Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Brisbane midfielder Josh Dunkley has revealed it was Fremantle’s Wharfie Time cry late in the fourth term that sparked their miraculous run to a third-straight grand final triumph.
Fremantle had owned much of the last term as Pat Voss slotted his third major of the game from the top of the goal-square to put the men in purple 17 points up with barely five minutes remaining.
Then came the Wharfie Time everyone had waited for as AC/DC’s Hells Bells blared around the MCG, signalling what appeared to be a historic first AFL premiership with less than five minutes to play.
And then in the blink of an eye, it was gone as Dunkley revealed it proved the turning point in what will go down as one of the greatest AFL grand finals of all time.
“Everything we’ve learnt this year about momentum and trying to continue to go at the game when they get momentum…we’ve talked about Wharfie Time and making that our energy” he told 7SPORT post-game.
“I felt like when I looked around at centre bounce and Wharfie Time came on, we all looked at each other, connected and we grew a leg.
“When you talk about it and arises, there’s only one choice and it’s to go at the game. They challenged us.”
Thus began a run of four straight goals in the final four minutes and 18 seconds of the game as Fremantle’s maiden premiership was yanked out of their grasp in the blink of an eye.
From the ensuing bounce after Voss’ goal, Charlie Cameron goaled following an incredible pick-up in the forward 50. Then came Zac Bailey’s miracle goal in the middle of peak-hour traffic to further cut the margin.
When Logan Morris out-marked a valiant Oscar McDonald with less than a minute to, Fremantle fans knew what was coming and the Lions star made no mistake from his set-shot.
Even though Fremantle won the resultant clearance and hoisted the ball forward, the Lions got out of trouble and it was left to Morris to put the icing on the cake.
Lions coach Chris Fagan played Hells Bells and initiated a trial run of Wharfie Time in his final team meeting before the grand final and it appeared to work wonders on the Lions players.
“They’re an unbelievable side. I said to Andy Brayshaw, we lost one first to then go on this run and I think they’ll take plenty of lessons out of it and be a force to be reckoned with for years to come,” Dunkley said.
