Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan and his players spotted a major weakness in their game leading up to Saturday’s grand final and turned it into a secret weapon.

Winning their first AFL premiership since 2003, Brisbane inflicted another massive grand final loss on the Sydney Swans with a 60-point belting at the MCG.

Katy Perry played her hit song ‘Roar’ to open and it proved prophetic as the Lions romped to the premiership.

What fuelled the Lions and killed the Swans was pressure, according to Fagan.

After seeing it as a weakness, Brisbane went to work on pressure and turned it into a massive strength.

With the game in the balance at quarter-time of Saturday’s grand final, the Lions ratcheted up the attack on the ball and Sydney could not cope.

The Lions piled on seven goals to one, turning an eight-point lead at quarter-time to a yawning 46-point gap at the main break. They won by 10 goals.

That they were able to pile on the goals and overwhelm their opponents was no fluke.

“We talked about the idea that we could turn it into a secret weapon for us, because we hadn’t been doing it all that well,” coach Fagan said of their build-up to September.

“Across the course of the finals our pressure has been enormous and our better quarters in finals … we’ve scored heavily.

“We talked about that at quarter-time and we got a lift in that area. We put it down to that.”

It certainly was the key lament for Sydney coach John Longmire.

“Sometimes you have to start at the very basic level, which is more pressure around the ball. We didn’t get that right,” he said of their futile efforts to work back into the game.

The Brisbane Lions celebrate their first flag in 21 years. Photo: AAP

Swans ‘at peace’

But Sydney leader Dane Rampe wouldn’t change a thing about his club’s AFL grand final preparation despite losing by 60 points to Brisbane.

Falling short of the premiership in their second grand final appearance in three years, Rampe says he is “at peace” with how the Swans prepared.

Stand-in skipper Rampe, drawing from his past three grand final losses (2014, 2016, 2022), said he couldn’t find a fault in how the minor premiers went about their preparations.

“The emotions are still pretty raw,” Rampe said.

“We’re at peace knowing our preparation was as good as it’s been.

“Unfortunately, I’ve been in this position a few times but I’m completely at peace with our prep.

“I guess (that) is what makes it so hollow, is that we don’t know where we went wrong apart from what we did today … the fact that I don’t think we change anything.”

Emotions are raw for dejected Swans players. Photo: AAP

Sydney trailed at every change despite taking the first two goals, with Ollie Florent leading the under-siege Swans with 24 disposals.

Inefficiency inside forward 50 proved costly for John Longmire’s men, who kicked just nine majors from 49 inside-50 entries.

In comparison, the Lions kicked 18 goals from 51 inside-50 entries.

Brisbane built a game-high 73-point lead in the third quarter before veteran Luke Parker slotted three consolation goals.

Lions find their Roar

The Brisbane Lions’ AFL grand final began to the echoes of Katy Perry’s roar.

Then the Lions shook the Sydney Swans down from the sky and tore them limb from limb with a snarl as their fans found their own voice.

Pre-game, pop superstar Perry swept in upon a strange vehicle — seemingly a cross between the Batmobile and a handheld vacuum cleaner — then received a rousing reception as she ripped into ‘Roar’.

Katy Perry was reportedly paid $5 million for her opening performance. Photo: Getty 

Her mid-set material fell somewhat flat, surrounded by dancers in metallic pink jumpsuits holding oversized silver foil balloons, and others in orange outfits

But she won the crowd back then was joined on stage by Tina Arena for ‘I Kissed A Girl‘ before the pair combined for the latter’s old hit ‘Chains‘.

Perry closed the show, appropriately with plenty of pyro on hand, for her performance of arguably her biggest hit, ‘Firework‘.

Glory worth the pain

Not even hearing a pop in his foot could take the smile off Lachie Neale’s face as the Brisbane Lions charged to AFL immortality.

Neale has managed a left heel issue for weeks, barely training, but fronting up time and time again to inspire the Lions to a dramatic turnaround in fortunes.

The inspirational, hard-nosed captain shone through pain in Saturday’s 18.12 (120) to 9.6 (60) victory over the Sydney Swans.

Two-time Brownlow Medallist Neale, 31, fought his way to 34 disposals, 18 contested possessions and nine clearances to help drive the Lions to victory.

“I had a scan on Sunday and I just said to the physios ‘I don’t wanna know what’s going on,'” Neale said.

“So I’ll probably find out in a couple of days.

“I think my plantar fascia snapped during the game. I felt something pop. That’s why I was hobbling a bit in the last.”

Neale has experienced his fair share of heartbreak.

He was the substitute in Fremantle’s 2013 grand final loss to Hawthorn, then suffered a four-point defeat to Collingwood as Brisbane co-captain last year.

“Oh 100 per cent it’s worth it,” he said.

“It’s been unbelievable. Worth every minute.

“I probably thought it would take maybe five, six years and it has.

“But we’ve been around the mark that whole time and to get the reward today, it’s worth every heartbreak over the last 13 years, really.”

-with AAP