Original subtitles

[dramatic music]

[Alister Nicholson] It's been an absorbing contest so far.

It's a magic night for Queensland football.

[player 1] Oh, yeah, hit the deck, hit the deck. Hit the deck!

[Brian Taylor] It's the second semifinal.

The winner to take on Collingwood in the prelim.

-[player 2] Here we go, here we go! -[player 3] Let's go, let's go!

[Alister] And this to give Gold Coast the lead again.

[dramatic music builds]

[Brian] Big goal for Gold Coast!

[Touk Miller] Fuckin' let's go!

[crowd cheering]

[coach] Playin' some good footy, Witta.

[Kane Cornes] Couldn't have started better, the Suns.

[player] Okay, enough, man. Whoa, whoa. Man, man, man, man.

[Touk Miller] We're in a do-or-die scenario,

playing Brisbane in a semifinal, with an opportunity to send them home.

If we win this, this will be the greatest win of all time.

[Brian] Here come the big boys.

And they move it well here, the Gold Coast.

[Touk] I'm feeling it. The boys are feeling it.

-[player yells] -[Touk] Crowd's into it.

[Brian] So now Miller. Very high ball.

[Touk] There were all these things that we'd been working on all year...

[Alister] They are winning all the early battles, Gold Coast.

...were dialled in right at that time.

[Brian] Inside 50, to King! He knocks it out in front of Gardiner.

[player] Let's go. Let's fight.

[commentator 1] Rowell toward goal.

Magnificent!

[man] Alright, alright!

Alright, alright, alright! Come on.

[Brian] Zorko gonna just slow it down a little here.

[James Brayshaw] Shows how tight a game it is.

We just were half a step off,

which maybe in a home and away game, you'd get away with.

In a final, you don't get away with that.

[Alister] Dunkley won it, gave it to Rayner.

Misses.

[commentator 2] Don't often see him make errors like that.

[man] Cam Rayner, he just didn't turn up.

-[Alister] Through his fingers it goes. -[siren blaring]

[whistle blowing]

[tense music swells]

[Damien Hardwick] One thing that's never been an issue

at this football club is talent.

There's a reason you get the honour of wearing this jumper -

'cause you can play the game.

Forget the noise and the traffic around you.

You've gotta sit and understand

this is a game that is well and truly still winnable for us.

We should be really excited about the opportunity that presents itself.

And let's get it done. Let's go.

[players clapping and shouting enthusiastically]

[player] Ready to rock and roll!

[Alister] Alright, here we go.

The Brisbane Lions looking to bounce back.

[Brian] Cam Rayner, he's got to have a cracking game here tonight

for Brisbane's sake.

Rayner absolutely superb in the middle.

The first half, I was a bit off. I just couldn't really get involved.

[Brian] Andrew's gotta fly. Now he's in trouble.

Rayner, just straight-lined the footy.

Shook 'em off. Drilling ball.

One-on-one! Did it get over? No contact!

You bet! It's a goal!

The second half was when I started to play my footy.

[Kane] Brisbane's guns getting to work.

[Touk] Having never played finals,

I started to realise that the energy of last week was hard to replicate.

[Alister] Hands to it. No mark.

[Touk] And you're versing the reigning premiers.

[Alister] Bailey. You know the rest!

[Touk] They're good for a reason.

[grim music]

And they definitely showed us, like, why they're good.

[Alister] Off to Rayner, who thought about giving it back.

[Kane] Wow. And you can't tackle Cam Rayner.

He just refuses to be tackled.

[Alister] They're charging forward.

Ah Chee runs to 50. Has a look.

It is right across the face. And marked!

[crowd cheering]

Brisbane kicking away.

Big brother showed little brother very clearly

who stands where in the pecking order.

-[siren blaring] -[whistle blowing]

[Mark Howard] Brisbane are still

the kings of Queensland football.

They are into yet another preliminary final.

[sombre music]

[Alister] So not the night that Gold Coast had hoped for.

Awesome, mate. Well done. All the best for the rest of the year, hey, brother.

[Touk] I'd been chasing a goal for so long

that I almost don't know what to feel.

How can you have put so much effort into a season

and had so many good moments

to not make it right at the death?

It sucks. It sucks.

[sombre music continues]

[Damien] You sit there and go, "Fuck!" You've worked so hard.

You know, for what we tried to achieve

and what we wanted to get out of the season,

the reality is it ends today,

which is fucking tough.

Unfortunately, on one of our biggest days,

we didn't quite play to the level we know we can.

It's gonna... it's gonna fucking hurt.

It's gonna hurt for a period of time 'cause, fuck, you get so close.

