Original subtitles

BEN FORDHAM: The grand finals are here.

WOMAN: To be in a grand final is huge.

MAN: You know you're amongst the best of the best in the country.

MAN: It's almost like there's little voice in my head being, like,

"Do you really think you're, like, as good as these guys?"

Four weeks ago, 300 of Australia's best everyday athletes

came to Ninja Island...

MAN: You can't have doubts. You've just got to go hard.

..to test themselves

against the toughest obstacle course on the planet.

BEC MADDERN: That was spectacular!

They have amazed with skill...

Oh, my goodness!

..strength...

What was that?

..and heart.

You have set this island on fire!

Now only the best of the best remain to face the challenge of a lifetime.

MAN: I'm not scared of a single thing.

Over the next two epic nights,

our ninjas must conquer a staggering 23 obstacles.

MAN: Everyone here is capable of doing every obstacle out there.

MAN: Bring it on.

Tonight, stage one.

Our ninjas face nine brand-new obstacles against the clock.

Having to race the clock is just terrifying.

I'm just gonna go hell for leather.

Then, for those ninjas who make it through,

tomorrow night, they'll face the final brutal test,

when the entire unforgiving course is unleashed -

14 obstacles back to back to back.

MAN: I definitely think that the course can be beaten

and I just want to be that one person that does it.

But even if you complete them all, one more remains -

the monstrous Mount Midoriyama.

It's gonna be a matter of push hard, push fast, get to the top.

Can anyone climb their way into the history books

as Australia's first Ninja Warrior?

Welcome to Ninja Island and the grand final for 2018.

(FIREWORKS POP)

What an incredible season it's been

and what a big finish we're looking forward to over the next two nights.

We've narrowed the field

to the fittest, fastest and strongest ninjas,

the absolute best of the best.

Still, only those who bring their A-game tonight

will be able to progress to the next stage.

That's right, Freddie.

And you've come to know and love all of our ninjas.

And tonight, the field is an absolutely star-studded line-up

of old and new favourites.

There's 'The Deadly Ninja', Jack Wilson.

'The Fro', Ashlin Herbert.

Ben Polson will be here.

Tradie Sam Goodall.

The Blue Mountains climbers, Tom O'Halloran and Ben Cossey.

Incredible newcomers like Bryson Klein, Zed Colback.

And, of course, the first female ninja

to ever make it to the grand final, the incredible Olivia Vivian.

The grand final consists of three stages

that take place over two nights.

23 obstacles in total and ninjas must complete each one

to earn a shot at the most fearsome of all, Mount Midoriyama.

Let's take a look at stage one

and the nine obstacles our finalists face.

First up, the familiar foe, the Quadruple Steps.

Then the first new obstacle, the slippery Silk Slider.

Grip for silks for the zip-line ride,

then time your release to dismount to safety.

The Broken Bridge is another daunting new obstacle -

six hanging steps, each moving independently.

Ninjas need nerves of steel and accurate steps to make it across.

Next up, the Ring Jump.

It's the first big test of upper-body strength and composure.

Supporting their own weight, ninjas use rings to climb up the frame

and slide down the other side.

Then the I-Beam Gap.

It assaults the grip strength.

And unlike the semifinals, there's a gap midway,

meaning a dangerous release of hands and feet to make the crossing.

The Warped Wall has become even more warped.

Now the run-up begins with a steep drop, affecting balance and timing

before the ninjas attempt the 4.2m climb.

The Rumbling Dice

are another new test of grip strength and coordination.

Jump up to the first dice. It's heavy - 22 kilos.

They need to roll it over twice

before transferring to the second dice to do the same.

Technique is everything. Get off-line and dice can derail.

Next, the Flying Squirrel.

Ninjas swing to the cargo net, climb up and over the top,

then slide down to the final obstacle -

the Chimney Climb, 7m straight up.

Hit the buzzer and you're finished the stage.

(BUZZER BLARES)

Here's the catch - and it's a biggie.

Ninjas must complete all that in less than three minutes 30 seconds.

Go too slow or fail an obstacle and they're out.

There's no furthest and fastest in the grand final.

They must complete all the obstacles against the ticking clock.

We are looking for perfection and speed.

So let's get stage one of the grand final underway.

The first ninja to take on the grand final course tonight

is Adelaide firefighter Andy Dunt.

The tramp took him down in the semis

but with the timed course tonight,

his incredible speed is set to become a major weapon.

Give him a massive cheer. It is Andy Dunt!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

ANDY: Now that we're at a grand final stage,

it is a whole 'nother ballgame.

I got a text message from my dad last night to say how proud of me he was.

Don't get text messages like that very often.

I do remember, actually, when I was young,

when I was going to a sports day or something,

he'd often write a little note and stick it on my sandwich

saying the same sort of stuff,

so, yeah, I've always appreciated those kind of little gestures.

In heat one, I made it to the top and pushed the buzzer.

BEN: Come on, Andy!

Yes! Yes!

Yes, Andy! You ripper!

ANDY: Semifinals, I got to the eighth obstacle.

Let's have a look what happens here. This is very difficult - the tramp.

Go... BEN: Oh!

No!

ANDY: There was that bitter disappointment in me

where I put my head down and I was just thinking,

"Oh, if only I'd hit that trampoline properly or looked up or something."

But you can't dwell on the past.

All you can do is look forward and make it all the way to the end.

I know I can do it. I've just gotta do it fast.

Stage one, nine obstacles, bring it on.

FREDDIE: It's grand finals time on Australian Ninja Warrior.

And kicking off is our oldest competitor, Andy Dunt,

the 38-year-old firefighter.

One of our new heroes. Unassuming Aussie. Family man.

Didn't get to the top of the chimney in the semis.

That don't matter. He's got another chance now.

BEN: With their 'I Love Dunt' T-shirts,

there's wife Deb, Hayley and Summer.

Come on, Dad. He's against the clock.

He's got to settle his nerves. He's got to absorb the pressure.

(DING) Righto. Here we go.

And see the clock counting down from three minutes 30?

Finish in time or you're out of the grand final.

He's through the steps. Silk Slider now.

Gets a good grip. Needs to keep those arms level.

Not rushing. But he is off.

And he sorts that one pretty quickly.

Come on, Dad.

This is the Broken Bridge, another new obstacle,

and he's straight across it with tippy toes.

Turns the corner to the Ring Jump. This is the grand final.

There is absolutely no room for error and you can't take your time.

They are under the clock.

As he works up the rings... Do the math.

It's about 23 seconds on each obstacle.

Those first ones were quick but each one now takes longer.

And he's slowing down a little bit here.

And the pressure too, the pressure of knowing

that the clock is counting down if you make one mistake.

Just got in a little bit of a tangle there.

Can't make too many mistakes tonight on the course.

Oh, he slid all the way down. Andy Dunt safe.

Safe so far, Ben, but the pressure is just enormous.

Now scaling up the I-Beam Gap.

Come on, Dad.

Coming across and then there's a gap in the middle.

Just needs to get onto the next beam, reach across.

Yeah, we had a similar one in the semis but this is a little different.

There's that gap in the middle, so you've got to get across that

and once you do, hopefully you'll have enough upper-body strength

to carry across to the Warped Wall.

Now, speaking of differences, Bec,

talk us through the differences on the Warped Wall.

It starts with a massive drop-off,

which messes with their balance and momentum

but Andy is up the wall and showing how it's done.

(CHEERING) Come on, Dad.

Andy Dunt, he's got about a minute and a half left on the clock

and three obstacles to complete.

And, Ben, these last three take the most time,

so he's got to get moving, but if anything, he's actually slowed down.

This is the Rumbling Dice.

You've got to grab a hold of this dice

and you need to move it forward twice.

There's one.

He's keeping everything in line to keep the dice straight.

There's two.

Now he's got to move to the next dice

and he's gotta do the same thing again.

CROWD MEMBERS: Swing! Swing! Swing! Swing! Swing!

Good swing onto the second dice. GIRLS: Come on, Dad.

Is he gonna be fast enough, though? That is the big question.

50 seconds left on the clock.

He's really racing time now, Andy Dunt.

Come on, Dad! 44 seconds left!

The clock is moving on him quickly.

I know the clock is racing but he is a very strong competitor.

