This was not how the script was written.
With 258 seconds remaining in the 2026 AFL grand final, Shai Bolton lands a dart on Patrick Voss’s chest after it shaved Dane Zorko’s outstretched hands.
Voss converts from straight in front, the Dockers are 17 points up. Wharfie Time rings around the MCG.
Bolton, a two-time premiership player with Richmond before joining Fremantle ahead of the 2025 season, can almost reach out and touch a third.
The kid from Katanning had been a key driver throughout the game and now it was all about closing the game down and celebrating Fremantle’s first premiership.
Destiny was in the wind.
His dad Darren had played two games with the Dockers in 1999 amid a celebrated WAFL career that netted a best and fairest with Peel Thunder.
The Dockers had given up plenty to lure him home to the West at the end of 2025 – three first rounders (picks 10, 11, and 18) for the Tiger, selection 14 and a future third-rounder.
The investment had paid off. The Dockers were about to salute with Bolton at the helm.
But winning grand finals is not an easy job.
Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.
That’s the sound of four goals in four minutes from the Lions leading to the upset of the century, perhaps the greatest upset in a grand final in the long history of the VFL-AFL.
As the siren sounded, Bolton and his teammates collapsed to the turf amid Brisbane’s celebrations.
But then another twist. The Norm Smith medallist was announced.
It wasn’t Will Ashcroft, the architect of the Lions’ late four-minute seek and destroy mission who had 12 touches, four clearances and two goal assists in the last term and looked a certainty to win his third successive Norm Smith Medal.
Or his veteran teammate Dane Zorko who dominated off a half-back flank and dared to repeatedly take on the corridor.
Camera Icon(L-R) Andrew Brayshaw, Isaiah Dudley, Shai Bolton and Michael Frederick look on after their loss. Credit: JAMES ROSS/AAPIMAGE
It wasn’t his own teammate Caleb Serong, with a game-high 13 clearances, fellow midfielder Hayden Young, whose two third-quarter goals swung the result, or the unicorn, ruckman Luke Jackson.
It was Bolton and when an AFL official alerted him that he was about to pick up the prized individual honour, the Docker was surprised. Even shocked.
It was not that he didn’t deserve the accolade of 26 disposals, nine score involvements and 686 metres gained.
It’s just he thought others were better. Many others did too.
He now belonged to a rare club, alongside Maurice Rioli, Gary Ablett snr, Nathan Buckley and Chris Judd, as players to have picked up Norm Smith medals in losing grand final teams.
“It’s a bit hard, to be honest. You know I’m honoured to obviously get the award but to lose a grand final like that is one of the hardest things,” Bolton said.
“I was [surprised]. They came up to me early and obviously, you don’t know, you don’t look at the big screen and stuff or look at your stats, you just play football, and especially when you are trying to win the game, you’re not looking at anything.
“So I just try to play my role for the team, and you know, we didn’t end up with the chocolates today, but we’ll definitely be back.
Camera IconNorm Smith medalist Shai Bolton was surprised by the honour. Credit: Darrian Traynor/AFL Photos/via Getty Images
“It’s kind of hard to take that in, and losing that way, especially in that fourth quarter. It would have been better if I won the premieraship and won the Norm Smith. I’m honoured to win, I’m just proud of the boys and how we fought it out the whole four quarters.”
The Norm Smith Medal voting panel comprised AFL legends Andrew McLeod, Shaun Burgoyne, Chris Judd and Michael Voss, and Melbourne journalist Lauren Wood.
Judd and Voss both gave Bolton three votes as best-afield, Burgoyne two and McLeod and Wood one each for a total of 10.
That’s a vote from every judge, despite being the 15th rated player on the ground according to Champion Data.
Zorko and Ashcroft tied for second with six votes each.
Bolton was daring, creative and although his disposal efficiency was a little ragged at 58 per cent and he kicked two behinds, missed a couple of other and had another smothered by Josh Dunkley, he was still there in the clutch, winning a centre clearance in between Brisbane’s historic four-goal flourish.
It was just the last four minutes and the Aschroft ascendancy that led most to believe it should have been in his possession.
Brisbane coach Chris Fagan opined: “He was pretty unlucky not to be the Norm Smith Medallist I reckon (Ashcroft) and I’ve got a funny feeling that decision might have been made before the final siren.
Camera IconLevi Ashcroft and Will Ashcroft of the Lions celebrate with the Premiership Cup. Credit: Daniel Pockett/AFL Photos/via Getty Images
“I thought he was extraordinary. The way he approached that last five minutes was beyond his experience. It’s the best five minutes in a grand final I reckon you will ever see. Well done to him.”
And on Sunday leading commentator Gerard Whateley added to calls that Ashcroft should have won it instead.
“He has been one of the two central figures in the greatest come-from-behind victory we’ve seen in the last five minutes of a grand final, and somehow he hadn’t managed to get the votes,” Whateley said on SEN. “I’m absolutely perplexed by it.”
Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir insisted in his press conference that Bolton deserved the medal.
“He’s probably emulated his whole finals series,” Longmuir said.
“He’s been in this position (playing in a grand final) a lot and I think that experience showed today. His ability to win the ball but then make sure it either gets to the outside through his own endeavors or feeding it to others on the outside.
“He’s had a super final series and today was a big part of that.”