Greatest Grand Final

[Crock]

The Hawks back to back booklet that is out now is suggesting that this years premiership might be our greatest.
I cannot deny that the feeling of euphoria after the win was amazing because
...1) Was so unexpected
...2) Was so emphatic
...3) Was revenge for 2012
...4) Seeing Hodge get his second Norm Smith medal and the accolades that he deserves.
...5) Was great to see Franklin miss out (bit of bitchiness on my part)
...6) Was great to see young players get their first medallion
(probably another million legitimate reasons that others could add).
All our premierships have been great because they’ve added to our trophy cabinet and mean that the supporters of other clubs have to “grudgingly” admit that we are, at least, up there with the best.
My question (which is probably unfair to younger posters) is which is our greatest premiership win?
For me, this one probably comes in about equal 4th behind:
1989 was an absolute bloodbath with players standing up against massive adversity.
by the last quarter they were the walking wounded, but they paid the price!
and our first back to back
2008 was so unexpected against a side that had dominated during the season
they didn’t look like they had a weakness on the field yet we showed them up during the finals.
It had been so long between drinks and the club had faced some severe adversity during that gap.
1971 another “last man standing” brutal game where we’d beaten the opposition three times during the year and looked like we were going to lose this one.
A great come from behind win in the last quarter.
Personally I would then have 1991 and 2014 as probably equal 4th
In both these GF’s our opposition were very dominant during the year and we were underdogs.
But we came out and hunted them
I was there for 71 but too young to understand the ramifications of 61!
Would appreciate other posters thoughts!

 

[Ned Ryerson]

It will always stand out for me because of my ability to remember it and having been so immersed in the past 3-4 seasons. Having been raised most of my life in League heartlands - my first match of AFL was the 1989 Grand Final (hence the name) - my passion for the Hawks has grown steadily since and my moving to Melbourne has enhanced things beyond measure. 2008 was amazing, but I was going through a rough patch in life and on the day of the grand final was sick as a dog with borderline pneumonia - every cheer was making me almost cough up a lung.

I'll never forget the joy that Sydney robbed from me (and us all) in 2012 - my first ever grand final I attended live - then when COLA became more publicised afterwards, the Tippett fiasco etc - my hatred grew and grew.

2013 was amazing, it washed away the 2012 aftertaste - the first premiership I'd ever seen live. It wasn't an amazing game, but it was an amazing day, so many good highlights (Gunston in the first half, Lake in the second) - it was a great time.

2014 was something else. It wasn't just the revenge, it was the ruthless execution of pure evil (in a football sense). We had every reason to doubt we'd even be there with injuries, the Judas betrayal, our mentor falling ill. We had no right to be so competitive all season. If you believed the press grand final week, Sydney had a bye week and needed only show up to claim the flag. Unfortunately for them, we showed up - and showed them up. It was a perfect culmination of the past 4 years that we'd been lucky enough to watch some amazing football. It had everything. Cyril's return, Rough's tackle, the physical pounding of Judas, Hodge destroying Sydney in his 250th and winning another Norm Smith, Lake's mark over the hack Tippet, Langford's goals, Mitchell finally dominating a grand final and so many other amazing moments.

I wasn't there in 1989 - so I can't honestly compare it to be truthful - a DVD replay will never compare to being present. Those that were blessed to be at both 1989 and 2014 could give the best actual comparison. For me though - 2014 will be hard to beat for a memory for mine. It couldn't have been more perfect.

 

[Roddy]

Now that the dust has settled from our magnificent 2014 campaign, I have to say that, whilst they are all absolutely amazing for many different reasons, I have to give it to 1989 and 2008. 1989 is pretty obvious, and I was there at the 'G that incredible day, but 2008 sticks out in the memory as being absolutely surreal. I think the 17 years of starvation (which is a lifetime for the modern Hawk fan) leading up to it adds hugely to its aura, there is MUCH emotion in breaking such a drought. It was the day we hit double figures in flags and drew level with Richmond. And the opposition! WAY stronger than Sydney 2014, lost only one game for the year, won the flag the year before by an all time record margin, seemed to be utterly unstoppable. The team and their fans were cocky as anything, to the point where one of their fans tattooed 'Cats Premiers 2008' on their arm before the game even started. But, we found a way to beat the unbeatable, and stick it up the Cats yet again.

The unexpected nature of that win, and being there to watch it all unfold before my eyes, is still absolutely amazing to me.

Not wanting to take away from all the others though of course, they are all things of beauty in their own right.