30 seconds!

Andy Dunt just glances towards the huge stopwatch.

He knows he's got to get a wriggle on.

He knows he's gonna have to be quick now.

23 seconds!

Now he hits the Flying Squirrel to Cargo.

He's gotta get off the squirrel, get onto that cargo.

But there is only 14 seconds left on the clock.

This is what makes the grand final that much harder.

Oh, the red lights are flashing.

He has less than six seconds left.

He's left it too late.

Three, two, one... (BUZZ!)

He's going up the chimney, but sadly, the clock has got the better of him.

Oh, no.

And he's not gonna get to the top in time.

But let's give him credit for what he's just done.

An incredible run.

But sadly, for Andy Dunt,

the time pressure in the grand final has got the better of him.

That is just heartbreak right there.

That was a phenomenal run,

but not in the allotted time of three minutes 30, Andy.

We are so sorry. It's alright.

I felt like I was making good time.

I must've wasted too much time on the last one, though.

It is what it is.

You should be very proud of yourself, mate.

Thank you.

Put your hands together for Andy Dunt from South Australia.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Andy handled the obstacles well

but they're only half the equation tonight.

He just didn't pay enough attention to the clock.

There is no time to stop here and it cost him a shot at Mount Midoriyama.

Well, that run shows how hard stage one is gonna be for our ninjas.

Completing the course is not enough to reach stage two tomorrow night.

You have to beat the clock.

Up next, an athlete who only made it to the semifinals last year

but tonight, he's hoping to go all the way

for his shot at Mount Midoriyama.

Josh O'Sullivan.

JOSH: Pretty happy to be here in the grand final.

(BUZZER BLARES) (CHEERING)

On the sideline once again, I have Betsy.

Unfortunately, she didn't make it through to the grand final.

Bets, put your legs back up!

She just ran out of gas.

BETSY: He's got so much ability to do well.

I really think that he's gonna make Mount Midoriyama.

I just have so much belief and faith in him.

To see him make his dreams come true

would be a dream come true for me too.

My name is 'Modern Mowgli' and hopefully you guys will see me

climbing Mount Midoriyama in the grand final.

26-year-old ninja trainer Josh O'Sullivan

from New South Wales.

He's blitzed the heats. He blitzed the semifinals.

And here he is in the grand finals, on stage one of the course.

Come on, Joshy!

BEN: Girlfriend 'Disco Ninja' Betsy Burnett is on the sideline.

Unfortunately she didn't get through to the grand finals

but will be cheering on her boyfriend tonight.

Come on, Josh! OK, here we go.

'The Modern Mowgli'. He's off.

He's bouncing two-footed on the Quadruple Steps.

And now ready for the Silk Slider.

Finished the heats, finished the semifinals.

Can he finish in the grand final?

The Silk Slider is done and dealt with.

And now the Broken Bridge.

Wow! Big jump there! And he keeps moving.

You need to get through these early obstacles as fast as possible

because we've already seen it gets a lot harder from here.

Breathe! Onto the Ring Jump.

And that's smart.

Skips a bunch of pegs so he can get up there faster.

He's all the way to the top already. Go, Joshy!

Switches onto that last ring.

Whoo! Come on!

Good thinking. Perfect dismount.

Nice one! Come on!

Betsy willing the boyfriend on. Whoo!

Here he is, Josh O'Sullivan, underneath the I-Beam,

putting his feet back on top.

Come on, babe! Scooting underneath.

Now just crosses onto the second of the beams.

Doesn't even break stride.

Really fast across there

and he's off 40 seconds faster than Andy Dunt to the wall.

Everyone wants to see someone go up Mount Midoriyama.

He's up that wall and there's Mount Midoriyama waiting in the background.

Checks the clock. 2:18 to go.

If Josh can keep this pace up,

he's on target to at least make stage two.

But now we're hitting these Rumbling Dice.

For sure, they're gonna eat up lots of time.

Josh O'Sullivan just gives himself a second to wipe his hands.

Wants full grip on these dice. Pushes it over for a first time now.

Push over for a second. Nice!

Betsy Burnett giving her boyfriend huge encouragement on the sidelines.

Whoo!

She knows, as a fellow competitor, what this means to her boyfriend,

what this means to be in the grand final.

Whoo! Come on, Joshy!

Come on, Josh O'Sullivan.

They call him the 'Modern Mowgli'.

Whoa! Look at the swing on him.

Settle down, 'Modern Mowgli'. Up, up, up!

He's just keen to get... Oh, no!

And then all of a sudden... Oh, my goodness.

..Josh O'Sullivan, one of the favourites, has bombed out.

He started swinging and swinging.

He swung so high...

He didn't need to do that.

He had all of the strength and skill to get up the chimney

and he bombed out on the second last obstacle.

That is unbelievable.

Just when you think you know which way

this competition is gonna play out, something like that happens.

Well, based on time alone, Josh had this course in the bag.

He was a minute 10 faster than Andy Dunt to the Flying Squirrel.

But he just went too hard at this,

rushing his jump and missing his grip with his right hand.

One slip is all it takes.

Josh, it looked like you was breezing through the course.

Everyone around the place is stunned.

What happened?

Yeah, look, I got complacent, I guess. I thought I had that.

I thought I had the grab, so, you know, you make mistakes.

Everyone gets wet sometimes. Top man.

Ladies and gentlemen, Josh O'Sullivan. Unlucky, pal.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

And just like that,

one of this year's favourites is out of the competition.

But there are many more to come, as the grand final continues.

Coming up, unassuming student Bryson Klein surprised everyone

by making the grand finals - himself most of all.

The little voice in my head would be, like,

"So you really think you're, like, as good as these guys?"

Blue Mountains rock-climber Ben Cossey

has created some waves this season.

Can he stay dry tonight?

Yeah, I'm super psyched to have a crack tonight at Mount Midoriyama.

You know, I gobble up mountains for breakfast.

So, you know, it's just gonna be another day at the office.

She is the first Australian woman to make the grand finals.

She's backflipped again!

Olivia Vivian plans to go much, much further.

I'm gonna step up, give it absolutely everything I've got.

And warming up to run after the break,

the Deadly Ninja, Jack Wilson.

There's always a little bit of nerves kicking around

because it's something you work towards for so long.

Sideline for Jack, Australian sporting royalty -

his mentor, Olympic marathon runner Rob de Castella.

I'm really nervous, actually. It's very exciting.

And absolutely so proud of Jack

and it's great to be here with Jack's family, supporting him.

We've just gotta get him through.

That's next on Australian Ninja Warrior.

Welcome back to the grand final of Australian Ninja Warrior.

Tonight, there are no second chances.

If the ninjas want a shot at Mount Midoriyama tomorrow night,

they not only have to beat the course, they have to beat the clock.

That's right, Ben.

There are nine obstacles

and ninjas have to complete them in three minutes 30

to qualify for stage two.

But right now, it's time for one of our most loved competitors,

the Deadly Ninja, Jack Wilson.

He says failure's not an option

and he's determined to go further

than he did last year.

Make it loud, make it proud for the Deadly Ninja, Jack Wilson!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

JACK: The first year was a little bit of a practice run.

I've come back, I've put in a lot of preparation, so I'm ready for it.

Tonight I've got a special supporter

and he's gonna be here for the very first time.

His name's Robert de Castella

and he represented our country in marathon running.

He was my mentor in 2013, took me to New York, took me to run a marathon.

And that's what pulled me out of the depths and put me on the right track.

He give me the opportunity to become the man I am today.

That's very special to me and I just want to thank him for that

by going all the way to Mount Midoriyama.

Come on, Jack. Come on.

BEN: And there on the sideline, his mentor,

Olympic legend Robert de Castella,

along with Jack's dad Warren, mum Debbie, brothers and mates.

So much support for our Deadly Ninja.

PEOPLE: (CHANT) Deadly! Deadly! Deadly!

Have a listen to the screams of the crowd tonight.

He is undoubtedly the most popular ninja here.

The atmosphere has gone up a level now.

Jack Wilson, the Deadly Ninja, is on the start line.

Everybody's favourite. Listen to this, though.

He did not make it to the top of the chimney in the semis.

But he said tonight failure is not an option.

And I, for one, believe him.

(DING)

We just love him.