Now you gotta go back to the start and do it all again.

We're not happy with good. We've got to get to great.

And so it's to be uncomfortable

'cause that's what's gonna spark our... our rise.

-[indistinct chatter] -[music swells]

[Touk] Almost. Almost.

-[kisses] Ah... -[woman] Oh-ah.

Mmm.

Oh, man, I wasn't ready to polish it, but it is what it is.

Just gotta move on.

So much work to get to this point. I'm like, "Oh, my God!"

To be over in a flash like that, mmm, mmm.

-[Damien] I'm tellin' ya... -[Ruth] Okay, good job.

...the Gold Coast Suns are capable of doing something special in season 2026.

[sombre music fades]

[cheering rises]

[Alister] The premiership defence rolls on for Brisbane.

[uplifting music]

We played really well. And from that, it generates confidence.

[players singing] ♪ Brisbane Lions, we'll kick the winning score... ♪

We need to bottle that up and bring it again next week against Collingwood.

[dramatic music builds]

Hey. Not over yet.

We go again.

We're playing in a preliminary final. Like, it's... it's game on.

[tense atmospheric music rises]

[music fades]

[uptempo percussive music]

[announcer 1] The QClash, the third version for this year.

-It was 1-1 leading into the weekend. -Yeah, amazing.

But the bigger brother, they flexed their muscle again and came out big winners.

Gold Coast, they started well, everything was going in for them,

but finals guarantees nothing.

One mistake could destroy any chance of winning the Grand Final.

[announcer 2] It's a good effort, four prelims in a row.

They're a resilient team, seven finals series in a row.

[Max Gawn] I'll be Demons, so you're Richmond.

No, I'm Demons too!

So it's Demons V Demons?

Brisbane are playing good.

The chemistry is phenomenal.

See ya later. Good to see ya.

[announcer 3] Brisbane, the pressure was fantastic.

They came and they meant business.

Brisbane are winning more of those one-on-one contests.

Their pressure's consistently high.

I do think that the best teams are able to do that.

I've been here before, actually.

-[man] It's nice. -Yeah, I've been here.

[Toby Greene] In awe of Brisbane

and what they've been able to do the last three years.

Game after game, year after year,

like, just watching the footy, sort of wishing it was you.

You're just jealous, I guess.

[uptempo music continues]

[music fades]

[announcer 4] We're now down to the final four

in the race for the 2025 AFL season premiership.

We are one game closer to going on and playing in a grand final.

Collingwood will be sitting there thinking,

"We're gonna have to be right on on Saturday night..."

Got a little bit banged up on the weekend. Hurt my foot a little bit.

Given my age, I was very concerned. Felt as though my body's failed me.

But being able to play the game out with some painkillers

was obviously a really good result.

As the oldest player to play 300 games

in what I would argue is one of the most taxing sports.

[man] You were hitting some bullets on the weekend.

[Dayne] Yeah, I was kicking well.

Let's get this body tuned.

Physically, my body is in horrible shape.

I can normally, like, press it too.

-[Jim Bostock] Yeah, check it out. -Like, it's right there.

[Jim] Is it moving in any way at the moment?

-Well, I'm pressing it and it hurts. -Okay. Come on down.

Tune-up time!

[Dayne] Earlier this year, I rolled my foot a bit

and we discovered an extra bone in my foot

that's got a bit of fluid sitting in it.

-Feels like just that left foot... -[Jim] Yeah.

...and that right heel, which seems to be getting worse.

-[Jim] Okay, we're gonna go face-down. -Right heel, not good.

[Jim] Okay.

[Dayne] Really, for eight weeks I haven't been able to run.

[Jim] Yeah.

Let's get this one.

[groans] Oh, man...

As you get older, everyone tells you, "Ah, that's age, that's gonna get you."

And I don't really use that as an excuse.

[Jim] Can you do some more heel-toes, heel-toes? Let's bring it out a bit more.

[Dayne] You just have to deal with it.

[Jim] There it is.

[Dayne] We're playing Collingwood.

There's a grand final on the line. Nothing's gonna stop me from playing.

[Jim] Alright, pool time, recovery.

-[Dayne] Yep. -And then go and smash 'em.

[Dayne] Yep.

For Dayne Zorko, one of the greatest players coming into the 2025 season,

he still doesn't have a contract.

[Sam McClure] Usually when you're 36, you don't get offered another contract.

It's not beyond the realms of possibility that the Lions get to the end of the year

and say, "You've had a great career for us. We're gonna move on."

[tense ambient music]

[Dayne] It's always the first question at a press conference -

"You're 36. When are you retiring? When are you gonna hang 'em up?"

