As Hawthorn take off on their lap of honour, they lift Allan Jeans high on their shoulders. The concussed John Platten is also given a piggy back down to the cheersquad to celebrate. And with that lovely moment, I’ll bid you farewell. Thank you for your company. It really has all been said. An unforgettable grand final – it’s hard to imagine footy every being better than that.
The Hawthorn players are invited to the stage to receive their medals. Geelong are out there still too, currently hearing from their coach Malcolm Blight. He’ll be proud. And he’ll know that they will be back on this stage before long. When it gets to No 9, the announcement comes through that Robert DiPierdomenico won’t be available to take his medal, now off to hospital for treatment. Stay tuned for more on that. The biggest roar, of course, is saved for Dermott Brereton. Teddy Whitten, his old Victorian chairman of selectors, pretends to jab him in the ribs. I wonder just how many of those Yeates broke in the opening exchanges of the game? That’ll be a career-defining moment from The Kid.
Teddy Whitten presents the Premiership Cup. Michael Tuck and Allan Jeans are called to the stage. What a moment for this duo, the third time they have held the famous cup aloft. Tucky speaks, thanking everyone for coming. Don Scott is thrilled for his old teammate, reflecting on his arrival at the club 19 years ago as a skinny kid from Berwick. The 36-year-old has now won six premierships, leading the club to three of them. Remarkable.
Robert DiPierdomenico is in the hands of the medical staff. Good grief, he doesn’t look well at all. He’s being taken down to the rooms by no fewer than four of the Hawthorn officials and the doctor. Of course, he copped that mighty blow from Ablett in the first term but played on, gallantly and quite often brilliantly, for the rest of the game. Go well, Dipper.
Gary Ablett wins the Norm Smith medal. He is presented the award by Billy Goggin, who played in Geelong’s last flag in 1963. The entire MCG stand and applaud – every fan. That’s a performance we are going to be talking about for the rest of our lives. He’s only the second player to win this in a losing side. “I would just like to congratulate Hawthorn and I thank the Geelong Football Club. And I’d just like to thank God for making it all possible.”
Gary Ablett is down with Bernie Quinlan. “Hawthorn are a good side. We gave it a good go but unfortunately couldn’t get there.” As ever, a man of few words. He acknowledges when asked by Superboot that they lost it in the first term – that is that. To the presentation.
Dermott Brereton speaks to Michael Roberts. “It’s a great feeling. I didn’t know at the end there whether we were going to make it; they are a great side, Geelong. I’m sorry and sore but it doesn’t hurt that much now. Character was one of the attributes that got us through in the end. Geelong are a great side an emphasised that by coming back the way that they did. We had to carry on and just grind away and hope the siren was going to go.”
Gary Ablett – wow. As Cometti notes, he kicked seven then eight then nine in his last three finals. “Good thing there isn’t a replay next week as he was set for 10.” I don’t think there is any doubt that the Geelong full-forward will be named the Norm Smith medal winner in a couple of minutes from now.
Michael Roberts has Allan Jeans. He asks him what it is like to have back to back flags. “Great. It’s great.” That’s all he gets out before Gary Buckenara launches himself over the top of his dear coach in an emotional embrace. Bernie Quinlan now has Buckenara for a chat. “It’s something we’ve worked so hard for. All the hard work. I just feel so happy for Jeansey and Joycey and the boys. It’s just fantastic. We really battled on. Tucky split the webbing in his finger in the first few minutes of that quarter so he was basically out of action. We had 16 men in that last quarter. It was pretty tough out there. They [Geelong] gave it their best shot; gee they played well. We won it for Jeansey, Joycey and all the boys who couldn’t make it.”
“Ladies and gentleman, you’ve just seen a classic.” Cometti couldn’t put it better. The Hawthorn supporter who was in tears at the halfway mark of the final term is sobbing now as the camera pans to Allan Jeans, his vision of back-to-back premierships now a reality. Geelong were more than brave, better than gallant – they were utterly superb, especially after quarter-time. But the moment is Hawthorn’s, VFL champions for an eighth time since 1961.
Updated
Full-time: Hawthorn 21.18 (144) v Geelong 21.12 (138)
Hawthorn go back-to-back! Umpire Sheehan bangs the ball into the turf; Geelong have kicked eight goals in this quarter, can they make it nine and force a grand final replay against a weary Hawthorn in seven days from now? Not after the first bounce; they can’t clear the pack, Couch tackled by a desperate Curran. 23 seconds left, 15 by the time it is bounced again, Bews takes Flanigan’s tap but he is bodyslammed by DiPierdomenico! It’s another ball-up! Seven seconds! “It looks like it’s all over,” declares Cometti. “The dream of back-to-back pennants is all but there!” There goes the siren! HAWTHORN HAVE HELD ON! They have won the 1989 grand final by one straight kick!