And what a support crew to have,

led by the legendary Rob de Castella.

I remember last year saying that he was tuning in,

watching every single performance and it's great that he's here this year.

Jack Wilson, on Australian Ninja Warrior,

carrying the hopes of the nation,

making mincemeat of the Broken Bridge!

Jack Wilson is on fire tonight.

This ninja means business.

Now grabbing the rings, moving them up the pegs,

making short work of it.

The chant from the crowd is, "Deadly! Deadly!"

WOMAN: Steady, steady.

He's onto the downslope now.

Flips the ring and he's off, nice and smooth.

And now onto the I-Beam already.

This is where seconds start to be eaten up and if you're not careful,

you can be in trouble, but he's moving well.

Let's go, champ! And he's at the gap.

Being very careful across here.

You've got to let the legs go so all the weight's on your fingers.

There he goes. Now the feet are back.

He's across five seconds slower than Josh O'Sullivan.

So he didn't complete his semi. Will he complete his grand final?

So far so good. He's up that Warped Wall.

Suck them in, champ. Suck them in, champ.

Just looking at the clock, he is slowing down a little.

Fatigue is definitely setting in.

Taking a breath, shaking out the arms.

But he can't take too long. Let's go, bro.

He's got two minutes to knock over three obstacles.

First of all, the Rumbling Dice. Turns it once. Turns it twice.

Great technique on the turning as well.

He's really mastered that.

Now the lache... Yes!

Onto the second dice.

Swing, swing! You're dead right, Bec.

You need to keep your hands parallel

or you can find that dice off its tracks.

Jack's slowing down a bit now.

He's ten seconds behind Josh's time.

The dismount!

Great job. Now the Flying Squirrel to Cargo Net.

Take your time, Jack.

Jack Wilson's life changed

after the first series of Australian Ninja Warrior.

If he gets up Mount Midoriyama, I think it's gonna change for good,

as he scrambles up the cargo net.

He gets to the top of the obstacle

and he gets a great view of Mount Midoriyama.

No time to admire it, though.

Just 50 seconds left on the clock

and he still faces the Chimney Climb.

Come on, Jack! Come on, Jack!

He takes the time to say something to Rob and family.

He says, "I love you!" But he has to hurry.

He did not make it up the chimney in the semis. Gotta keep moving.

And now this local legend, this cult hero, an inspiration to a nation,

is almost at the top of the chimney...

The Deadly Ninja has assaulted this grand final course!

(BUZZER BLARES) The Deadly Ninja is through!

FREDDIE: Ladies and gentlemen,

I give you Jack Wilson, the Deadly Ninja!

Oh, he loves this moment and we do too.

Jack Wilson is the first person

to conquer stage one of the grand final.

Oh, Deadly Ninja, Jack Wilson,

produced his best performance of the series so far, buoyed by that crowd.

He's the first ninja through to stage two,

with 19 seconds left on the clock.

Jack, that must feel amazing.

In the semis, didn't quite get to the top of the chimney.

But you put that right tonight.

Yeah. I needed to redeem myself there.

The semi was tough, I must admit. I had to back it up.

You know, I've got Rob de Castella here.

He's the man that seen the light in me and give me an opportunity.

And the course from here in only gets harder, Jack.

Have you got more left in you?

Oh, for sure. I've come this far. What's the point of turning back?

Ladies and gentlemen, Jack Wilson, Deadly Ninja!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

What a proud moment for Jack and Rob de Castella.

But now, stage one of the grand final continues.

And our next ninja is one of the greats.

He made stage one of the grand final last year.

Set his sights on going further than that this time around.

He's fallen twice this season

but that means his best is still ahead.

He's one of the famed Blue Mountains rock climbers.

Come on down, Ben Cossey!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

COSSEY: It feels like I've cheated my way through this year.

I haven't hit the buzzer at all, not even in the heat.

Got through, good time, good distance through the course.

FORDHAM: Oh, wow. Oh, no.

COSSEY: But I haven't hit that buzzer at the end

and had the glory with the fireworks.

FORDHAM: Oh, no! Ben! Ben! Ben! Ben! You rushed it!

Ben, you rushed it!

Will his time be good enough to make it into the grand final?

I know tonight is gonna be a lot harder.

Everyone needs an arsenal to take on something as, like, big

as the Ninja Warrior course.

You need power, you need strength, you need technique, you need speed

and you need cardio fitness.

It's, like, the whole bag of tricks. And you have to get to the end.

Mount Midoriyama, I'm coming for you.

Here he is, Ben Cossey.

Failed to get through the heats, failed to get through the semi.

Is it gonna be a hat-trick of failures?

You know what, something tells me it's not.

I think he's gonna get through.

We all hope so, Freddie.

On the sideline there is his brother Lee and Andrea Hah,

both incredible athletes, but they failed to make it through.

But they're cheering him on tonight.

He knows it's all riding on this. Time to shine, Ben Cossey.

(DING)

It is quite incredible that we only have one Cossey in the grand final.

Lee and Ben were here last year

but it has been an extremely tough course in the heats

and the semifinals and only one's made it through.

BEN FORDHAM: But Ben Cossey is flying the flag here

for the Blue Mountains rock-climbers

and makes mincemeat of the Broken Bridge.

He is on song tonight. Ring Jump now.

Timing's everything in sport.

And this is the time for Ben Cossey to shine.

This is the time. You're in the grand finals.

You've got a chance of getting through

to tomorrow night's stage two.

His brother watching on, wishing that he was there, but thinking,

"Oh, well, at least my bro is there on behalf of all of us now."

And that is a very confident dismount.

Now the I-Beam.

And you'd say the rock-climber will make up some time through here.

He's got all the skills.

And if you're wondering at home,

he's faster than Jack Wilson to this point.

Good job.

Ben Cossey, I'd imagine his confidence is starting to grow now.

He knows he's been disappointing. He knows he hasn't done well.

But that can all change in an instant,

as he goes up the Warped Wall.

He's up in style, Freddie.

But he looks to me like he's starting to feel the pinch a bit

and the toughest obstacles are still to come.

Well, here is the first of them, the Rumbling Dice.

2:10 on the clock but this one chews up a heck of a lot of time.

You can see how hard he's having to work to flip that dice.

And you can hear it - bang!

There you go, the dice is turned over twice.

Now he's got to get onto the second dice and do exactly the same thing.

Oh, look at the battle going on. It's written all over his face.

He's giving everything he's got to get that dice moving.

I don't know what this guy has done in the last few days

but he's done something.

He is looking in the best form we have seen in season two.

Well, he felt that he'd just been unlucky in his heat and his semi.

He just misjudged a few things.

And now that natural talent is rising to the surface once again,

as he takes off towards the Flying Squirrel to Cargo.

He is a competitive beast and that is exactly what we are seeing now.

He knows this is his moment to shine.

There are no second chances in the grand final.

A minute ten left.

He's gotta get down off this obstacle and get up the chimney.

Come on, Ben. Time is not on your side here.

He looks absolutely gassed. He is blowing really hard.

Nice one! Come on! Whoo!

Go for it! 50 seconds left.

He's gotta get up that chimney.

It's 7m high and he's got about 45 seconds

if he's going to make his way into stage two.

Come on, Ben Cossey, dig really deep!

He's hurting. Have a look at him. He's really struggling.

Every single metre is burning his arms and burning his legs.

He's got this unconventional style of getting up the chimney.

And he's only got 26 seconds to do it!

I don't know if he's gonna make it! Is he gonna make it? I don't know!

20 seconds left on the clock! Oh!

He's hanging by the fingertips! What is he doing?

He's got his foot up there on the ledge!

He's got to hit the buzzer!

(BUZZER BLARES) He hits it with his chin!

And the Cossey name lives on! Well, well, well! Yes, sir!

Ben Cossey climbs the chimney,

beats the course and stares down the barrel of Mount Midoriyama!

You legend!

Ben had something to prove tonight and that he did.

He moved fast through the course,

almost running out of puff on the Chimney Climb

but managed to hit the buzzer for the first time in this competition,

with just 14 seconds to spare.

Well, you was in the chimney there

and I can see it on your face - you were buggered.

But you managed to keep going. Where did that come from?

It was a bit greasy at the start. I think my hands are a bit 'spoogy'.