I am aware that I am at the back end of my career and I can't play forever.

But I don't feel like I'm 36 years old.

[music fades]

[kettle whistling]

[Cam] The game against Gold Coast,

for us to be able to try and get that

hunter's mindset back was important for the team.

Ani, come on. [kisses]

For me personally, I'd be lying if I said it hasn't been difficult.

There's been ups and downs I've been struggling with,

not starting games well.

First half, I just couldn't get involved.

Felt like I was fading in and out of the game.

That's a storyline of my career.

There's times you play two or three really good games

and feel you're back to your best,

but then drop your performance the following week.

It's been tough trying to figure a way through that.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't still

thinking about the game over the last couple of days.

Like, those emotions, it can be taxing and can take a bit of a zap out of you.

Get up. Up. [chuckles]

Being able to come out here and just be with them

and get your mind off footy and just everything, really,

you can spend 4 or 5 hours with them without realising you've done anything.

[driving rock music]

[man shouts and claps]

[Sam] We all judge the best players in the game in big moments.

Cam Rayner hasn't shown his best in the big moments

and so the criticisms of inconsistency become louder.

How you going, guys? I'll grab it after.

[Dayne] He's under a bit of pressure, Cam.

When you have performances that somewhat

don't resemble the way you know you can play,

you do have your doubts.

Damo, did you have the sheet?

[Dayne] But I think as athletes, you have to have that doubt.

It drives you. It keeps that fire burning inside.

And I found this out very early in my career.

[funky uptempo music]

I was a little bit of a late bloomer.

Most of the players that get drafted, they're 18-, 19-year-olds.

Recruiters just went for 6'5", built well...

I was a little bit small.

That was definitely one of the reasons why they didn't draft me.

I thought I was better than some of the players going around

and I just needed an opportunity to prove that.

And then for the next four years, just overlooked

and essentially dominating the Queensland league.

That sucked. That hurt.

"I could really be at the top level.

"Like, what the hell? Come on. Are you blind?"

I got drafted when I was 22.

Brisbane Lions took a chance on me.

But being overlooked for four years, I was pissed off.

There's no doubt about it.

I made my debut against Collingwood in Round Seven.

Came on as a sub at halftime.

Early in my career, I was really dirty.

[commentator 1] Dayne Zorko's come onto the ground.

He's nearly their best midfielder in about five minutes of football.

I wanted to prove all these other teams wrong.

[umpire] Let it go. Let it go.

[crowd cheering, shouting]

[commentator 2] Look out, May and Zorko in back play.

I was like, "They don't fuckin' rate me. These coaches don't rate me."

[Hamish McLachlan] Zorko. Another goal to Zorko!

[uptempo music continues]

[umpire] Get up!

[commentator 3] He was barrelled with a heavy bump by Zorko.

[music fades]

[Dayne] Even now, I'm 14 years in and I'm always looking

to push the boundary and that line as close to the edge before it tips over.

So it's always a balancing act, trying to get it right.

[dramatic music builds]

[fans chanting and hollering]

[commentator 1] The stage is set for a preliminary final showdown

between Collingwood and the Brisbane Lions.

[Hamish] Two teams playing for a spot in the big dance.

[commentator 2] The winner of this one to play the Cats

in the Grand Final here next Saturday.

[man] Going back to back is huge in AFL footy, if you can do it,

but thinking about that isn't gonna get the job done.

They'd beaten us in the Grand Final.

[Brian Taylor] Collingwood win the Grand Final!

[Chris Fagan] They're a very good team.

[fans chanting] Collingwood!

There is no greater challenge, I think, in our game than to play at the MCG

in a final against Collingwood.

[fans chanting] Collingwood!

The crowd, the hostility...

[crowd cheering wildly]

[commentator 3] Preliminary finals are separated by stars. No doubt about that.

[commentator 4] For me, it might be Cam Rayner.

[Jordan Lewis] If he's playing his best footy,

Cam Rayner can change the momentum of a game.

The challenge for Cam is to compartmentalise

and put distractions to the side.

-[crowd cheering] -[Brian] So it comes down to this.

The two most recent premiers get it underway.

The game is on.

[commentator] Here's a chance for the Lions, on the charge.

Cameron with speed. Terrific handball to Rayner.

Can someone tackle him? It took two.

Go get 'em.

-[Luke Hodge] Another turnover. -[Nicole] Oh!

[Hamish] Cam Rayner fumbles his lines.

[crowd roaring]

[Kane] Just looking at Cam Rayner. We know that he plays in bursts.

They have to get him involved and feeling good about himself. Has not had a kick.

