Lions mocked Hawthorn with meme after epic grand final win
The Lions' social media team posted a taunting meme shortly after defeating Hawthorn in a preliminary final, triggering criticism for poor sportsmanship.
Brisbane's social media team posted a video of a young boy falling off his bike with the caption "Hokfall" minutes after the Lions beat Hawthorn by nine points at the MCG on Saturday night. The one-word jab was a play on "Hokball", the viral term for Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell's game plan.
The Lions later deleted the post from X and Instagram but left it on TikTok. Craig Hutchison, a sports commentator, called it a bad look.
He said the Lions showed disrespect to "a titanic battle between two great clubs" after one of the greatest AFL games ever played. On the field, Hugh McCluggage kicked the winning goal with 18 seconds left.
Kai Lohmann added another on the siren. Brisbane now faces Fremantle for a shot at a premiership three-peat.
- 20.11 (131) to 19.8 (122)
- Final score
- Nine points
- Margin
- 97,835 fans at MCG
- Attendance
- 18 seconds remaining
- Winning goal time
Why it mattersIt's a reminder that winning moments can be tarnished by how a team chooses to celebrate, especially when the match was legendary and hard-fought.
AustraliaBrisbane's fourth consecutive grand final appearance is major news for AFL fans across Australia, and the social media row adds a sour note to the club's success.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 5 d ago