And I can't find the happy spot in the chimney, hey?

Yeah, I just feel like, "Oh..." Just a bit stretched.

But stretched but bunched at the same time.

People say they need subtitles for me.

I don't know what they're gonna do with you.

Alright, well, your brother and Andrea are waiting over there.

Ladies and gentlemen, Ben Cossey! Well done, mate.

Thanks. (CHEERING)

And so good that the Cossey name lives on

to stage two of the grand final.

Coming up, who else can make it to stage two?

'The Furvinator', Stewart Furze, 58 kilos of pure Ninja Warrior

and he's got his eyes on the clock.

I think if we could do it, you know, with a good 15 seconds to spare,

that'd be really good.

Tradie Ninja Sam Goodall.

He reckons the course won't stop him, but will Ross River fever?

The Ross River virus has just really smashed me.

Sometimes I can't even curl my fingers in.

But next, he trains with Alex Bigg and Celeste Dixon.

Can gym owner Luke Williams leave his mark tonight?

There's no second chances.

Find out soon on Australian Ninja Warrior.

Welcome back to Ninja Island.

It's the first night of our big grand final

and if any of our ninjas hope to move on

to tomorrow night's final stages,

they need to keep one eye on the clock and another on the course.

And that's exactly what our next ninja plans on doing.

He created South Australia's Base Camp gym,

where he trains with fellow grand finalists

Alex Bigg and the incredible Celeste Dixon.

He finished fourth in his semifinal

and now it's his time to shine.

Welcome to the grand final Luke Williams!

I'm Luke Williams. I'm 33.

I'm from South Australia and I own SA Base Camp.

CELESTE: Being part of the SA ninjas is really cool.

Luke's really good at motivating you to keep going, not stopping.

Luke is so... oh, he's just so technically good

and just determined to hang on and get through everything.

When you get to the grand final,

you know you're amongst the best of the best in the country.

So, tonight, having to race the clock

just throws in another obstacle in the mix.

So it's terrifying to know that, you know, you make one slip up

and you are basically going home - there's no second chances.

I'm just gonna go out there and crush everything that I can

and hopefully come out the other side with dry feet

and press on that buzzer.

Oh, is it just me or is this intense?

Here we go.

Yay! Go, Dad!

There's Nicole, boys Ky and Tyler. Mum and Dad watching from the stands.

Party time. You got this, hon!

Luke Williams visualising the end of this course,

which ends with the chimney

and his hand being slammed down on that buzzer.

That's all he's been thinking about. No pressure, Luke.

No pressure whatsoever. That's it. Good start, babe.

(CHEERING) MAN: You got it!

The Silk Slider is obstacle number two.

And Luke Williams... No problem whatsoever.

What about this, the Broken Bridge?

Straight across... Yes, he's OK.

Whoo! Oh, yeah! Whoo! He's going so fast!

FREDDIE: Now on the ring climb.

Oh, making easy work of the ring climb.

It's great form from Luke, isn't it, Freddie?

Arms looking strong.

And he's making good time as well, as he now slides down the track...

Whoa! And backwards.

That'll cost him a couple of seconds.

That's it. Well done.

And, Ben, I hope that doesn't play on his mind too much

as he climbs up the first stage of the I-Beam.

You know, there's not much time on the clock left.

The temptation must be to rush but that can cause mistakes.

As he comes across, underneath the I-Beam.

Oh, just takes a little bit of a breath.

Gets them feet back on now.

Doesn't want to hang around too long.

All about speed tonight.

Whoo!

Well, he's gotta pick up the pace a bit.

He's 12 seconds slower than Ben Cossey.

No mucking around up that wall. And now he's got to keep on moving.

Over the top now and down to the Rumbling Dice.

He's looking a little gassed. Time is getting away.

He's 16 seconds behind Ben Cossey at this point.

That's it, Dad. Here he goes.

Swings up to the dice. Now he's got to roll it.

Oh, we have not seen that before. He's flipped it in the same spot.

He needs to move it down the tracks. Goes again.

Better grip this time.

Makes a much cleaner flip. Well done.

He must be confident with his time,

although he's only got one minute 30 left on the clock as of now.

Oh, look at him using every inch of muscle and might to turn that thing.

Oh, gee... Come on, Luke.

Oh, and it's come off.

Hang on a minute. He's twisted the dice off its track.

He's in trouble. What's going on?

The dice come out of its socket a little bit.

He's gonna go for it. Oh!

You know what his choice is now? Just to get off this thing.

Get off. He needs to dismount.

Get off. It's very wonky.

It is causing him all sorts of problems here.

He needs to get enough momentum

but it's just not stable enough, Freddie.

Oh, no! Oh, no!

No! Luke Williams is out!

He lost control of the dice and now he's in the pool.

He's had a really heavy fall there.

You alright? He's taking a moment to recover.

And that's our safety officer with Luke.

And that's really knocked the wind out of him, poor bloke.

He's absolutely shattered.

Looking at the replay, you can see in the first few rolls of the dice,

his hands were parallel, ensuring a clean flip.

But then he changes his grip.

His hands are now on a diagonal

and he swings backwards as he goes for the flip, increasing the torque

and the dice twists off its rungs.

He then makes a desperate lache for the mat to recover

but he comes up painfully short.

How hard is that course tonight, mate?

Yeah, it's really tough, especially when it came out of the rung.

It took a lot of energy out of me

and I didn't have much of a chance to regroup it, so...

And what was it, you just banged your ribs?

Just ribs and head, so... Well, mate, we hope you're alright.

It was an amazing effort. You put your body on the line.

The family on the sidelines are concerned

but also, I'm sure, very, very proud.

Ladies and gentlemen,

let's have a big round of applause for Luke Williams!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) Top man.

Wow. What a courageous run from Luke Williams.

In true ninja spirit, he gave it everything he had

but unfortunately it wasn't enough

to get into stage two tomorrow night.

Coming up, Olivia Vivian carrying the hopes of all female ninjas.

I'm gonna step up tonight, give it absolutely everything I've got

in that grand final, not just for me but for them.

Robotics engineer Rob Patterson.

The machine man is ready to take on the mountain.

That's gonna be insane.

I just really want to push myself as hard as I can.

And the Tradie Ninja, Sam Goodall.

He built his own Mount Midoriyama...

Mount Midoriyama!

..but will Ross River fever bring it all crashing down?

Not gonna be pretty but it should be interesting.

That's next on Australian Ninja Warrior.

The competitors on Australian Ninja Warrior

all want to make it through the course in record time.

But it's the ninja who goes furthest and fastest

that will be given the title of Performance of the Night.

Thanks to Berocca.

Welcome back to the Ninja Warrior grand final.

Before the break, we saw Luke Williams

take a heavy fall on the Rumbling Dice.

Oh, no! Oh, no!

And while you were away,

the hopes of three more ninjas took a hit too.

Emmett Swindells had problems of his own on the Rumbling Dice.

Oh, he's struggling to turn that last dice over.

Lagging behind on the clock,

this storeman was sent packing by the Flying Squirrel.

FREDDIE: Oh, no, he's fallen off!

At least his pyjamas will get a wash.

German MMA fighter Sebastian Kliesch

went down for the count on the same obstacle.

They know that Sebastian

does not have a second to spare at this point...

Oh!

And zoology student Luke Stahl was fastest in his semifinal...

Not hanging around, not wasting any time.

..but was a little too hasty on his dismount from the rings.

Oh, Luke Stahl! Didn't see that coming!

MAN: He had to let go first time.

Next up, our favourite tradie.

Yes, a bout of Ross River virus

has plagued him throughout this season

but if anyone can push through, our Sam can.

Give it up, a big Ninja Island welcome,

from WA, Sam Goodall!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

SAM: The heats and the semis have been fun.

Tonight it gets really serious.

We're fighting the clock. We really have to finish the course.

Don't finish, don't go any further, sorry.

When you saw me on the course last year,

I was definitely a lot stronger, had a lot more energy.

BEN: Here he goes, from one wheel to the next.

He gives himself a lot of swing and he holds on!

SAM: Coming into it this time,

the Ross River virus has just really smashed me.

I mean, my hands, sometimes at the end of the day at work,

I can't even curl my fingers in.