Q4. 30:32 gone: Hawthorn 21.18 (144) v Geelong 21.12 (138) Two minutes to go; unbearable for all. Collins finds the ball twice in a hurry for the Hawks, finding Pritchard with the second of those – more time ticks away. That’s experience. With his 23rd possession he drives it long to the 50 but Gary Hocking roves the pack, Lindner edging out Dipper to get the Cats moving again. It’s Geelong versus the clock! Robert Scott has it at half forward; he’s had a dog of a day all told but he does what he has to here and finds David Cameron wide open on the lead 35 metres, directly in front! He takes the mark with 59 seconds on the clock. “He’ll have to kick it quickly!” urges Ian Robertson. And he does precisely that, going back to his mark and sending it straight through! Ice cold nerves from the Geelong forward. There is one kick in it with 37 seconds left!
Q4. 28:57 gone: Hawthorn 21.18 (144) v Geelong 20.12 (132) “When they write the book on grand finals,” says Cometti, “this will make the best of them.” Back in the middle with three and a half minutes of game time remaining, Whitman gets the southern side but Bruns retrieves. “They are fighting for their football survival now,” adds Dennis. Not only is this the best grand final, it is the best commentary on one as well – Dennis has been immense. But I digress - Pritchard finds Curran inside 50! He’s right up on the boundary line; it’ll take a mighty effort from there. He takes a good 30 seconds off the clock as he prepares, kicking long but wide, pulling it to the left. That makes it 12 points the difference. Two kicks to draw for Geelong. Whisper it: might we be coming back next week, like 1948 or 1977?
Q4. 24:11 gone: Hawthorn 21.17 (143) v Geelong 20.12 (132) Into time on, it’s Couch and Malakellis again, Ablett beaten by Langford as half a dozen players throw themselves on the ball, Bruns’ bravery beyond doubt as he puts his himself in Dipper’s way. So fierce, so good. The Hawks kill some clock on the outer wing, forcing two boundary throw ins to reduce the time remaining back to four minutes. But Geelong get the better of the second of these, Bruns able to take clear possession and find Ablett in the square! He already has eight. Lining up from the right hand side of goal from 15 metres out, his drop punt is right on the money – he now has nine! That’s the grand final record, breaking Brereton’s mark from 1985 in that losing effort, and Gordon Coventry before him. Far more importantly, the Cats are back to within two straight kicks of a first flag since 1963. There’s time if they’re good enough!
Q4. 24:11 gone: Hawthorn 21.17 (143) v Geelong 19.12 (126) With more than eight minutes to go, Bews looks for Ablett but he’s got Hawthorn jumpers all around him. They clear. The injured warriors Brereton and DiPierdomenico link up in front of the Melbourne Cricket Club, the latter loading up on his left but misses to the far side. Now Bairstow gets it back and takes a bounce, instead of Ablett he picks off Robert Scott! Oh no! He’s missed another set shot. Six minutes on the clock. Have Hawthorn done enough?
Q4. 20:57 gone: Hawthorn 21.16 (142) v Geelong 19.11 (125) Dipper gets the soccer boots on and launches the ball from a pack, Buckenara is there to collect, handpassing over the top to Anderson who runs into the open goal and drills it! They had to kick another and they’ve done it right away. Anderson has a fourth – he’s been immense around the sticks. But that’s DiPierdomenico’s goal, having the presence of mind to boot the ball from mid-air when the opportunity presented itself. Remember the whack he copped from Gary Ablett in the first term? It would be enough to finish most players, but not the Big Dipper. Hawthorn by 17.
Q4. 20:04 gone: Hawthorn 20.16 (136) v Geelong 19.11 (125) Flanigan wins the contest again, Bos claiming the ball on centre wing and booting it in the direction of Ablett. It clears his head – “the miracle worker” as Cometti calls him in the moment – and spills to Hamilton instead, the young man playing the game of his life, snapping on his right from 40… and he’s KICKED IT! Geelong are within two goals! Incredible scenes! “This is the best grand final I’ve seen for a number of years,” says Don Scott. You can hold the caveat, Don: this might end up best grand final of all time! Does it have another twist? Can Hawthorn hold on with injured players on every line?
Q4. 18:59 gone: Hawthorn 20.16 (136) v Geelong 18.11 (119) Langford has been immense on Ablett, two of the best in the business outdoing each other at each contest. He beats the Geelong star twice in a sequence, Pritchard eventually winning a free kick to clear. He’s been everywhere. As has Tuck, who has kept Bairstow at bay all day, the next man to win a free after getting first to the ball. It takes three attempts but the Hawks eventually enter their 50, the levels of desperation like I’ve never seen before. But they can’t convert, Geelong eventually get it out of there via Lindner, the President racing through the middle, taking a bounce and kicking to Ablett! Wrestling with Langford he can’t take the grab but he does rove his own contest, collecting and snapping true on his left like he’s just kicking to a mate at training! But with that, he has put the Cats within three goals – the closest the contest has been since the opening minutes of the first term. What a game of footy this is.