[Hamish] Nick. About 30 out.

Mason Cox will fire... Runs into him, Zorko.

[Kane] Yeah, that's a free kick.

[Hamish] Mason Cox dropped the mark.

Drop-kick. It's a goal!

The Pies get that in.

Zorko and Cox go toe to toe!

[Brian] Prelim finals, they're fierce.

Mason has the uncanny ability to do that after every time he kicks a goal

and I knew he was gonna come at me.

What are you gonna do?

Are you gonna stand there and get bowled over or are you gonna fight?

[Brian] And Zorko tried to take the glasses off!

Look at that! It took a bit of skin as well.

He's had a go at them.

And there's just a touch of blood here early,

and Dayne Zorko in the middle of it all.

[Cam] I think Zorks can be one of the biggest villains in the AFL.

You know, hopefully it can shift the momentum a little bit and change it up.

Yeah, I'd love to hear what Zork said. [laughs]

[Brian] And another easy mark dropped.

Rayner to Zorko.

There's still errors mounting.

Got pushed as I kicked and stuffed the kick up.

Late getting rid of it. Mihocek, handball over the top!

Jamie Elliott to run into an open goal!

[Dayne] They got a goal the very next play.

[Nick Riewoldt] A really scratchy start.

[Hamish] Little opportunity here.

Drop-kick. It's a goal!

[Brian] Collingwood starting to awaken the crowd here.

[commentator] Lachie Schultz for three in a row for the Magpies.

Second quarter, they've kicked three goals straightaway

and I've just gone, "Oh, my God. What the fuck? This is not good."

[Kane] It is now all on Collingwood's terms.

Cam Rayner, just the one handball, now on the bench.

When he comes back, got to get him into the game.

[Brian] They may be out anyway if they don't get a move along here.

[tense music]

[Hamish] So, a half left in this prelim final.

Three teams left, one cup.

[Dayne] The first half, I felt like essentially I'd let my team down.

Yeah, third quarter, I was just like,

"Fuck, well, you're not gonna have another bad period like that."

[Hamish] Eases his way through. Schultz heard the call.

Gave it off left. Intercepted. Gave it to Zorko.

There's a few of them.

-[Luke] Rayner's turn. Rayner's in there. -[Hamish] Spilt to Rayner.

Rayner pulls the trigger.

And just like that,

first kick, a goal!

I had a couple of touches that just sort of built me back up again.

[Hamish] There is one straight kick separating them.

Make it maybe more than that!

That's the best thing you've ever seen!

Got those goals back for our team that I sort of gave them

and we just sort of held that margin for the rest of the game.

[Hamish] Lipinski, lost it. Zorko, from about 48.

He's a good player.

[crowd cheering]

One of the more prouder performances for the year.

-[siren blaring] -[Brian] There it is!

Brisbane into another grand final!

[Mark Howard] They were down,

they were out, but they've risen again!

The back-to-back dream is still alive!

[crowd cheering wildly]

Geelong await.

[commentator] Two powerhouses of the competition are gonna go head to head.

It's gonna be some sort of clash.

[momentous music]

[Kane] The veteran, Dayne Zorko, leading this magnificent Brisbane team.

They know what this week is all about.

-Mum, I'll be back. I gotta go. -Do you want the photo?

I gotta do the Fox thing. I gotta do the Fox thing.

[woman] Brisbane!

Heading into the Grand Final, Geelong are the favourites,

not just because they've been one of the best teams this season,

'cause of what had happened only weeks earlier.

[James] Smith! Have a listen to this!

-[crowd roaring] -Oh, yeah!

They absolutely smashed us in the qualifying final.

[James] The Geelong Football Club

march into their 14th prelim.

[Dayne] But you learn a lot more

from your defeats than you do from your wins.

We as a team don't want to stop at playing in two grand finals.

We want to win more.

[momentous music rises]

Can we do that? That's the challenge.

[music fades]

[Brian on TV] Bailey. Gee, Bailey's been prominent already.

This goes to a genuine one-on-one. Rayner was there.

[Nick] This was where Rayner had to go to him.

He ignored the team plan there.

That is a bad mistake from Cam Rayner...

[Cam] I find it hard to watch games after I've played.

[Hamish] Couldn't handle the football there.

Terrific handball to Rayner. Can someone tackle him? It took two.

[Luke] Another turnover. Hopefully they can...

First half, I was a bit off, not that I was getting tagged.

It was more I wasn't putting myself in good positions to get the ball.

[commentator on TV] Cam Rayner fumbles his lines.

[Cam] The output I felt I could give to the team, I wasn't giving it,

so it was obviously really hard for me.