It's annoying that the more I train, the more I work, the worse I get.

It's really devastating to come in to attack the course again

with such a low level of energy.

At the moment, I'm probably operating at about 60%, I think.

And on a course like we have here,

that last 40% is very important, so...

Gonna do my best.

What you'll see out there is someone trying their hardest.

It's not gonna be pretty but it should be interesting.

Well, it's amazing he's here.

And there is his brother-in-law, Zed.

He'll be running later tonight.

BEN: What about that little cutie?

There's Abby, blowing kisses on the sideline.

This bloke deserves all the praise in the world for just being here,

considering his health complications and challenges at the moment.

You catch Ross River fever from infected mosquitoes

and it causes fatigue and swollen joints.

It can last for months.

So let's get behind him. Let's get him up that chimney.

Sam Goodall yet to press the buzzer this season.

Tonight is the night to do it, Sam. This is your last chance, son.

(DING) WOMAN: You've got this, babe!

He is one of our favourite competitors from season one.

He made it to this night, the grand final, stage one last year,

so he's here to go even further.

But Ross River fever - imagine carrying that into the grand final.

Now the Broken Bridge. He makes quick work of that.

Turns the corner. Look at him fly through!

Well done!

Is tonight the night for Sam? Is tonight his date with destiny?

MAN: Come on, Sam.

He is moving really well through these rings.

Awesome! Come on!

And he's already onto that last ring.

He's down and he's off.

Now it's time to climb the I-Beam Gap.

Come on, Sam! You got this! Legs up, Sam!

Not using his feet, just using his hands.

Look at that for strength and speed.

Freddie, he's throwing everything at this course.

But we saw this in the semifinals.

He started really well and then faded badly.

Keep that shoe on! Come on!

He's quick at the moment. Look at this.

Right now, he's up there with the fastest pace of the night,

as he blows away the I-Beam and turns to the Warped Wall.

WOMAN: Beat the wall! Beat the wall!

Come on, Sam. Get up this wall. Yes, yes, yes!

(CHEERING) Three obstacles to go.

He's got two minutes ten on the clock.

He's flying! You are acing this, babe.

But look at this, Ben.

He's slowing down just a little as he comes up to the Rumbling Dice.

He knows this one is really gonna sap his strength.

He's up. He's on.

Now he's just got to roll that dice.

Interesting technique there.

He made it a lot easier for himself to flip it over.

All his body weight on one. He's a very smart competitor.

Yeah, he's smart, Bec, but he's struggling too.

Really burning through the seconds now,

as he makes the lache onto the second dice.

(CHEERING) Go, hon!

I'm just looking at the clock here, though, Ben. He is slowing down.

This is exactly what happened in the semis.

Very fast out of the blocks but by mid-course, his energy was gone.

Looks like the same thing's happening here.

Look at his face. Look at him kicking those knees up.

He has a quick look at the clock.

And the clock tells him he's got now one minute ten to do two obstacles.

He's up against it here.

Big breath and you've got this!

Oh, whoa, he nearly fell back into the water there.

WOMAN: You can do it, babe. He's fatiguing.

30 seconds slower than Ben Cossey was.

If he makes it, it's gonna go down to the wire.

Yes, babe! What a performance!

Over to the cargo net any moment now.

He's hurting. On his face, you can see it, Bec.

Wow. That was close. Nearly missed his grip.

Do you think he has enough gas in the tank to get through?

I don't know. 38 seconds left.

Ross River virus pumping through his veins

and the hardest obstacle remains.

35 seconds to go. He comes down the pole.

Now Sam Goodall, he's gonna have to put a spurt on here.

Needs to get in that chimney as fast as possible.

Less than 30 seconds. He's tiring. The clock's ticking.

Don't give up now! I can't watch!

20 seconds! Come on!

Push! Dig that little bit deeper!

Oh, this is gonna be tight. I can't watch.

I know the clock is ticking down. Come on, Sam!

Push! 10 seconds to go!

Come on, Sam Goodall!

Five seconds. Get up and press the buzzer!

Three, two, one! (BUZZER BLARES)

Hit it! Yes!

Oh, Sam! One second 43 to go!

Talk about cutting it fine, Sam.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

And that is why we love Ninja Warrior.

It takes muscles and brains but it also takes heart.

With his illness, Sam's energy gave out but he just wouldn't quit.

Have you ever seen a more gutsy display?

Sam Goodall through to stage two with a second to spare.

I think everyone's out of breath here.

Can you believe you just did that, Sam?

It's divine intervention, that's all I can say.

Do you usually turn up just in the nick of time?

Mate, tradies are always on time, aren't they?

(LAUGHS) Good comeback, mate. Take a breather.

Go down and celebrate. Enjoy it.

He's through to stage two of the grand final.

Let's give him a massive round of applause.

Sam Goodall!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Hold onto your hats. We're about to unleash the titans of Ninja.

His runs of the stuff of legend - 'Flashlin' Ashlin Herbert.

You know you have to beat the time. It messes with your head.

Also on the course tonight, Alex 'The Mo' Matthews,

DJ Ben Polson

and queen of the course, Olivia Vivian.

But next, our youngest competitor, Bryson Klein.

20 years old. But Dad knows best.

Get out there, go fast, be efficient.

Alright, guys, showtime.

(ALL CHEER) WOMAN: Go for it. Go for it.

Come on. Go, Bry. Go.

(ALL CHEER)

Welcome back to Ninja Island,

where so far three ninjas have qualified

for stage two of the grand final,

including Sam Goodall by just one second.

Our next competitor is Stewart Furze,

or 'The Furvinator', as we like to call him.

Ninjas, they come in all shapes and sizes

and this pocket dynamo is dropping jaws

every time he takes to the course.

Here he is, Stewart Furze!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

STEWART: I can't believe I've made it this far.

It was my ultimate goal to come right through to grand final

but for it to be happening, it's just an amazing feeling.

Oh! (LAUGHS) Go on, Furvy!

I would say I'm definitely an underdog.

There's a lot of other people in there

that have got some good credentials.

To be honest, I don't think many people in there

take me for what I'm potentially worth.

I'm quite a small guy. I'm only 58 kilos.

Some of the other ninjas here can be quite intimidating.

To see some of those guys even already knocked out,

it gives me a really great sense of satisfaction.

To make it to the top of Mount Midoriyama would be a dream.

I think everyone here has the same goal,

to climb that rope and get to the top and hit that buzzer.

For me, it'd be probably the greatest achievement of my life.

BEN: There's Ashanti there on the sidelines, Stewart's girlfriend,

hoping for the best.

This is the one I've been waiting for.

Stewart Furze from South Australia - the Furvinator.

He's not as big as some of the other ninjas.

He's gone under the radar.

This lad is an underdog but a massive threat.

PEOPLE: (CHANT) Furvy! Furvy! Furvy! (DING)

Yeah, the Furvinator's on his way.

Whoops! All 58 kilos of him.

Bounding through those Quadruple Steps.

Furvy's also got his mum and sister here tonight.

This is the Silk Slider.

The Furvinator said he'd be back and he is back in the grand final.

And now the Broken Bridge.

Light as a feather and he has no trouble getting across that.

Up onto the rings now. And watch this.

What Stewart lacks in raw muscle he's gonna make up for in technique.

Perfect form.

This is the reason I love Ninja Warrior.

These unassuming heroes. He's turned up.

This lad's not big enough. He's not strong enough.

But he's in the grand finals and he's making mincemeat of the course.

Come on, the Furvinator! Come on, Stewart!

He's lighter than a feather, just crawls up there.

These are everyday heroes.

This is one of them, scaling underneath the I-Beam.

Upside down, absolutely no problem at all.

He looks like he's just gliding along that thing.

Oh, this is a good time.

He's one second faster than Jack Wilson at this point.

Now, the Furvinator, coming up to the Warped Wall

with two minutes 20 still to go.

I would love this lad to be pressing the button

for the first time in the finals.

Up he goes. No problem.

The Furvinator has got two minutes ten seconds

to complete three obstacles.

And that's exactly the same as Sam Goodall, to this point.

And Sam ran out of gas.

Furvy! Furvy! Furvy!

The crowd getting right behind him, chanting his name.

This is the one obstacle he could have the most problems with.

