When Will Ashcroft extended the margin to 33 points with a goal from stoppage early in the fourth quarter, Brisbane effectively slammed the door shut on Geelong in the 2025 AFL Grand Final.
And with that moment added to a parade of other highlight reel-worthy plays across a grand final built on a foundation of perfect skill execution under pressure, there was a sense he would claim his second consecutive Norm Smith Medal.
Everything that followed was a procession - Ashcroft's goal was the moment which won the game and his conversion was a stunning exclamation point to stellar career to date and 33-disposal, 10-clearance masterclass.
The Lions have made the grand final every year Ashcroft has been at the club and he's won the Norm Smith Medal in both of their triumphs.
Dustin Martin is the only player to win the coveted award on three occasions and is consensually viewed as the best finals players in AFL history.
But Ashcroft's composure and star factor already puts him on the Mount Rushmore of finals performers - and he's got more than a decade to add further chapters to an already bulging legacy.
His brother Levi jumped the fence and celebrated with Will last year but vowed not to touch the premiership cup until he won his own.
He's only had to wait one year.
The brothers ran straight to each other on the final siren in a touching moment, three years after Will said one of the driving reasons to nominate as a father-son was because of the opportunity to win a premiership alongside his younger brother.
Coming to the hardest team in the competition to break in for a game, Levi played all 27 games for Brisbane this year - the first player in history to achieve that feat.
And Levi wasn't overawed on the big stage, banging home an important second quarter goal from outside 50.
Levi knows nothing but success - he's won four premierships in a row, part of junior club Sandringham Dragons' threepeat across 2022-24.
He shared the field in the third of his junior premierships with Sam Marshall, who took out best on ground in that match and has emerged quickly this year, despite being the man subbed out for Lachie Neale.
Neale's story of returning from a calf injury in three weeks is well told and was widely debated - but he didn't just play.
The two-time Brownlow Medalist starred.
When he kicked Brisbane's third in a row to extend Brisbane's lead to 19 points going into the last change, the weight of scrutiny was lifted off the Lions match-committee.
He finished with 17 disposals and it's no coincidence that Brisbane kicked 13 goals to six after he came on.
Geelong superstar Patrick Dangerfield was asked during the week whether the Cats would look to run Neale around - but it was Neale and his mates who ran them around.
Neale's injury attention concealed that Josh Dunkley, too, was playing through injury.
Previously described by Chris Fagan as the game's best defensive midfielder, he has proven a shrewd acquisition and is in rare air as a three-time premiership player.
Brisbane gave up four draft picks across two different drafts to secure the midfielder's services - but they still got Will and Levi Ashcroft, Marshall and Jaspa Fletcher through the draft during that time.
Playing with a different currency at the AFL Draft during that period offset the loss of those prized picks.
There were storylines all over the field.
If Will didn't win the Norm Smith, it could have gone to Jaspa Fletcher.
Brisbane's third father-son took a strong season to phenomenal levels on Saturday with 29 disposals, achieving the ultimate feat his Dad, Adrian, was never able to.
Ty Gallop won an AFL premiership in just his sixth AFL game.
The Brisbane Academy graduate was the surprise of last year's draft, with Geelong putting a bid on at pick 42 and the Lions matching it.
The surprise packet garnered attention in pre-season when he kicked five goals in a practice game, but was made to earn his way into a strong lineup.
He and second year forward Logan Morris were Brisbane's tall forwards - completely rewriting the old-school script of needing seasoned spearheads to contend.
Brisbane took a punt on Morris, who many labelled too small to play as a key forward before he was drafted in 2023, and he's won back-to-back premierships, kicking a staggering 52 goals this year.
At Morris' feet were Charlie Cameron, Zac Bailey and Kai Lohmann.
Cameron's form has been criticised at times across 2025, but when Brisbane needed a firestarter in the second half, he delivered.
And that was after his jawdropping second quarter settler when Geelong were pressing hard.
Lohmann has overcome ankle, calf and shoulder injuries this year to line up on grand final day and kicked the Lions' important first goal after a nervy start in front of the big sticks.
