SPRINGFIELD erupted in celebration on Sunday as thousands of Brisbane Lions fans welcomed their back-to-back premiership heroes home.
Fresh from their 47-point demolition of Geelong at the MCG, the Lions landed in Brisbane before heading straight to their Springfield base at Brighton Homes Arena, where a sea of maroon, blue and gold-clad supporters greeted them with chants of “back-to-back”.
It was the second year in a row the team presented the premiership cup to their South East Queensland faithful at the state-of-the-art Ipswich facility, which has become the heart of the club since opening in late 2022.
Coach Chris Fagan, who broke his own record as the oldest premiership coach in VFL/AFL history, said the win felt even sweeter than last year’s drought-breaking triumph.
“I reckon it feels better than last year because it’s bloody hard to do it two times in a row,” the 64-year-old said.
Earlier in the day, more than 6000 fans had gathered at the Lions’ spiritual home in Brunswick Street Oval, Melbourne.
Among the highlights of the win was Will Ashcroft’s historic second consecutive Norm Smith Medal, made more special by sharing the experience with his younger brother and first-year Lion, Levi.