He's so light, 58 kilos, versus the 22-kilo dice.

And we saw with Luke what happens if your technique isn't spot-on.

Has he got the wingspan here?

Oh, he's gonna get the biggest swing in the world

to make sure that he makes that jump.

And he does it!

He's light, but you know what, he is strong and his technique is perfect.

Yes, he actually gets the momentum going in his feet

in order to be able to lift the thing over up above.

Very clever, Furvinator. We like what you're doing here.

Look at the Furvinator. Look at him go!

All shapes and sizes, these ninjas!

If you're in Rosslyn Park, South Australia, this is your man.

He's one minute ten seconds away

from confirming his spot in stage two's grand final.

Doesn't matter how big you are. The fire is burning within.

Come on, the Furvinator! Scramble up that net!

Still got 55 seconds left! He looks like he can do it.

The clock is racing, but he looks like he can do it, Ben.

He's scrambling at the moment, Bec.

Keep in mind, he's gotta go up 7m up the chimney.

42 seconds, 41, 40...

How much strength, how much power does he have left

in those legs and those arms?

He looks good. Look at him.

That is one of the best chimney climbs we have seen tonight.

I'm gonna go off 'cause I think this lad is incredible!

Get to the top!

Do it for all the little fellas out there!

(BUZZER BLARES) Go on, Furvy!

The Furvinator is through to stage two!

With 21 seconds left on the clock,

the little guy in the competition becomes the big man on campus.

How are you, mate? Oh, that is an amazing course.

I loved it, every second.

No wonder he loved it.

The Furvinator showed great ninja skills and endurance

to not only finish the course

but do it two seconds faster than Jack Wilson

to record the fastest time of the night so far.

Mate, I have loved you from the start.

The underdog is now becoming the top dog.

But one of the things I love about you is,

there's a lot of people out there who get told they can't do this,

you can't do that...

If you think you can do something, you can.

Mate, you're proof of that. And the crowd and loving you.

Everyone's right behind you.

The family on the sidelines cheering you on.

How much does that mean to you? Oh, it means the world.

Honestly, I'm so stoked. Mate, we're all right behind you.

Ladies and gentlemen, Stewart Furze!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) Keep going, son.

So, Furvy, the fastest of the night so far

but there are a lot of very fast ninjas still to come

who will be looking for bragging rights going into tomorrow night.

Warming up, there's the 'Robot Warrior' Rob Patterson,

Alex 'The Mo' Matthews,

DJ Ben Polson and, of course, 'Flashlin' Ashlin Herbert.

And running next is the first of the speedsters.

Our youngest grand finalist,

he is one of this season's most exciting newcomers

and he has pace to burn.

Put your hands together for Bryson Klein!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

WOMAN: Whoo-hoo!

BRYSON: Being in the grand final, everyone's a big name.

Ashlin's definitely the one to look out for.

He's by far the quickest so far.

And Olivia. This woman is phenomenal!

To be in the round with these guys, yeah, actually super intimidating.

It's almost like there's a little voice in my head being, like,

"Do you really think you're, like, as good as these guys?"

But I believe I have enough to... (LAUGHS) go all the way.

I mean, we'll see.

It's the hardest obstacle course in the world.

It's the biggest challenge in the world.

If I did that, I'd be, like, "Yes." (LAUGHS)

"Like, I can do this. Yeah, this is awesome."

I may be the youngest competitor in the grand final

but I've been training 14 years for this.

Mount Midoriyama, I'm coming for you.

BEN: He came second in his heat and second in the semis.

He's just become a powerhouse, just glides his way through the course.

His biggest fan and best mate, his dad Matthew, is on the sideline,

along with his girlfriend Marle, mum Marian, sister Tessa.

And Ninja Island right behind him.

(CHEERING) (DING)

Here he goes. His grand final run.

Bryson Klein, the youngest ninja to make it through to the grand final.

And he has been undoubtedly the breakout star from this series.

He's young, he's gutsy, he's got no fear.

(EXCLAIMS) Look at him go!

He turns the corner now and meets the Ring Jump.

And this is one that would slow down most competitors.

Come on, Bryson! Not Bryson, though.

He's tearing through it. Yeah, Bryson!

Look at that. He's done.

Breathe, Bryson! Breathe!

He has an unblemished record in season two.

Heats completed - tick. Semifinals completed - tick.

Will that be the same for the grand final stage one?

It looks like it, Bec. He's fastest to here by 12 seconds.

Now the Warped Wall.

He goes down the ramp, he goes up the ramp and it's done!

Go, Bryson! Tick another one off the list.

This is the guy with the infectious laugh.

But no time for laughing at the moment, Ben,

'cause now he is faced with the Rumbling Dice.

Grabs onto the first dice. Flipped it.

His time is intimidating.

He's got two minutes 15 left on the clock

and he's only got two and a half obstacles to complete.

Let's go!

Freddie, he's looking good down there?

Look at the time.

Still two minutes left on the clock, as he pushes with one hand up,

pulls down with the other, gets the dice moving.

Oh, it's quick. That'll do. Let's go.

OK, Bryson. There's his exit.

One 50 left on the clock.

He's 35 seconds faster than the Furvinator at this point.

Takes a little bit of a deep breath.

Only sign so far he's found any of this course a struggle.

Nice and high, Bryson! Swinging.

Nice and high!

Now he's gonna fly across onto the cargo net.

He didn't fly. He just grabs it.

A champion speed-climber back in 2016, and it's paying off tonight.

1:29 left on the clock.

Hey, he's getting a bit cheeky up there.

This is the grand final, Bryson Klein.

But he is just doing it with such brilliance.

This is absolutely incredible to watch.

One minute 15 to go.

Interesting that he thinks Ashlin Herbert

is the man to beat in the competition.

Ashlin Herbert picked Bryson Klein.

Remember, a year ago, this guy was sitting on the couch

watching Australian Ninja Warrior, saying,

"That could be me. That should be me."

12 months later, here he is, at the top of the chimney

and he's ready to go into stage two of the grand final!

And what a time! Holy smoke! (CHEERING)

56 seconds left on the clock!

35 seconds faster than the Furvinator!

Bryson Klein, that was phenomenal stuff!

You just ate that course up.

Tastes brilliant. (LAUGHS)

If he felt intimidated by the grand final, he never showed it.

Bryson skilfully tackled each obstacle with confidence

and still had plenty of fuel in the tank

as he pumped his way up the chimney to hit the buzzer.

Could this kid be crowned

our first Australian Ninja Warrior tomorrow night?

Bryson, you breezed through another course.

Plenty of ninjas are talking about you.

How does it feel to be the one to watch?

Well, it gets a bit intimidating, a bit of pressure,

but, you know, it feels good.

What's gonna take you to the top of Mount Midoriyama?

You'll just have to wait and see, won't you? (LAUGHS)

Alright, ladies and gentlemen, Bryson Klein!

Go and join the family, mate. (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Bryson Klein has set the new standard.

But still to come, there is speed to burn.

Robot Warrior Rob Patterson is getting into gear.

To get a crack at Mount Midoriyama,

I'm going to smash stage one and two of the grand final.

It's going to be epic.

Olivia Vivian is preparing to make history once again

and reach stage two of the grand final.

That course doesn't discriminate against height, weight, gender.

I'm gonna step up, give it absolutely everything I've got.

But next, can Zed Colback

join brother-in-law Sam Goodall in stage two?

OK, guys, gonna go do it. Give it up.

(CHEERING) Love you, guys.

Bye! See you later. (ALL CHEER)

Welcome back to Ninja Island,

where Bryson Klein has thrown down the gauntlet,

finishing the course with 56 seconds to spare.

(BUZZER BLARES) (CHEERING)

Also hitting the course tonight, four more big names.

Fred Dorrington was top of the leader board

in last year's grand final.

Just easing his way up the chimney. Pops out the top.

Can he do it again?

He's there! 19 seconds to go on the clock!

He's back! Fred Dorrington is back!

Rock-climber Zed Colback

had brother-in-law Sam Goodall on the sideline.

Let's set some records, brother!

He qualified for stage two but was 35 seconds slower than Bryson.

(CHEERING)

DJ Ben Polson had Olivia Vivian in his corner.

Come on, babe!