Bailey's radar was askew at times, kicking 2.6 on the day, but he was the most dangerous forward for the Lions, earning him Norm Smith Medal votes.
The power centre-forward has been one of the best Lions all season, rewarded with All Australian selection.
Hugh McCluggage was another to feature in that All-Australian side, finally, having four times been a squad member.
He was paid close attention by Oisin Mullin on Saturday so it was a game of moments rather than stat-padding until party time arrived in the last quarter.
Ruck Oscar McInerney finally got his premiership medallion.
What a redemption story.
After heartbreakingly missing out last year due to injury, the big man played an unheralded but important role on grand final day.
The biggest roar from his teammates post-game was reserved for the man who inspired last year's flag when he collected his premiership medallion.
Another to miss out last year was Darcy Gardiner, due to a knee reconstruction.
A no-frills, sturdy defender, he has been there all the way through Brisbane's list build and has the sort of loyalty that Brisbane builds its club and tight culture around.
He shared the backline with Ryan Lester, who dug in when Geelong were pressing in the first half, and Dayne Zorko, as he has done for so much of his career.
Zorko's ridiculous career renaissance added another sensational chapter.
After lifting last week following a poor start to the game, his last six quarters of the season was arguably only bettered by Will Ashcroft's.
Zorko's spoke post-game with such passion about his premiership coach Chris Fagan.
The Monjon Allan Jeans coach of the year has built the club from rock bottom, turning the Den from cellar dwellers to in the midst of a period of success only bettered in the club's history by their famous threepeat.
One of Fagan's skipper's Harris Andrews is now a two-time premiership captain and has played a herculean role in that.
He came second in the Norm Smith Medal vote count and after winning some big one-on-one contests in the first half, he was an intercepting machine after halftime to lock the ball inside Brisbane's forward half.
After hearing him speak so eloquently upon receipt of the Jim Stynes Medal earlier in the week, the AFL industry will be buoyed to see him get his chocolates.
Andrews is one of many this week who has highlighted the selflessness of Jarrod Berry, who withdrew himself from selection and misses out on a second flag after two shoulder dislocations in quick succession.
The emotional story of the day was Brandon Starcevich's.
Starcevich, who has a history of concussion, suffered a game-ending head knock in the third quarter which typified the brave Lion's hardness.
The AFL world will hope he can recover - but that incident isn't the only time where he's put his body on the line this finals series.
Starcevich was responsible for the most-watched moment in his preliminary final thanks to the contentious umpiring non-call to Jamie Elliott.
But it turned into the moment which won the Lions the preliminary final given it started a 12-point play late in the last quarter, and it's a play which holds so much more significance given the premiership followed it.
Cam Rayner's game, in some ways, played out in a similar pattern to his AFL career: questioned for much of the early part before lifting seismically by capitalising on big moments when it mattered.
It was a legacy-lifting game for the number one pick, who has now played an important role in back-to-back premierships after being pounced on by the Lions at pick one.
Bruce Reville's story is probably the best of any of the Lions; the cult hero from Papua New Guinea who has his Christian name chanted every time he touches the Sherrin at the Gabba was taken by Brisbane as a Category B rookie in the 2023 AFL Draft.
Across 25 games, he has played in only two losses, overcoming stress fractures and a leg injury last year to prove an important role player this year and showing he wasn't overawed on the big stage when promoted from sub to starter.
In potentially his last game for the club, Callum Ah Chee is now a dual premiership player, as is little-known ruck Darcy Fort who has toiled and grafted for so long.
Darcy Wilmot's story is a remarkable one too, having won 13 finals since making his debut in the 2022 elimination final.
He's comfortably the quickest to reach that milestone and is symbolic of the Lions success and youth.
The John Denver tune which rings out following Charlie Cameron Gabba goals is too true of the current Lions squad: ‘Younger than the Mountains, growing like a breeze'.
They're young and growing.
Of the premiership side, nine members are 22 or younger, and they are set to welcome Oscar Allen, Sam Draper and readymade top-five draft prospect Dan Annable in the off-season.
In their seventh consecutive finals series, and coming off back-to-back flags, don't be surprised if Brisbane's dynasty has only just begun.