 

[Procrastinator35]

I reckon Bruce nailed it on game day....This was our masterpiece, without a shadow of a doubt!

For significance 1961.
For nerve jangling pathos 1971, 1989.
Most Emotional 1976
For overcoming the odds 2008.

But for sheer Grand Final perfection of performance, it's 2014 easily!....With 1986 coming second.

83 & 88 were cakewalks!

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Most complete performance I can recall.

We completely dismantled the best team of the year with the best list who have 20% more cap....

 

[Roddy]

Most complete performance I can recall.

We completely dismantled the best team of the year with the best list who have 20% more cap....

Hey mate, Hodge ran through Hennerbury half way through the last too, didn't he?

 

[Kuuz]

To be honest, I still rate 2008 above 2013 and this years. In both 2008 and 2014, we played really above par to win on the day - it's just our 2014 side is far stronger than the 2008 side. However, 2008 was just such a huge upset.

No one gave Hawthorn a chance against the juggernauts of Geelong. But through sheer will and grunt, we got the job done with players on their last legs, supposed had-beens, bit-part players and skillful youngsters. I'll never forget that third quarter effort from Dewy & co to win us the match or even Cyril showing maturity beyond his years to tackle 3 players and win a free.

​

Although the fruits of winning a GF wouldnt show again until 2013, I strongly believe 2008 became a precedent for all the now-leaders of our club in Hodgey, Mitch, Lewis, Cyril, Birch, Goo, Sewell and Roughie. They learnt how to win and knew they could no matter the opposition.

 

[grumbleguts]

I still don't see it. I'd LOVE someone to explain to me how we dismantled the best team all year.

We dismantled a team, of that their can be no doubt. But the team we dismantled was top of the ladder. That is all. Imagine two kids front up with different maths test scores. One gets 93% the other 92.5% One was given the answers before the test, didn't have to do the three hardest questions, and got extra time to complete it. That student is not the best student regardless of the mark. Sydney's pathetic draw had everyone convinced they were awesome. They weren't and the result meant we were playing a mediocre side that had its blemishes painted over.

 

[Randy Campbell]

The next one will be better.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

All of our premierships have been special for various reasons, but from one who has been accused of living a little too much in the good old days, and as one who has seen 11 of our 12 flags, this one was as good as, if not better than, any of them. 1989 was definitely a more spectacular game, but to watch our 2014 team systematically dismantle Sydney and run all over them was just magnificent to see.

Geez I love watching Hodgey play footy.

 

[grumbleguts]

For me 2014 was the most special but for all the hardship that came before. It's the culmination of a great story that it is special for, not the game itself, in fact it wasn't even the correct opponent.

 

[PayThePrice]

my avatar pic pretty much says it for me - back to back, 2 of our legends

 

[Thaihawk]

I reckon Bruce nailed it on game day....This was our masterpiece, without a shadow of a doubt!

For significance 1961.
For nerve jangling pathos 1971, 1989.
Most Emotional 1976
For overcoming the odds 2008.

But for sheer Grand Final perfection of performance, it's 2014 easily!....With 1986 coming second.

83 & 88 were cakewalks!

My memories of some of our grand finals are somewhat faded. However, the first one, 1961, is so significant because for decades we had been the chopping block of the competition, and furthermore, I was there. Very hard to beat that.

2008 was special for obvious reasons.

1989 was when a game like this years prelim, nerve wracking.

1971 - Hudson kicking into the man on the mark, when he should have broken Pratt's record was the downside of another great victory.

As far as this year's game goes, it is right up there with the best, and from a pure football clinic is is the best. Unlike most posters, I was confident, and couldn't understand how the public were drawn into the Swan's hype. As far as I was concerned we should have been warm favourites, but the media based their opinions on one quarter of football from us compared to Sydney's win against a team who didn't turn up. You'd have thought they would've learnt their lesson from 2013.

Having said all that, and to quote Toddy, for those old enough to remember the Late Night Movie, "The best is yet to come."

2015 will become the best Hawthorn premiership of all time!!!!

 

[MightyHawks]

I still don't see it. I'd LOVE someone to explain to me how we dismantled the best team all year.

We dismantled a team, of that their can be no doubt. But the team we dismantled was top of the ladder. That is all. Imagine two kids front up with different maths test scores. One gets 93% the other 92.5% One was given the answers before the test, didn't have to do the three hardest questions, and got extra time to complete it. That student is not the best student regardless of the mark. Sydney's pathetic draw had everyone convinced they were awesome. They weren't and the result meant we were playing a mediocre side that had its blemishes painted over.