She'll be looking to join him in stage two

after he clocked what was the night's second fastest time.

(BUZZER BLARES) Brilliant!

Then Fremantle firefighter Alex Matthews set the course alight.

Oh! This guy is quick!

The man with the mo reaching the buzzer two seconds faster than Bryson

to set the fastest time of the night so far.

Whoo!

But our next ninja has the credentials

to not only qualify for stage two but do it in the quickest time.

This gymnast turned robotics engineer

is always absolutely clinical on course

and was fastest in his semifinal

by more than a minute.

Rob Patterson!

He wants to be the first Australian Ninja Warrior.

Hand's up in the air. That says to me, "I am the champ."

I know his mum, dad and girlfriend and sister will agree.

There they are. (DING)

And Rob begins his grand final campaign.

Do not look away from your TV set.

This guy set the fastest time of the night in his semi.

Oh, through the Broken Bridge!

I just thought I got there to see it.

He is a man in a hurry, no doubt, Freddie.

Really rapid start. He is fast!

Currently four seconds faster than Alex Matthews,

who's at the top of the leader board.

He's on his way down the Ring Jump already.

Look at this!

And without missing a beat, he is onto the I-Beam.

I tell you what, never have I seen ninjas going as fast as this.

All of them tonight putting big shifts in, putting a spurt on.

Time check here, Freddie.

He is eight seconds ahead of Alex Matthews.

There he goes, up the Warped Wall.

(CHEERING) Three obstacles to go.

Let's have a look at the time.

He's got two minutes 30 left on the clock.

Gets harder from here, though, Ben.

But with that time, he can afford to slow down.

WOMAN: You can do it! But he won't, Rob Patterson.

He was the fifth fastest in our grand final last year.

And the skill of turning those dice over -

other ninjas have struggled at this point.

But they just don't seem to be posing any threat or any trouble

to this 22-year-old ninja.

However, as we saw with Luke Williams,

if they go off their rungs at all,

then you can be in a nightmare scenario.

But Rob Patterson... This is not a nightmare.

This is an absolute dream for Rob Patterson.

He's 13 seconds ahead of Alex.

On the squirrel. Big swings.

This is something to watch.

Nearly top of the cargo net already!

Only has to climb a couple.

Bloomin' heck, Rob. So strong, so agile.

The smile on his face says it all.

He is lapping this up.

Is this gonna be the fastest time of the night so far?

Still one minute 35 seconds on the clock,

as he rushes over to the Chimney Climb.

Climb! Climb! Climb! Climb!

You know what, backstage at the moment,

there are a heap of grand finalist ninjas saying, "What the hell?"

Oh, yes. "He did it in what time?"

What is going on on Ninja Island?

Rob Patterson hits the buzzer with a minute 18 left on the clock!

20 seconds faster than Alex Matthews.

Rob Patterson, you have just carved this course up tonight.

(CHEERING)

And Rob completed the first six obstacles in less than a minute

and that set him on a trajectory that was unstoppable.

This guy is a contender.

This guy could go all the way tomorrow night.

How far can you go?

It's a shot... of at least getting to the bottom of the rope.

(LAUGHTER) No good being at the bottom.

We need you to the top.

Rob Patterson! Give him a big round of applause!

So there he is - Rob Patterson comfortably fastest qualifier

for the night so far, ahead of Alex Matthews and Bryson Klein.

They've certainly thrown down the challenge

to the likes of Jack Wilson and Sam Goodall.

Now, this isn't a race. It's all about qualifying.

But coming up is a ninja who, for pure pace,

leaves everyone else in his wake.

This guy is a freak!

'Flashlin' Ashlin Herbert takes to the course next.

Then the one we've been waiting for.

Can Olivia Vivian complete the course

and make it through to stage two?

I'm gonna step up tonight and give it absolutely everything I've got.

Welcome back to stage one of the Ninja Warrior grand final.

Complete the course in under three minutes 30 and ninjas move on

to stage two tomorrow night and the chance to climb Mount Midoriyama.

Earlier tonight, three more ninjas qualified for stage two.

Blue Mountains rock-climber Tom O'Halloran

powered his way through the course.

Look at him whip his way up the wall!

He set the night's fifth fastest time,

securing his stage two spot alongside fellow climber Ben Cossey.

The BMX Ninja Daniel Walker says he's competing for his family.

Yes! Yes! Come on, mate!

And once again, he delivered the goods.

(BUZZER BLARES) (CHEERING)

And air force technician Alex Bigg

didn't make it past the second obstacle last season...

Oh, my word! His nuts must be sore after that!

You can say that again.

This year, he's flown all the way to stage two of the grand final.

(BUZZER BLARES) (CHEERING)

Yeah!

Well, when you talk about speed,

you have to talk about our next ninja, Ashlin Herbert.

He was the quickest in his semi,

minutes ahead of second place.

But with speed comes risk.

And we've seen him fall

on this grand final stage before.

Here he comes, the bro with the fro.

Ashlin Herbert! (CHEERING)

Come on, Ash! Go, Flashlin! Whoo-hoo!

ASHLIN: Just before the buzzer goes,

I don't really have too much going through my head.

I sort of switch off, let my body do what it does.

Whoa! He is on fire tonight.

It's too easy for this lad. I can't keep up with him.

I'm on the ground! I can't believe what I'm seeing.

BRYSON: Watching Ashlin is just so inspiring for me.

Like, everything he does is perfect.

BEN: This guy is a freak!

He's really, really good at what he does.

Oh, my word. This is an exhibition.

I call him 'Flashlin' 'cause he's just so smooth

and I'm so excited to watch him.

(BUZZER BLARES)

Hitting the buzzer never gets old.

Pretty excited for the grand finals.

I'm keen to have a look at the course.

It sounds pretty daunting - another 23 obstacles.

It'll be a hard couple of nights, I reckon.

Just knowing that you don't have the time that you normally would,

you know you have to be the time.

It messes with your head. (LAUGHS)

It's definitely gonna be a tester but I'll give it my best shot.

WOMAN: Come on, Ash. (CHEERING)

He reckons he goes so fast 'cause he's not got great endurance.

We've yet to see that.

He just blitzes his way through the course.

He did say he's had a few beers since the semifinal.

Might slow him down.

I very much doubt it, actually. I very much doubt it.

BEN: Yeah, Freddie, Ashlin's been fastest in his heat and semi.

To do that again, he needs to be Rob Patterson,

who had one minute 18 left on the clock.

Ashlin! Ashlin! Here we go.

On your marks, get set. This is gonna be quick.

(DING)

Not using his hands on the Quadruple Steps.

Straight to the top. He's in front of us already.

Here is the guy that doesn't do a lot of talking

when he's on the sidelines or being interviewed by Freddie Flintoff,

'cause you know what, he just says, "I don't need to. Look at me go!"

Oh, he's not hanging around. He never does, this lad.

Now onto the rings. WOMAN: Yeah!

Oh, my word. Just eating up this course.

Come on, we've got to keep up.

Cameras, sound, everyone, let's catch this kid up.

He's earned himself a new nickname.

He's got supporters there with headbands on saying 'Flashlin'.

That's 'cause he's quick as a flash.

He can't afford to make any mistakes here.

The fro's upside down - just proving it's real.

It's not fallen off.

Here he goes, Ashlin Herbert finishing off the I-Beam Gap.

And he is running the exact same time as Rob Patterson.

Up he goes. There is nothing in it.

He's got two minutes and 33 seconds to complete three obstacles.

Come on, Ash!

I'm here, I'm here, I'm here, I'm here, lagging behind Ashlin Herbert.

He's doing the course and he's faster than me on the sidelines.

He's six seconds faster than Rob Patterson at this point.

And look at him - he seems to be getting faster.

He is on track to be the fastest tonight.

He is quite amazing on this Ninja Warrior course.

Here he is, on the side.

I'm getting ahead of him, I'm getting ahead of him.

Yeah, hurry up, Freddie. He's picking up the pace.

He's 11 seconds faster than Rob Patterson on the tramp.

How does he do it?

Gets to the top of the cargo net with two minutes to spare.

This is incredible.

We've seen some fast ninjas already tonight. But nothing like this.

What are we watching here?

We're watching a freak of nature, that's what we're watching.

1:47 left on the clock.

