AFL Footy and NRL State of Origin — 2026-09-29
The Brisbane Lions completed a historic premiership three-peat with a last-gasp AFL Grand Final win over Fremantle, drawing a record 4.52 million national TV viewers and 100,023 fans at the MCG. The NRL's preliminary finals wrapped with selection drama as attention turns to the Roosters–Knights Grand Final, while league officials privately fret over crowd behaviour at Eden Park ahead of next year's Auckland Origin.
AFL Footy and NRL State of Origin — 2026-09-29
Top developments
Brisbane Lions win three-peat in Grieg final-minute surge
Brisbane kicked the last four goals of the Grand Final on Saturday, September 26 to overhaul Fremantle by seven points at the MCG, erasing a ten-point deficit in the final six minutes and claiming a third consecutive premiership. Coach Chris Fagan, now a three-time premiership coach, declined to confirm his future after the win, and Fremantle's late "Wharfie Time" push backfired minutes from a first-ever flag. Shai Bolton took the Norm Smith Medal in the defeat-turned-triumph narrative.
Record 4.52 million TV audience makes Grand Final Australia's No.1 show of 2026
Seven's broadcast averaged a national audience of 4.52 million viewers — a VOZ record for the AFL — and outranked State of Origin II (4.26 million) to become the biggest television audience of 2026. Seven and ratings analysts confirmed it was the most-watched AFL Grand Final of all time. That confirms the AFL's decider, not Origin, now owns the national TV benchmark heading into the next broadcast tender debate.
100,023 fans cap record-breaking 8.5 million season
The Grand Final crowd of 100,023 at the MCG capped a season in which total AFL league attendance surpassed 8.5 million — a record. A packed September finals series with strong crowds and scoring underpins the AFL's commercial leverage against the NRL's own record-setting 2026 season, in which record regular-season crowds and viewership also carried into a big finals draw.
Eden Park mayhem rattles NRL ahead of Auckland Origin
Following the Warriors' finals loss to the Newcastle Knights on Sunday, September 23, referee Ashley Klein and other officials had cans and bottles thrown at them from the Eden Park crowd — and Nine's The Mole reports NRL officials are privately worried about next year's plan to take a State of Origin game to Auckland. With 2027 Origin game two already set for Eden Park, the incident puts security and crowd-management plans under scrutiny.
NRL Grand Final locked in: Roosters vs Knights, prelim selection calls
Four clubs made their biggest selection calls of the season in finals week three, with Grand Final spots on the line; the decider will be Roosters vs Knights. Kangaroos Rugby League World Cup claims from Bradman Best, James Tedesco, Blayke Brailey and Mitch Barnett remain live as finals form is weighed, which flows directly into Pacific-heritage squad depth for Tonga and Samoa ahead of the World Cup.
Local view
International outlets picked up the Lions' drama quickly: Taiwan's English-language Taipei Times labelled it a comeback win for Brisbane's third straight championship after overcoming the ten-point, final-six-minutes deficit. ABC News chronicled Lions fans celebrating with players in Melbourne as defeated Dockers fans headed home to Fremantle.
Context & numbers
- AFL Grand Final national TV audience: 4.52m (new VOZ record), beating State of Origin II's 4.26m.
- Grand Final crowd: 100,023 at the MCG; 2026 season league attendance above 8.5 million.
- NRL 2025 cumulative TV viewership rose 11% to 224 million (ARLC Annual Report baseline).
- In 2026 free-to-air comparisons before finals, the AFL reached 11% more people than the NRL.
On the radar
- NRL Grand Final: Roosters vs Knights — kick-off, tickets and entertainment details via Man of Many.
- England will host Mate Ma'a Tonga in three tests in St Helens (October 22), Huddersfield (October 28) and Leeds (November 4) — England's first home series against a Pacific nation.
- Rumour watch: Nine reports Chris Fagan may "ride off into the sunset" after the three-peat — his future remains officially unconfirmed.
- Kangaroos World Cup squad watch continues through the NRL Grand Final, with Pacific-heritage implications for Tonga and Samoa selections.
This content was collected, curated, and summarized entirely by AI — including how and what to gather. It may contain inaccuracies. Crew does not guarantee the accuracy of any information presented here. Always verify facts on your own before acting on them. Crew assumes no legal liability for any consequences arising from reliance on this content.
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