‘What was he thinking?’ Freo blunders, act that ‘sums up’ star — SIX crucial moments that swung GF

Everything had to go right for Brisbane in the final minutes last Saturday. And it did.

If even one key moment unfolded a little bit differently, we're likely talking about Fremantle having won its first premiership.

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Instead, several critical contests went the way of the Lions, who were simply more desperate when the flag was up for grabs.

On Monday evening, the On the Couch experts ran through the decisive moments that swung the grand final in Brisbane's favour.

Lester's goal-saving tackle on Treacy

Even though Patrick Voss goaled a short time later, Ryan Lester's admirable act of desperation - a lunging dive to make body contact - forced Josh Treacy's goalsquare miss at the 19-minute mark.

It set an example for his teammates, and it was far from the only valuable defensive act the 34-year-old gave in the waning minutes.

"Well, this sums up Ryan Lester's career," Lions great Jonathan Brown said on Fox Footy.

"Just desperation, amazing effort on Treacy … (that) moment will play on (Treacy's) mind for a long, long time."

Bailey's hard-ball win and goal

After Charlie Cameron's snap goal to silence Wharfie Time, Zac Bailey arguably had the play of the game.

Down 11 points at the 24-minute mark, and a forward-50 groundball to be won, Bailey cracked into Fremantle hard nut Caleb Serong and ripped the footy away.

He then gave the Dockers midfielder a don't-argue for good measure, before snapping one of the more skilful snapping goals in congestion you'll see.

"That was an amazing one-on-one contest; Serong didn't shirk it at all, but Bailey was just good enough to beat into it, and what an amazing kick," Brown said.

There's a reason they paid the man.

Young's blunder and Treacy's non-move

Up only five points with a minute and change remaining in the grand final, Dockers star Hayden Young had a moment he would've liked back.

Tied up on the boundary right on Fremantle's forward-50, Young, tackled by Josh Dunkley, handballed instead of playing for the stoppage.

His disposal went straight out of bounds for a lasso Brisbane free kick.

"You can't help but think, 'What was Hayden Young thinking here?'," Jack Riewoldt asked.

"Could have taken the ball to ground, (but instead) handballs it out of bounds."

And when Darcy Wilmot quickly took the free kick, the Dockers had to switch modes at an instant.

"You've got to go full defence here if you're Fremantle.

"We've seen Josh Treacy late in games go behind the ball; that's been what they've pulled, that's what Justin Longmuir's done."

Instead, Treacy could be seen casually jogging at half-forward as the Lions kickstarted their counter.

The non-action would soon come back to bite the Dockers.

Neale's miracle shank into Morris' mark

After marking at half-back, Lachie Neale delivered a scrubber to centre-wing which could have gone absolutely anywhere.

In a stroke of sheer Brisbane luck, it bounced right up into the hands of Hugh McCluggage, who delivered the long ball to the one-on-one contest between Logan Morris and Oscar McDonald.

"Now, Lachie Neale, we know he's a fantastic player, (but) that kick there is an absolute mongrel," Riewoldt said.

"It comes off the side of the boot, but it is pure luck (and) goes to an unpredictable position - and lo and behold, you get a one-on-one with a minute to go in your own D50.

"You know where Josh Treacy should be standing? Smack bang, right there, especially with no Alex Pearce."

Morris kicked truly to remarkably put the Lions in front.

Freo's clearance and the Lions' desperation

With the Dockers suddenly on the back foot, they had to win the next centre clearance - and they did, through Shai Bolton.

But instead of handballing over the top to teammate Andy Brayshaw to generate a higher-quality inside-50 entry, Bolton bombed long.

"So you come out of the centre bounce, is it a pop handball to Andrew Brayshaw? This was a kick over hands," Jordan Lewis said.

Then, the Lions did everything in their power to repel Fremantle deep in defence, with Lester again at the forefront.

He spoiled Jye Amiss before following up and laying a tackle on the Fremantle forward to force a turnover.

The ball got tapped around by Harris Andrews before Lester went in and snatched it, and then cleared with a long kick to the wing.

"But then you look at the defensive efforts by Brisbane, and in particular … the relentless nature (of Lester) to get back up, you see him come back in there, (lays) a tackle on Amiss, just to affect the disposal a little bit, let it hang in the air," Lewis added.

"Lester gets another possession and clears the area."

Neale edged Karl Worner under the ball at the marking contest, with the Docker instead forced to spoil Lester's kick to ground.

The ever-clean dual Brownlow medallist then won the ground ball, bounced off Jordan Clark and handballed to Zac Bailey in space.

The Lions, up against the boundary line, then worked the ball to centre wing before it went out for a boundary throw-in.

"Should (Karl) Warner have marked the ball? Lachie Neale, bang, but didn't let the ball come out, so he's still in possession of it," Lewis said.

"It was just a great 30 seconds of play where Brisbane maintained control, but they didn't let a long ball get ahead of them."

Serong's horror bounce into Ashcroft brilliance

At the boundary throw-in, Caleb Serong looked a certainty to pounce on yet another clearance after the ball got out the back of the ruck contest.

But in a cruel twist of fate, that unpredictable Sherrin bounced away from the Fremantle star, and right into Will Ashcroft's lethal grip.

"This is the last stoppage, on the wing, and the bounce … that gets out of Serong's hands and then into Will Ashcroft's, the worst bloke that can have it," Nathan Buckley said.

Ashcroft spun away from Shai Bolton, one-two'd with Sam Draper, evaded Andy Brayshaw, and sprinted into Brisbane's forward half.

After four expert bounces of the ball, he dished to Logan Morris, who wheeled and snapped his third goal of the final term - and the major to put the final nail in Fremantle's coffin.

"I'm convinced that he bounces this ball so often, knowing that he's going to be forward of Jordan Clark, trying to get Warner to bite and to come to him, but if he's not, well then I'm just going to keep possession of the ball until I can find the very best option," Buckley added.

Lewis chimed in: "He buys himself time, doesn't he? … One is to draw someone in, but just that extra bounce, because he probably doesn't know how long he'll have to run for, so if you just bounce it on the occasion, because he'll still back himself in with speed and the evasiveness to get away from someone."

Buckley replied: "I reckon it was a lure; he was trying to lure Warner back towards him, and he didn't bite, but he kept him busy enough to buy enough time to take another 20 -25 metres by foot."

It was ultimately the play that sealed the Lions' three-peat glory.