash with the Bulldogs will give a decent indication of where his players' minds are as they chase a second hat-trick of titles in the franchise’s history.
Two-time Norm Smith Medal winner Will Ashcroft and his brother Levi continue to add that little extra something for the Lions, while Dayne Zorko and Max Holmes have also been key to the recent run of successes.
Emulating the Lions' treble of titles between 2001 and 2003 will undoubtedly be tough and both the Cats and Suns will want to do even better than last season, but Brisbane are sure to be right in the mix once again.
Key Tournament Stats
Brisbane Lions won the Grand Final in both 2024 and 2025, having lost to Geelong in the 2023 showpiece
Gold Coast Suns reached finals for the first time in their history last season
West Coast Eagles propped up the 2025 ladder with just one victory from 23 games played
Finals has been extended from eight to the top ten teams for the 2026 season
Will Ashcroft (Brisbane) has won the Norm Smith Medal in the last two Grand Finals
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
