If the Brisbane Lions win a third straight AFL premiership on Saturday, they will be thanking a former number one ticketholder for the Fremantle Dockers.
Luc Longley, a three-time NBA champion with the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls, knows what it takes to reach the top and stay there.
Longley, a Fremantle native, was also the Dockers’ number one ticketholder in 2006 and 2007.
But a meeting the Olympian had with the Lions in July may be the catalyst for Fremantle’s downfall this Saturday.
The Lions are in their fourth consecutive AFL decider, and are trying to complete three premiership triumphs in a row and join the list of all-time great dynasties.
Despite finishing third on the ladder and making it to the final day in September, the Lions’ 2026 season has not been smooth sailing.
Brisbane lost their opening two matches of the season, conceded a record 86 points in the third quarter of their loss to GWS, were hammered by 76 points against Carlton, and lost the qualifying final by 53 points to an understrength Sydney.
But they have overcome all obstacles to be in another grand final, with several players telling ABC Sport of a meeting with Longley in July which has spurred them on.
Former NBA champion Luc Longley is from Fremantle, and was once the Dockers’ number one ticketholder. (Getty Images: James Worsfold)
“The ability he had to share some of that wisdom and talk to us about what he went through, it was awesome,” Lions star Cam Rayner said.
“Just being able to compare and bounce ideas off him and learn things from him about the ability to keep turning up and find that motivation again has held us in good stead.”
The Lions had six wins and six losses through 12 games, but were on a five-match winning streak before meeting Longley ahead of their round 18 clash against West Coast in July.
Rayner said Longley’s discussions with the team about keeping the desire to win, despite already experiencing success, resonated with the team as they strived for a third consecutive flag.
“The hunger to want to win and to continue to have that success. At the start of the year there were times that wasn’t really there in our performances,” he said.
“We were dropping in and out of games and struggling to really perform to the level that we could.
“You can’t really question the hunger after the game last week. It’s back to a level that it needs to be and it’s exciting to bring it to this week.
“That’s one of the messages Luc Longley brought to us, he said, ‘If the game’s not going to get you up, you’re probably playing it for the wrong reasons’. I feel like that really resonated with a lot of the boys.”
Longley was an important part of the Bulls’ 1996-1998 championship run, without being the star player.
Michael Jordan was the star of the NBA, while Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman and Steve Kerr also enjoyed big-name status.
For experienced Lions’ midfielder Jarrod Berry, speaking to a champion who was known for his team-first work ethic was exactly what he believed Brisbane’s dynasty has been built on.
“He [Longley] was never the big dog, the star, the whatever. He got more satisfaction out of seeing his teammates succeed,” Berry told ABC Sport.
“Our squad is so talented and we’ve got so many stars and whatever, but it’s not necessarily those guys that are making the club so special.
“It’s the other guys that are doing all the tough work and hard work and selfless stuff.
“It was really nice to highlight that. It’s all about being generous to your teammates and doing it for them.”
The Lions are attempting to become the sixth team to win three consecutive V/AFL premierships, and the first since Hawthorn, who did it from 2013-15.
The Lions won three premierships on the bounce in 2001, 2002 and 2003, then lost the 2004 grand final.
The only club to have won three consecutive flags twice is Melbourne, which did it from 1939–1941 and 1955–1957.
ABC Sport will have a live blog of the AFL grand final between Fremantle and Brisbane from the MCG on Saturday.