When I was younger, if I had a bad first half,

I'd go in at halftime and go, "My game's cooked now. I haven't done anything."

I used to get really low on myself and it took me a bit of time

to understand that the highs and lows of AFL can be through the roof

and the main thing is to keep it as even-headed as you can.

That mindset, that wasn't something that came natural for me at all.

There's times where I've gotta learn these lessons,

but you can't keep learning them over again.

[solemn music]

[boy] Is it 7:37, Dad?

I think it's 7:42 when I just checked just then.

[Dayne chuckles] Oh...

Just watch that pothole, alright?

I'm so grateful we're able to play in another grand final.

Gives me goosebumps talking about it, thinking about it.

[woman] Will they have food at the pregame? No?

[Dayne] We've obviously tasted the ultimate success last year.

I don't want another team to feel that.

I want that to myself and my teammates, to feel that.

My tendencies, especially out on the field, can become quite selfish.

[Dayne] Show me! Show me what you can do.

-[child chattering] -[woman] Go!

Whoa-ho!

Good job!

Having children, it was really like a... just a light-bulb moment.

-Go, Giselle. I'll throw it to you. -Ready?

Oh!

Once I understood, "You're not the most important person anymore,"

that was something that I could then bring into my game...

You going backwards?

You're gonna go backwards! Ready, setty, go!

...as a leader and to be a better person as well.

Oh, look at Louis. He's catching us.

They're coming!

[woman] He loves the club and the team.

It really is like a brotherhood and a family for him.

They come home from an eight- or nine-hour day together

and they're messaging each other nonstop at home.

I'm like, "What could you have to talk about? You've seen each other all day!"

We didn't go into the season thinking that this would be his last.

He has said, like, you know, "If they'll have me, I'm gonna keep going."

[Dayne] Oh!

[mutters playfully]

[Dayne] Everyone's replaceable.

Your time will come where you're no longer required at the club

or forced into retirement

and that's something that, you know, that's actually hard to deal with.

I want to earn my spot.

I want to make sure that I can keep influencing my teammates

and helping them as much as I can.

For now, yeah, it's nice, but I know it's not gonna be forever.

[horn honks]

[radio host 1] Numbers at Champion Data

show the Cats are far and away the best side.

[radio host 2] He'll get O'Connor come to him again and he'll get tagged,

so I think that Rayner match-up's critical.

[Cam] Going into the Grand Final against Geelong,

I'm concerned about thinking about a way to try and break that tag.

If anything, that's still front of my mind.

[Alister] Cam Rayner, who's had a quiet night...

[Cam] That first game, I probably tried to do it a bit by myself.

[radio host] Cam Rayner, we can't have you disappearing for quarters, halves.

-[Tony Jones] Was it staging? -Absolutely. This was disgraceful.

-Rayner, mate, you're a flog! -[bleep] you, Cam Rayner!

[dramatic music]

[radio host 2] Rayner has had historically quiet first halves.

[dramatic music builds]

The media, with the inconsistency stuff, that kinda got under my skin a bit.

[radio host 2] The amount of times I've done games,

you look at the stat sheet and go, "Gee, Cam Rayner needs to get busy."

Start believing what people are saying from the outside,

then you doubt yourself.

It's funny - every kid dreams of being an AFL footballer,

but when you start living it,

you're like, "This is harder than what I thought it was gonna be."

[trainer] One, two, up. Up, cross, hook. Up, across.

[Cam] Going in the draft as the number-one draft pick,

that pressure was on me instantly.

[commentator] Almost held by the number-one draft pick, Cam Rayner.

Couldn't quite hold it.

[Cam] People would ask, "You feeling pressure?"

I'd be like, "Nah, it's all good," but internally I was feeling pressure.

I felt like every time they speak about you,

it's, "The number-one draft pick..." this, this, this.

[reporter] Disappointment for

the number-one draft pick, Cam Rayner.

[Cam] I remember I'd had a couple of bad games in a row.

[commentator 1] Rayner. Important kick.

And he's missed it.

[commentator 2] Lack of composure for the youngster.

[commentator 3] Rayner wasting no time.

He wants to be the match-winner. He's missed!

[commentator 2] Doesn't get the job done.

You can't have that at AFL level.

[Cam] My cousin Rhys come up to me and I remember I started crying to him.

I was like, "Jesus, this is the game that I've grown up loving

"and it's taking a real toll on me."

[commentator 3] After missing that shot, being consoled by the coach.

[Cam] Taking in the pressure and embracing that.

Everyone thinks they know what it is

and as an 18-year-old I thought I knew what it was,

but it can be difficult and hard.

