After grand final defeats, the Brisbane Broncos and Brisbane Lions come home after grand final losses
Thousands of football supporters flocked to Brisbane to welcome back the city’s AFL and NRL teams after a painful double loss over the weekend.
Following a thrilling grand final, Broncos coach Kevin Walters stated that his team’s start and finish lines needed more work to ensure small errors were avoided.
“We are not far off, but we are getting there — we are a lot closer now than we were 12 months ago,” Walters said of the team that progressed from wooden spoon winners to premiership runners-up in three years.
Lions coach Chris Fagan stated his squad was close to winning but “weren’t quite good enough” to beat Collingwood.
“We almost got there in one of the greatest grand finals that’s been played in recent times,” he stated.
Fans are excited for the next season.
Harriet Alexander-Bates and Annie Simpson carried a massive cardboard cutout of Herbie Farnworth’s head to Riverstage with pride.
“Me and my family were just screaming our heads off,” Ms Simpson said of her favorite player crossing the line for the Broncos’ third try.
Regardless of the outcome, Erin Bigg said the Lions “did so well,” telling the ABC that she and her son Hugo are “so proud of them.”
Hugo described the MCG as “very loud” as the duo traveled down to Melbourne to see the grand final live.
“I had a good time, although the Lions’ loss was heartbreaking… “I eventually got over it,” he remarked.
“I’m feeling better knowing that there’s always next year and [so much] to come that we don’t know [about yet].”
Despite feeling “very upset and frustrated” by the game’s final result, little fan Jasper Sara was eager to collect every signature from this year’s squad on his Lions jersey and hat.
Football players influence the next generation
Harper Squires was “sad” to see her club lose, but she hopes 2024 will be Brisbane’s premiership year.
Harper’s devotion to the Kangaroos waned once her family relocated to Queensland, with Harper now rooting for the Lions and “having fun” playing Auskick herself.
“Even though we lost, it’s okay because the Lions made it to the grand final,” Sibella Petrulis told the ABC.
“I think that’s pretty special,” she continued.
Mitch Faulkner, a young Broncos fan, was saddened by the outcome but thrilled to watch the squad give it their all.
“They tried their best, that’s all you can ask for,” he continued.
“We love the Broncos, we just want to cheer them on and cheer them up.”
Leave a Reply