
The Age recently completed their 50 biggest moments in football history, and over at Hawk Headquarters, we're doing our greatest ten moments in our club history.
So what is the top ten moments in your clubs history. Was it a premiership? A recruitment of a player? A major controversy? A death? A fight for survival? You tell us.
Here's my top ten moments in the history of the Hawthorn Football Club:
10. 1991 Grand Final vs. West Coast
"Too old. Too slow. Too good." So said the slogan on the Hawthorn premiership shirts after the 1991 Grand Final victory over West Coast. The first Grand Final at Waverley was the signal of many things: the first interstate Grand Finallist; the first Grand Final outside of the MCG since WWII; and the end of the Hawthorn golden era. It was also the last game for Michael Tuck and we'd never see Dermie, Dunstall, and Mew on the victory podium again.
9. 1988 Grand Final vs. Melbourne
It remains the greatest winning margin in a Grand Final, even though we haven't had a close Grand Final since '89. Hawthorn murdered Melbourne by 96 points, eclipsing the record margin Hawthorn set in 1983 against Essendon. It was Hawthorn at the peak of their powers, and it avenged the loss to Carlton in 1987.
8. Rd. 22 1999 vs. Sydney - Last Game at Waverley
After the long fight by Ian Dicker, the Casey and Monash councils, and many Hawthorn and football supporters, Waverley finally hosted it's last home and away game in round 22 of 1999 against Sydney, where people with all manner of football gear on filled the seats and aisles of the eastern suburbs ground. Hawthorn raced away to a huge win, and in a show of people power, thousands of supporters defied AFL wishes and invaded the arena to celebrate the passing of Hawthorn's home.
7. 1971 Grand Final vs. St. Kilda
In what would be a very physical clash, Hawthorn ran out seven point winners over the rugged Saints. The match is best remembered for Peter Hudson's chase for Bob Pratt's 150 goal record in a season, and Hudson kicked four to equal it. However, in one of the most famous pieces of vision, Hudson kicked into the man on the mark from point blank range in an attempt to kick his fifth and break Pratt's long standing record.
6. Tuck Breaks Bartlett's Games Record
The moment when the record that wouldn't be broken, was broken. After running through one of the biggest banners ever seen, Tuck broke Richmond legend Kevin Bartlett's games record of 403 games, and went on to play 426 senior games for Hawthorn, finishing off as captain in 1991 with a premiership in his last game.
5. Jason Dunstall Retires
The retirement of Hawthorn's greatest goalkicker and perhaps greatest ever player brought almost every diehard supporter a tear in their eye. Jason Duntall played his final match against Fremantle in 1998 against Fremantle at Waverley, fighting back after numerous knee injuries to give the Glenferrie faithful one last goodbye as Hawthorn won in ordinary conditions. many say Dunstall could have gone on to break Gordon Coventry's VFL-AFL goalkicking record, but Dunstall made way to youth and injury to give the honour to Tony Lockett.
4. 1989 Grand Final vs. Geelong
Many say this is the greatest Grand Final of the modern era, and it is certainly the last classic Grand Final. Hawthorn won a physical encounter by 6 points after Gary Ablett booted nine to take the Norm Smith Medal, as he sparked a massive comeback for the Cats. Dermott Brereton was run through but recovered in the opening minutes, while DiPierdomenico played through a punctured lung and Platten came off in the second quarter with injury.
3. 1976: Hawthorn Do It For Crimmins
Just days before his death, Peter Crimmins was visited by Peter Knights and a few other teammates with the 1976 premiership cup. Prostate cancer had eroded the ex-captain to skin and bones, and one of the most famous photos has a deteriorated Crimmins on an armchair with the cup surrounded by his smiling teammates. The Hawks defeated the Kangaroos by 30 points in front 0f 110,000 perople to win the 1976 premiership in one of the most emotional victories ever, following a speech by coach John Kennedy Snr urging the Hawks to "do it for Crimmo".
2. 1961 Grand Final vs. Footscray
Coach John Kennedy Snr and captain Graham Arthur lifted Hawthorn's first premiership cup in 1961 after the Hawks defeated Footscray by seven goals with Brendan Edwards, Ian Law, and John Peck starring. It took ten more years for another premiership to come to Glenferrie, but the seed was sown for what would be a dominant era for the Hawthorn Football Club.
1. Hawthorn Members Vote No
After months of passionate campaigns which tore both Hawthorn and Melbourne apart, it came down to the Hawthorn members vote to decide whether Hawthorn and Melbourne would merge to become the Melbourne Hawks. After the Melbourne members voted yes, Hawthorn members voted no and Ian Dicker became President of the club after Don Scott led the fight for survival. Operation Payback wiped out the clubs debt, and Hawthorn now has Victoria's second best membership base and has made a profit for the past five years.