[exhaling heavily]

[Talia] Collingwood, right, like, the game,

you really had to turn it around for a second there.

-That wasn't... that wasn't easy. -[laughs]

That wasn't an easy time, was it?

Oh, deary me.

[TV host] This is the most

childish thing that I have seen

probably in my time in football.

I just thought it was ridiculous.

[Eddie McGuire] He went for his eyes.

He went for his eyes.

[TV host 2] Should be a big fine.

When I say big, I mean a really big fine.

I knew something had happened because you called me from the change room.

[Dayne] The more media outlets, the more social channels,

you know, you get shit plastered by fans

or then media outlets plaster shit everywhere on you.

I was like, "Shut it down. You are gonna get fucking annihilated."

Instagrams, everything, "Everyone, shut down."

I was like, "Why? What do you mean? Is it that bad?"

You had, like, over 600 messages.

I read the first few and was like,

"That's probably not good for me. We're out."

You were in distress when you got home as well.

If everything was just put on me, great. Like, no worries.

-People think that we're all fair game... -[Dayne] Yeah, that's right.

"You're associated with him, you're a bad person as well."

-[Talia] Yeah, and it's our family. -Yeah.

[Dayne] I know they get hyped up and that's what we love about our fans,

but things that flow your way are just...

Yeah, it's borderline really inappropriate and pretty toxic.

And at the end of the day, we all have families

and we're just trying to live just as much as you guys are.

And I get booed by a lot of people, but... what do you do?

-You don't take it to heart, do you? -That's it. Not anymore. No.

They boo you 'cause they like ya. That's how I see it.

-Is that how you changed your mind? -Well, Cam gets booed now.

I tell him, "Nah, they love ya, mate. They want you. They're on your team."

After the Geelong game, the qualifying final,

Cam copped a lot of stick from the press, a lot of stick from the Geelong fans.

[tense ambient music]

And in Cam's case, the weight of expectation

to be, you know, club-changing,

you know, it's a lot, so I just sent him a nice little message

to sort of just remind him how much he means to us.

-[Cam] Oh, no. -How you going, mate?

-Good, mate. Good to see ya. -Good to see ya.

Cam is so important to the Lions.

[rock music]

-Have you been here before? -I think I have.

I reckon I came here early days.

Ready to go. Thank you.

[rock music continues]

So, seriously, how did you, uh... how'd you pull up?

Nah, it was alright. Wasn't too bad.

You know, it's more the shit of, like,

you just want to get out there next week and fix it up.

[Dayne] People only see what he does on the field,

but I get the opportunity of spending a lot of time with him

and he is just the most incredible human being.

-[Cam] It can be tough. -We know what you're like all the time.

So whatever trolls want to say about ya, don't let it worry ya.

-Thank you very much. I appreciate that. -No, you're right.

[Dayne] I couldn't give two shits

as to what the media's saying, what the fans are saying.

You know, maybe we don't fill them with the expectation of,

"You're gonna lift the club up."

[Cam] It's good to have people like you around

'cause you've been through shit like that.

-Yeah, a couple... couple of times. -It's just a bit full-on.

Like, honestly, the support network of the club, your friends,

and making sure, like,

you only listen to what... you only listen to what they...

-The people that matter actually say. -Yeah.

-That's all that matters. -Yeah. Correct.

[Dayne] Just need him to understand, get back to the basics

where you don't need to be a superstar, you just need to get your role done,

help the team in whatever way at any given time.

As long as we don't get caught up in that,

as a team point of view and as, um, individuals,

like, it'll just bring us down.

-Keep it in-house. -Keep our bubble.

We live in this bubble until our season ends.

Hopefully that season ends with another

dingle-dangle around our necks - the Premiership Cup.

And if we do this and keep this bubble tight, I'm telling ya now, we'll win it.

That's literally all I'm focused on, is getting out there.

-I'll keep checking in with ya. -Thanks, brother. Appreciate it.

[Cam] It was something personally I had to work through

and learn how to deal with myself.

I always bring it back to, you know, I'm doing something I grew up dreaming of

and there's millions of people that would die to be in the position I'm in,

so just that switch in mindset, to be able to turn it to,

"Alright, this is my chance to turn it around."

-[man] Thank you. -[waiter] No worries.

[man] Grand Final.

Are you feeling more nervous about it?

Uh... [sucks teeth]

I more just want to get to the game.

I want to get through my warm-up before the game.

Once I get through that, I'll just...

I'll probably cramp 'cause I'm that wound up about it.

Like, I... [stammering]

I'm struggling to eat this week. That's how worked up I am.