The Swans then also got to play two home finals against teams that hadn't played at the venue in years...

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

To be honest, I still rate 2008 above 2013 and this years. In both 2008 and 2014, we played really above par to win on the day - it's just our 2014 side is far stronger than the 2008 side. However, 2008 was just such a huge upset.

No one gave Hawthorn a chance against the juggernauts of Geelong. But through sheer will and grunt, we got the job done with players on their last legs, supposed had-beens, bit-part players and skillful youngsters. I'll never forget that third quarter effort from Dewy & co to win us the match or even Cyril showing maturity beyond his years to tackle 3 players and win a free.

​

Although the fruits of winning a GF wouldnt show again until 2013, I strongly believe 2008 became a precedent for all the now-leaders of our club in Hodgey, Mitch, Lewis, Cyril, Birch, Goo, Sewell and Roughie. They learnt how to win and knew they could no matter the opposition.

Perhaps an interesting debate. That 5 minute burst from Dew would have to be the most devastating 5 minutes from anyone in a GF in the game's history. I keep watching it and still can't believe it.

In 2008, we didn't have any major setbacks during the year. We started well, kept improving and went into the finals the equal of Geelong. The 2014 victory was so sweet because of the setbacks the club overcame and became an even better team than 2013.

 

[Rioli2Gunstall]

This is my favourite game because i ******* hate close games!! PFs can get ****ed! Ive almost died a million heart attacks in the last 5 years, to sit back and really enjoy this and soak it all in, ahhh what a relilef. To smash them in emphatic style, after they signed Franklin and with all their advantages make this very sweet. 89,08 and 14 all very good. I was pretty young in 89, loved 91, i think 14 is the best, 08 most emotional.

 

[seysearles]

The Hawks back to back booklet that is out now is suggesting that this years premiership might be our greatest.
I cannot deny that the feeling of euphoria after the win was amazing because
...1) Was so unexpected
...2) Was so emphatic
...3) Was revenge for 2012
...4) Seeing Hodge get his second Norm Smith medal and the accolades that he deserves.
...5) Was great to see Franklin miss out (bit of bitchiness on my part)
...6) Was great to see young players get their first medallion
(probably another million legitimate reasons that others could add).
All our premierships have been great because they’ve added to our trophy cabinet and mean that the supporters of other clubs have to “grudgingly” admit that we are, at least, up there with the best.
My question (which is probably unfair to younger posters) is which is our greatest premiership win?
For me, this one probably comes in about equal 4th behind:
1989 was an absolute bloodbath with players standing up against massive adversity.
by the last quarter they were the walking wounded, but they paid the price!
and our first back to back
2008 was so unexpected against a side that had dominated during the season
they didn’t look like they had a weakness on the field yet we showed them up during the finals.
It had been so long between drinks and the club had faced some severe adversity during that gap.
1971 another “last man standing” brutal game where we’d beaten the opposition three times during the year and looked like we were going to lose this one.
A great come from behind win in the last quarter.
Personally I would then have 1991 and 2014 as probably equal 4th
In both these GF’s our opposition were very dominant during the year and we were underdogs.
But we came out and hunted them
I was there for 71 but too young to understand the ramifications of 61!
Would appreciate other posters thoughts!

Proud to say that I was at #1 and #2

 

[Pessimistic]

The squiggle says 2008 was the biggest upset in the last 40 years. But, dispassionately, it was a poor standard game wrapped around Dew,s magnificent few minutes.

1989 is reated by the squiggle as the greatest evder. Two teams which eachnwould have qualified as super premiers facing off for an epic battle. Not diasspointed either. Too bad when they replay it its always the last quarter

 

[Agent Smith]

The squiggle says 2008 was the biggest upset in the last 40 years. But, dispassionately, it was a poor standard game wrapped around Dew,s magnificent few minutes.

1989 is reated by the squiggle as the greatest evder. Two teams which eachnwould have qualified as super premiers facing off for an epic battle. Not diasspointed either. Too bad when they replay it its always the last quarter

Yeah, nah, Geelong as super premiers in 1989? For what... going the bash? If they didn't, they would have been slaughtered and they knew it. The proof is in the pudding round one the very next year where Hawthorn put Geelong away by the tune of about 100 points. Geelong shouldn't be romanticised as some great team in 1989. They were good, don't get me wrong, but they were a rung below us in talent.

I think karma came back to revisit them in 2008. The shoes were on the opposite feet but we didn't go the bash. There's a lesson to be learnt there, but I doubt the handbaggers are smart enough to comprehend what it is...