The Hitman
So what is the top ten moments in your clubs history. Was it a premiership? A recruitment of a player? A major controversy? A death? A fight for survival? You tell us.
Here's my top ten moments in the history of the Hawthorn Football Club:
10. 1991 Grand Final vs. West Coast
"Too old. Too slow. Too good." So said the slogan on the Hawthorn premiership shirts after the 1991 Grand Final victory over West Coast. The first Grand Final at Waverley was the signal of many things: the first interstate Grand Finallist; the first Grand Final outside of the MCG since WWII; and the end of the Hawthorn golden era. It was also the last game for Michael Tuck and we'd never see Dermie, Dunstall, and Mew on the victory podium again.
9. 1988 Grand Final vs. Melbourne
It remains the greatest winning margin in a Grand Final, even though we haven't had a close Grand Final since '89. Hawthorn murdered Melbourne by 96 points, eclipsing the record margin Hawthorn set in 1983 against Essendon. It was Hawthorn at the peak of their powers, and it avenged the loss to Carlton in 1987.
8. Rd. 22 1999 vs. Sydney - Last Game at Waverley
After the long fight by Ian Dicker, the Casey and Monash councils, and many Hawthorn and football supporters, Waverley finally hosted it's last home and away game in round 22 of 1999 against Sydney, where people with all manner of football gear on filled the seats and aisles of the eastern suburbs ground. Hawthorn raced away to a huge win, and in a show of people power, thousands of supporters defied AFL wishes and invaded the arena to celebrate the passing of Hawthorn's home.
7. 1971 Grand Final vs. St. Kilda
In what would be a very physical clash, Hawthorn ran out seven point winners over the rugged Saints. The match is best remembered for Peter Hudson's chase for Bob Pratt's 150 goal record in a season, and Hudson kicked four to equal it. However, in one of the most famous pieces of vision, Hudson kicked into the man on the mark from point blank range in an attempt to kick his fifth and break Pratt's long standing record.
6. Tuck Breaks Bartlett's Games Record
The moment when the record that wouldn't be broken, was broken. After running through one of the biggest banners ever seen, Tuck broke Richmond legend Kevin Bartlett's games record of 403 games, and went on to play 426 senior games for Hawthorn, finishing off as captain in 1991 with a premiership in his last game.
5. Jason Dunstall Retires
The retirement of Hawthorn's greatest goalkicker and perhaps greatest ever player brought almost every diehard supporter a tear in their eye. Jason Duntall played his final match against Fremantle in 1998 against Fremantle at Waverley, fighting back after numerous knee injuries to give the Glenferrie faithful one last goodbye as Hawthorn won in ordinary conditions. many say Dunstall could have gone on to break Gordon Coventry's VFL-AFL goalkicking record, but Dunstall made way to youth and injury to give the honour to Tony Lockett.
4. 1989 Grand Final vs. Geelong
Many say this is the greatest Grand Final of the modern era, and it is certainly the last classic Grand Final. Hawthorn won a physical encounter by 6 points after Gary Ablett booted nine to take the Norm Smith Medal, as he sparked a massive comeback for the Cats. Dermott Brereton was run through but recovered in the opening minutes, while DiPierdomenico played through a punctured lung and Platten came off in the second quarter with injury.
3. 1976: Hawthorn Do It For Crimmins
Just days before his death, Peter Crimmins was visited by Peter Knights and a few other teammates with the 1976 premiership cup. Prostate cancer had eroded the ex-captain to skin and bones, and one of the most famous photos has a deteriorated Crimmins on an armchair with the cup surrounded by his smiling teammates. The Hawks defeated the Kangaroos by 30 points in front 0f 110,000 perople to win the 1976 premiership in one of the most emotional victories ever, following a speech by coach John Kennedy Snr urging the Hawks to "do it for Crimmo".
2. 1961 Grand Final vs. Footscray
Coach John Kennedy Snr and captain Graham Arthur lifted Hawthorn's first premiership cup in 1961 after the Hawks defeated Footscray by seven goals with Brendan Edwards, Ian Law, and John Peck starring. It took ten more years for another premiership to come to Glenferrie, but the seed was sown for what would be a dominant era for the Hawthorn Football Club.
1. Hawthorn Members Vote No
After months of passionate campaigns which tore both Hawthorn and Melbourne apart, it came down to the Hawthorn members vote to decide whether Hawthorn and Melbourne would merge to become the Melbourne Hawks. After the Melbourne members voted yes, Hawthorn members voted no and Ian Dicker became President of the club after Don Scott led the fight for survival. Operation Payback wiped out the clubs debt, and Hawthorn now has Victoria's second best membership base and has made a profit for the past five years.
The Hitman