And once it gets done, well, fuckin'... weight off our shoulders.

-Let's just fuckin' go for it. Go hammer. -Yeah.

Yeah, I dunno.

Playing Geelong... you just know they'll be ready for us.

[chuckles] Like, you just know they'll be ready for us.

Still need a lot to go right.

[Dayne] So we need to win.

-[dramatic music] -[fan shouts] Let's go!

[cheering]

[fans chanting] Geelong! Geelong!

[reporter 1] The siren hasn't even sounded yet,

but celebrations are already in full swing

at the annual Grand Final Parade.

[fans cheering]

[reporter 2] Brisbane's pride will go on the line tomorrow

as the Lions chase back-to-back AFL premierships.

[laughing] Taken from the back!

I'm enjoying these moments a lot more.

-Go, Zork! -[fans cheering]

And for the kids to be out there just soaking it all up,

just, yeah, somewhat almost emotional, yeah.

[fans chattering excitedly]

[cheering]

[fireworks popping and fizzing]

[music fades]

[reporter] The AFL Grand Final now just hours from the first bounce.

The Cats and Lions are ready for their big moment.

[tense ambient music]

[Abbey] For more than 100 years, what happens on Grand Final Day

just stops the country.

[Hamish] And it was very much history in the making today!

[Abbey] You feel it everywhere. It's our Super Bowl.

[commentator 1] They've done it! They've done it!

[Abbey] It's our Champions League.

[commentator 2] Michael Long, look at him go!

[Abbey] This is where legends are born.

[commentator 3] Oh, Jesaulenko! You beauty!

[Bruce McAvaney] Cometh the moment, cometh the champion!

[Abbey] For clubs, it's about legacy.

[commentator 4] He's the proudest man in the land tonight!

[Abbey] But for the players, like,

that's about fulfilling a lifelong dream...

It's beautiful, just perfect.

...and sometimes in a single moment.

[Hamish] The man for all occasions! He's done it again!

That's what I'm talkin' about!

[Abbey] So that's super challenging,

to be able to carry that through your performance on the big stage.

[dramatic music builds]

[fan] Bring the energy!

-[fans cheering] -[fan 2] Let's go!

[tense music]

Go, the Cats!

[TV host] Going into the game, Geelong have to be favourite.

I think the Cats are 10%, 15% better.

That's system and game plan and consistency.

[James] If you go back over the last 18 years,

14 of those, they have finished in the top four.

[Abbey] The finals series came full circle.

The Brisbane Lions and Geelong in that first qualifying final,

the Lions were embarrassed.

[tense music continues]

[fan] Go, the Cattos!

[Abbey] This is Goliath.

[muffled indistinct chatter]

[Chris Fagan] Their last memory of us

is what we dished up in the qualifying final.

The improvement from when we last played them

has gotta come from our hunger to win the footy.

We've been good at that the last couple of weeks, but we weren't last time.

-Three in a row. Let's get the job done. -[players clapping]

[James] Cam Rayner, a proven big-game player.

And they're gonna need all of them to fire today.

[music fades]

[automated voice] Five, four,

three, two, one, zero.

[exciting music]

[Brian] The Brisbane Lions looking for back-to-back premierships here.

[Sam McClure] Good teams play finals consistently.

Great teams might win a flag.

Immortal teams win back to back.

[exciting music continues]

-[siren blaring] -[James] It has all come down to this.

The best of the best.

[intense music swells]

And we are underway. Perfect bounce.

[hushed cheering]

[commentator 1] Zorko trying to hack it out of the area. A little nervous early.

[inhales sharply] Where's Cam?

[Jordan Lewis] He's a magnet that the opposition hone in on,

so they would have a plan specifically for Cam Rayner.

[tense music builds]

[James] Bailey inside 50!

Rayner!

-Couldn't hang on. -[crowd groaning]

[man exclaims]

Oh...

[Hamish] So Cats with a bit of momentum.

[James] Could straighten up...

and go bang!

[crowd cheering]

[Kane] How shaky have Brisbane started?

They're under the pump.

Frustrating start for Cam Rayner.

Two frees against. Hasn't touched the footy yet.

It's just the frustration of this match-up. It's history repeating.

[Chris] Keep going for it, Cam. It'll come.

[commentator] He's on!

[Brian] Cameron has a shot!

It's raining big moments!

-[siren blaring] -And in!

[Brian] In a grand final, haven't had

scores level at halftime since 1909.

[Abbey] We've been keeping a very close eye on the O'Connor-Rayner battle.

The tag is working because Cam Rayner

is the only player on the ground yet to touch the footy.

