Brisbane on verge of historic clean sweep of every AFL and NRL trophy
The Lions AFLW grand final represents the final piece in Brisbane's quest for an incredible sporting quadruple that's already triggered membership booms.
Brisbane stands on the edge of a historic clean sweep of AFL and NRL victory which no Australian city has ever achieved, sparking an economic boom and surges in membership numbers.
The Lions AFLW team is vying for glory in Saturday night’s grand final in Melbourne against the North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos.
A win would bring all four premiership trophies across NRL and AFL to Brisbane, after the success of the Brisbane Broncos NRL and NRLW sides, and the Brisbane Lions.
Memberships across both clubs have already recorded extraordinary growth ahead of the 2026 season.
The Broncos, fresh from October’s double act, already have more than 52,000 members signed up for next year – almost 20,000 ahead of the same stage last year on the way to a total of more than 60,000 members.
Already the Lions are close to 50,000 members for the 2026 season – 10 per cent higher than at the same stage last year, which culminated in a record 75,000 members.
University of Queensland business school Professor Gabby Waters said Brisbane could soon become the new sports capital of the country.
“Brisbane is definitely giving Melbourne a run for its money as Australia’s sporting capital,” she said.
“It’s a valid question to ask as they’re drinking out of saucers down there because we’ve got all the cups.”
Professor Walters said success bred success, often resulting in a continued cycle of growth through increased crowd and visitor numbers as well as other off-field benefits.
“It creates passion and increased interest among fans, which can drive visitation when more people want to come here from both interstate and intrastate to watch these successful teams,” she said.
“There’s also an increased sense of community spirit or pride and people talking up the place which can make it seem more appealing as a destination for people from elsewhere.”
Rich sponsorship and endorsement deals are also likely to turn the River City into an economic sporting powerhouse.
On the eve of the AFLW grand final, Lions women’s coach Craig Starcevich said the club – and the city at large, was feeding off the energy generated by sustained success across multiple teams and codes.
“The broad story is what the Broncos have done this year as well, we actually had Julia Robinson, one of their players in, to have a bit of a chat on Wednesday about what they went through and it was enlightening,” he said.
“The city is definitely up and about for their footy codes at the moment and it would be lovely to finish it off for them.”
Wilston Grange junior girls are getting right behind the Lions AFLW team ahead of the decider against North Melbourne – the third grand final in a row between the two sides with the previous two split one a piece.
In a letter to the team, Georgia Kaye, 9, said the Wilston Grange girls would be cheering for the Lions to win their third AFLW flag.
Originally published as Brisbane on verge of historic clean sweep of every AFL and NRL trophy
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