 

[Davo23]

Yeah, nah, Geelong as super premiers in 1989? For what... going the bash? If they didn't, they would have been slaughtered and they knew it. The proof is in the pudding round one the very next year where Hawthorn put Geelong away by the tune of about 100 points. Geelong shouldn't be romanticised as some great team in 1989. They were good, don't get me wrong, but they were a rung below us in talent.

I think karma came back to revisit them in 2008. The shoes were on the opposite feet but we didn't go the bash. There's a lesson to be learnt there, but I doubt the handbaggers are smart enough to comprehend what it is...

My thoughts exactly on 1989
The Hawks were about 6 goals in front all day. We would have run away with it and massacred them if not for the injuries.

I mean, two of our greatest payers, Gary Ayres & John Platten, out of the game in the first quarter, Platten with concussion. I was at the game, and I see our fantastic team struggling to stay in the game in the last quarter.

1989 Geelong were a pack of frauds and it showed in 2008!

 

[Roddy]

The squiggle says 2008 was the biggest upset in the last 40 years. But, dispassionately, it was a poor standard game wrapped around Dew,s magnificent few minutes.

1989 is reated by the squiggle as the greatest evder. Two teams which eachnwould have qualified as super premiers facing off for an epic battle. Not diasspointed either. Too bad when they replay it its always the last quarter

Huh? HUH?? I think you need to go back, watch that game another 10 or 12 times, and then come back and comment.

 

[Pessimistic]

Huh? HUH?? I think you need to go back, watch that game another 10 or 12 times, and then come back and comment.

Dont get me wrong, I enjoyed the contest, but the disposal for most part was poor, and the pressure wasnt particularly high. Its quite unique for a grand final.

One mystery is why such a dominant team, just 17 points down at the last change, after scoring the last two goals of the third quarter, opponents severely limited by injuries, why they couldnt even lower the final score difference

 

[Arkadia]

For me 1983 GF holds special memories, my childhood heroes Peter Knights and Leigh Matthews completely destroying sheedy and his henchmen, Buckenara doing his knee in the first qrt and the anguish on his face and later the players presenting bucks with the premiership cup in hospital.

I am still pinching myself we won back-to-back this year, what a clinical performance this years Grand final, i have watched the game for the upteenth
time, i have dissected it, analyzed it, 'ok, ok, i don't have much of a life', but what a beautiful display of sheer determination, skill and above all, tactical brilliance.
In the 80's Lou Richards called us 'THE MEAN MACHINE'. We certainly lived up to that in this years Grand Final, three cheers for THE HAWKS, hip hip hooray.

 

[MatteeG]

One mystery is why such a dominant team, just 17 points down at the last change, after scoring the last two goals of the third quarter, opponents severely limited by injuries, why they couldnt even lower the final score difference

Cos they were playing Hawthorn.

 

[Kavliaris69]

I still don't see it. I'd LOVE someone to explain to me how we dismantled the best team all year.

We dismantled a team, of that their can be no doubt. But the team we dismantled was top of the ladder. That is all. Imagine two kids front up with different maths test scores. One gets 93% the other 92.5% One was given the answers before the test, didn't have to do the three hardest questions, and got extra time to complete it. That student is not the best student regardless of the mark. Sydney's pathetic draw had everyone convinced they were awesome. They weren't and the result meant we were playing a mediocre side that had its blemishes painted over.

I suggest you watch it again. And if you still can't see it, then again, and again, and again.......... Good excuse I reckon.

Not being smart, I just love watching it over and over and over and over.............

Billy Brownless the next morning on Sunday FS asked the question "How did we all (experts) get sucked in?". It is because it was a media fueled hype for 3 weeks leading up to the GF. Up until R23 everyone was saying how we have the best depth, balance, skills, scoring, etc and we could not be matched. 3 weeks later it's all Shitney and how great they are (only finished 1st bacause Budwah saved their ass a few times).

Pure football people who really know how the game is played are idiots for not giving Hawks a chance. Everyone bought into the Purple Haze last year but were still realistic in terms of the capability of the teams playing. This time it was almost as if Syd were playing off with Brisbane. We were even more of an underdog than in 2008. Incredible that this happened.

At the end of the day I would say a vast majority of our fans knew how good we are and what we were capable of. Hopefully my fellow Hawks fans who punted went "ching ching ching" all the way to the bank from the bookies. I just missed the quater quadie for margin at half time. Spewing.

Ps. We were the best team all year. Only a handfull of games at full strength yet still same games won as Syd, Geel. Imagine we had fewer injuries?