[Kane] He's gotta do something.

He cannot have those mental demons. He's gotta get involved.

[Brian] Low-scoring first half.

You'd have no idea who's gonna win this game.

[Kane] The one they need is Rayner.

[Brian] It's underway here in the second half.

[tense music builds]

[James] Smith.

And there we go! Rayner, brilliant.

Rips the headband off Bailey Smith.

That's it!

[James] Blicavs gets clobbered in a tackle by Rayner.

[Brian] Rayner looks like he's in a mood.

[James] Advantage paid!

[crowd cheering]

That equals their biggest lead of the match.

[rock music]

They are starting to feel it, Brisbane, and so are their fans.

[commentator 1] So Zorko finds Will Ashcroft.

And now Rayner.

[James] Rayner kicks the goal!

They are celebrating in Brisbane!

[crowd cheering]

[Hamish] Had the handball, gave it straight to Rayner!

To Ashcroft!

That is unreal!

[James] This second half could not be any better.

Ooft, Ashcroft's goal-side.

Go inside again to McCluggage!

[Brian] McCluggage rams it home!

[James] They are hunting it down.

[rock music continues, then fades]

[Brian] Extraordinary second half has been put on here by the Brisbane Lions.

[whistle blowing]

A remarkable effort

and will be rewarded at the end of the day.

-[siren blaring] -[crowd cheering wildly]

[Brian] Chris Fagan and his team

have once again

conquered footy's Everest.

The Brisbane Lions

win back-to-back AFL premierships!

[Kane] I just loved the last quarter of Cam Rayner.

He did it with his defensive action.

[dramatic music]

What about the leadership

from the oldest man on the ground, Dayne Zorko?

[James] What a performance this has been from the Brisbane Lions.

This whole back half and the role...

Oh, here we go! [laughs]

[Dayne] Boys, well done.

-Cam. Well done, Cam. -[Cam] Oh, mate, unbelievable.

I reckon that one was better than the last.

-That's for you, Brucey! -[laughter]

[Bruce] There you go. Nothing better. Thank you, Dayne.

[Kane] Hodgey got a kiss.

[Dayne] It was unbelievable, like, honestly.

[momentous music swells]

I'm happy to keep proving everyone wrong. I love it.

[Kane] No-one really gave them a chance.

It is amazing.

I'll make sure I'll do everything I can to be a big part

of, hopefully, the success going forward as well.

The fans love you. Give it up for Cam Rayner!

This team, these supporters, I love you so much, guys. Youse are the best.

[crowd cheering]

[Dayne] I've won two premierships.

You're starting to put yourself in sort of rare air when it comes to AFL.

[Hamish] Dayne Zorko!

[crowd cheering]

[Cam] I think I enjoy football a lot more now than I did when I was younger.

[Hamish] Cam Rayner!

[Cam] The hard work and the sacrifices you make,

that's what makes all the rest of it so sweet.

-I want to be just like you, man. -Oh, thanks. I want to be like you.

[Luke Hodge] The winner of the Norm Smith Medal for a second time

is Will Ashcroft.

[crowd cheering]

[momentous music continues]

[Kane] Chris Fagan could not have coached any better today.

-[woman] Just bloody beautiful. -[Chris] How good was that?

[cheering]

Yeah!

[triumphant music]

[Cam] My sister came out to the ground.

You've done it again, mate!

Love you.

[Cam] Being able to share that moment with her

and then jumping in the crowd

and you've got your best friends and family...

All the way through the finals series, there was a tag of being the villain.

I was like, "I don't care what anyone else thinks about me.

"The people I care about, that's all that matters to me."

[cheering]

Let's go, mate.

It's hard for me to say if I've lived up to the hype.

I dunno. It's for other people to decide, not for me.

[all cheering]

[all singing] ♪ We are the pride of Brisbane town... ♪

[Dayne] Back-to-back premierships,

you start putting your team up in lights

as one of the greatest sides in AFL history.

♪ All for one and one for all ♪

♪ We will answer to the call... ♪

I'm just so proud. I'm so proud.

[all cheering and whooping]

[triumphant music rises]

[reporter] Dayne Zorko, the 36-year-old, isn't done yet,

after signing a one-year contract extension

that will hand him a shot at an even higher honour.

[Dayne] I don't know if it's a dynasty until you win three,

but I certainly want more of these moments

and I'm gonna be doing everything I possibly can to get them.

You just always wonder if you can still do it. I dunno.

'Cause, like, I'm 36. There's no way a 36-year-old should be doing this, right?

Yeah, should never write off a champion.

[music crescendos]

[momentous music]