Arabic version: «وارفي تايم» تشعل انتفاضة بريزبن في النهائي الكبير

According to The Guardian, Brisbane Lions midfielder Josh Dunkley said Fremantle’s Wharfie Time activation helped inspire the Lions’ late AFL grand final comeback. Fremantle led by 17 points with barely four minutes remaining at the MCG when the bells rang out, before Brisbane scored four late goals to secure an improbable victory.

Dunkley said Brisbane had prepared for the possibility of the Dockers’ big-screen activation. “We talked about Wharfie Time and making that our energy,” he said. He added that players connected at the centre bounce when it appeared and “grew a leg” before completing the match-winning finish.

Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir dismissed the suggestion that Wharfie Time decided the contest. He said the Dockers did not have an answer when one of the better teams “with their backs against the wall” found something late. Dockers midfielder Caleb Serong called the ending “horrific” but said the experience would “galvanise” the team.

Fremantle’s Shai Bolton received the Norm Smith medal despite being on the losing side, the first player to do so since West Coast’s Chris Judd in 2005. Lions coach Chris Fagan told Fremantle they probably deserved to win, while praising Brisbane’s ability to fight to the end. Fagan said Wharfie Time had been discussed at a team meeting on Friday after a suggestion from backline coach Dale Morris.

Fagan described the result as the most amazing comeback he had seen and said Brisbane had now won three premierships in a row. The 65-year-old coach said he would speak with club officials about his future and was considering retirement, though he would like to remain involved in football at a less intense level if he stops senior coaching.