1:18 the time to beat, as he enters the chimney.

Oh, my, my, my.

This is gonna be the fastest time of the night.

Of course it is. One minute 32 on the clock.

Incredible.

Oh, ladies and gentlemen...

(BUZZER BLARES) ..I present Ashlin Herbert.

You have just frightened the bejesus out of 31 other ninjas.

Ashlin Herbert says, "Get ready for stage two. Here I come."

The fastest time of the night.

If you blinked and missed it,

we have slowed it down for you in this replay.

The course didn't stand a chance against Ashlin,

as he ripped through each obstacle.

Adding insult to injury, he hit the buzzer

a full one minute 29 ahead of schedule,

fastest tonight by 11 seconds.

Come on, Ashlin. In you come. (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Ashlin, anything you'd like to share with us tonight?

Yeah. That was good fun. (LAUGHTER)

That's about it, yeah. That's about it?

Ladies and gentlemen, Ashlin Herbert!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

And with that, Ashlin Herbert leads the way with the fastest run so far,

11 seconds faster than Rob Patterson,

followed by Alex 'The Mo' Matthews in third.

Well, Ashlin might be the fastest qualifier so far

but there are no prizes for that.

All that matters is reaching stage two.

And Olivia Vivian has her sights set exactly on that.

I came back this year with the goal to make it as far as I possibly can.

Can the first Australian woman to make the grand final

keep her amazing season alive?

We'll find out next.

Welcome back to stage one of the grand final.

And what a night it's been! An amazing group of ninjas.

They've made it through to tomorrow night's showdown,

where the best of the best will take on the course

and a shot at Mount Midoriyama.

And now, the final run of the night.

From our very first show, this woman set the bar high.

Olivia Vivian not only made it up the Warped Wall,

she did it backwards twice.

Tonight, she makes history

as the only woman to make it to the grand final.

We believe she can go all the way.

Olivia Vivian! (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

I came back this year with the goal to make it as far as I possibly can.

Yes! She hits it and holds it!

What an athlete!

To be in a grand final is huge.

It's such a big payoff for all the hard work.

This is for history.

I was one of six women up that wall this year.

Here she goes, for a second attempt.

Yes! And she's got it!

No, Olivia... Hold on. What? What? What?

I am super proud to be the first female in the grand final.

I can't believe she is the only female through to the grand final.

That is unbelievable.

But when she sets goals, it's,

"Get out of my way, I'm going to achieve those."

I'm so proud of her.

Tonight, I'm representing

a great amount of really strong female competitors from this season,

so it would be disrespectful if I went out there and half-arsed it.

I'm gonna step up, give it absolutely everything I've got,

not just for me but for them.

(CHEERING) Come on, Liv!

Her brother Trent in the red there

and boyfriend Ben Polson on the sideline.

Ben made it to stage two. We'll be seeing him tomorrow night.

But can Olivia Vivian join him?

Come on, Liv!

Is there a little bit of pressure on her now?

She'll want to go further in this competition.

So many ninjas reaching the top of the chimney tonight.

Can we get a girl up there?

The next three and a half minutes will tell.

Well, on Ninja Island, there are many stars

but there are none bigger this year than Olivia Vivian.

Dare we hope and dream for our first female grand finalist?

Can she make up the chimney tonight? I already have chills.

This woman has shown us more than we ever anticipated.

Can she go all the way in the grand finals?

Come on, Liv. You got this.

Can she beat Ashlin Herbert,

who finished the course with 1:29 left on the clock?

FREDDIE: Now onto the Broken Bridge. Fast feet needed.

And she's got them.

Here she comes, Olivia Vivian, onto the ring climb.

And look how focused she is, Freddie.

She does not want to make any mistakes 'cause if she gets through,

in 24 hours, she could be climbing Mount Midoriyama.

She's carving it up at the moment, Bec.

She's already onto the Ring Jump and her time is very, very good.

Oh, this is exciting stuff.

So now she slides her way down and she dismounts.

She's got all of those natural abilities.

And I guess when she gets to the Warped Wall,

that's when everyone will be watching and think,

"Hang on, is she gonna go up it backwards again?"

Surely we do not have time for that. We are under the clock tonight.

There's no going backwards up the Warped Wall.

This is grand final stuff. There's no time for mucking around tonight.

However, it is Olivia Vivian and she continues to shock us.

OK. Here we go.

She's the girl who went backwards up the Warped Wall

in her heat and in her semi.

Don't muck around tonight, Olivia. Just get up there.

No, Olivia... Oh, she's doing it again!

No, Olivia! Yes!

I mean, yes, Olivia! We love you!

Oh, my goodness me!

I did not think I would see that on the grand final.

Can you believe it?

And the time's good - eight seconds slower than her partner, Ben Polson.

Come on, Olivia!

She's so confident...

Oh, no. Oh, no!

All of a sudden, she's got one of these dice that's off its rung.

Come on, Liv. Think about it, think about it.

That's it. Oh, no.

This is what happened to Luke earlier.

Olivia Vivian, it's right off the track.

She can't move it forward.

She's gonna have to find a way off this.

She's going to have to jump from there, I think.

She's gonna have to go for a massive jump here.

Massive jump.

Oh, no! Oh! And she misses!

Olivia Vivian...

Oh!

We love you, Liv.

Olivia Vivian was going so well.

She had a minute 43 left on the clock.

But in her haste to get up the chimney,

the dice just went off the rung and she went into the pool.

That is devastating.

She makes a good transition onto the dice

but she makes a mistake, not getting her grip right.

You can see her hands aren't parallel.

Then she makes another error, sadly, swinging backwards.

That increases the force on the twist and the dice jumps the tracks.

Two costly mistakes that brought her campaign to an end.

Oh, she's still so happy. (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

She's our first female to make it to the grand final.

She should be so, so proud.

Oh, Olivia, it was going so well.

And then what happened with the dice?

I'm not sure.

It just came off the rung

and just trying to complete that second turn before the lache...

You've come so far in this competition.

You're the only girl in the grand finals.

What does that mean to you, because you have been amazing.

I'm super proud... (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

..obviously with how far I've come

but also how far all the females have come this season.

You can tell that they've stepped up the level.

When you see one person do it, it's like,

"If she can do it, or if he can do it, I can do it,"

and that's what it's all about.

Olivia, I, for one, the crowd, everyone at home

have loved having you on this season, loved watching you.

Ladies and gentlemen, Olivia Vivian! (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Well done, Olivia.

As this amazing woman bows out,

here are the 24 ninjas who've made it through

to stage two of the grand final tomorrow night.

Fastest of the bunch, Flashlin Ashlin Herbert, with 1:29 left on the clock,

'Robot' Rob Patterson 11 seconds behind,

then Alex Matthews, Bryson Klein and Tom O'Halloran.

Over the page,

Jayden Irving qualified sixth fastest, Ben Polson tenth.

The Furvinator was 13th tonight, Jack Wilson 14th, Ben Cossey 18th

and Sam Goodall, beating the clock by one solitary second,

the last to qualify.

Performance of the Night goes to who else

but the man with the hair and the speed.

Ashlin Herbert goes into stage two a firm favourite,

but the competition will be fierce.

For these ninjas, the dream is still alive.

Tomorrow night, they'll be back for the final stage of competition,

with the dream of making it all the way to Mount Midoriyama.

Tomorrow night, it's the season finale.

Everything has led to this moment.

Going into stage two of the grand final,

everything is so much more intimidating.

The course is just gonna be absolutely unrelenting.

24 ninjas...

I can't even believe that this is real right now,

that I've made it this far.

..14 obstacles...

When I step up to that course,

the only thing that's gonna be going through that mind

is two minutes 45 - run your arse off.

It's time to declare war on the clock.

One chance.

I might be able to do this.

I might be able to be the Australian Ninja Warrior.

Can anyone conquer Mount Midoriyama...

I feel like it's there for the taking.

..and be crowned Australia's first Ninja Warrior?

All tomorrow night.

Our epic grand final continues

as our ninjas make their way to Mount Midoriyama.

Yeah, it's tense here on Ninja Island.

Will we crown a winner? I reckon there's every chance.

Set your clock.

Join us for the last time this season,

when our grand final concludes.

Until then, goodnight. Goodnight.