Q4. 15:45 gone: Hawthorn 20.16 (136) v Geelong 17.11 (113) DiPierdomenico keeps pushing, his kick finding James Morrissey who takes a bounce before shooting on his non-preferred left boot but it just misses. That would have just about sealed it. Dipper has it again on the flank moments later, pulling his kick to the near side. They cut to a picture of a Hawthorn supporter in the crowd and she’s already in tears of anguish. I’m sure she is not the only one, urging her charges on. They’ll need another goal – there is still 13 minutes to go.
Q4. 14:26 gone: Hawthorn 20.14 (134) v Geelong 17.11 (113) Flanigan finds Stoneham! Big Barry hasn’t had a huge game but he has the chance for a huge moment from right on the 50, directly in front. He gets the elevation and gets it there with ease! What a gorgeous kick of the footy as the shadows fade over the Cricket Ground. They’re inside four goals but it will count for nothing unless they can start stringing some together without reply.
Q4. 12:29 gone: Hawthorn 20.14 (134) v Geelong 16.11 (107) Ablett flies but Langford judges it better, standing his ground and taking an clutch grab. It’s all happening now at the MCG… there’s a streaker! It’s Bat Girl. It has been seven years since Helen d’Amico ran out into the middle of the ‘G in a far less riveting grand final than this so nobody pays her that much attention. Hawthorn suddenly look exhausted but they won’t be able to rest on this lead; they need to keep scoring. It’s attritional footy, every inch matters, a thump from Condon, a tackle from Whitman dragging Couch to the ground just as he was about to clear, a kick from Curran to Dunstall! He outbodies Schulze. “Maybe now,” Cometti poses, “they can quell the Geelong uprising?” He’ll be kicking from 25 and he drives it home! The spearhead has four and has won his side some precious breathing space.
Q4. 10:23 gone: Hawthorn 19.14 (128) v Geelong 16.11 (107) Stoneham collects, gives off to Malakellis who stabs in in the direction of Ablett! He marks in front of Langford, 30 out, not much of an angle. Two in a minute! Ablett has seven. Here come the Cats!
Updated
Q4. 9:25 gone: Hawthorn 19.14 (128) v Geelong 15.11 (101) Bruns finds the big ruckman Flanigan on the lead. Kicking from 52 his drop punt is perfect! That’s better! They’re back to 27 points. What a wonderful game he’s had since replacing Bourke in the middle.
Q4. 8:32 gone: Hawthorn 19.14 (128) v Geelong 13.11 (95) A tough, contested mark by Bews, putting his body in the way of Tuck. He’s copped plenty from Don Scott on the call today but he’s been one of Geelong’s best for mine. Kicking from just outside 50 he doesn’t have the distance, Hamilton getting the scraps but he can’t balance himself in time to snap accurately. Bairstow booms it back in there quickly to Malakellis, who shows more courage to drag down an overhead mark in plenty of traffic. But he also misses. They have enough of the play and enough time but they have to be flawless rather than profligate from here.
Q4. 6:54 gone: Hawthorn 19.14 (128) v Geelong 13.9 (93) What courage from Scott Maginness! Crashing into to the behind post with his neck, he holds onto a diving mark. He must have known what was coming back there – that’s the selfless footy Allan Jeans loves. Out run the medical staff but he’s straight back on his feet. It’s an ugly replay but the man in the long sleeves is right to take his kick. What a physical challenge this game has been.
Q4. 5:39 gone: Hawthorn 19.14 (128) v Geelong 14.9 (93) Morrissey to Pritchard to Buckenara and he steers it home from 40. He has four. And the pattern continues: the moment the Cats look like they are about to make things difficult, the Hawks respond. The lead is back out to 35 points. “He is so dependable,” says Robbo of Buckenara.
Q4. 4:58 gone: Hawthorn 18.14 (122) v Geelong 14.9 (93) Morrissey, fantastic with the one-handed pickup, clearing for Hawthorn after another Geelong surge. Flanigan has been the engine room for the Cats since quarter time and he’s at it again when they get the ball back, moving the ball accurately to Scott and half forward who then finds Bruns into an open goal and he puts it away from 20. They’re still alive here, don’t worry about that!
Q4. 3:04 gone: Hawthorn 18.14 (122) v Geelong 13.8 (86) Couch is caught high after Lindner flies to force the contest. He can’t find Ablett though, Langford getting himself between the man and the ball. “Great positioning,” says Scott. He’s just as effective with a fist from the next inside 50, punching from his hands for a rushed behind. In more injury news, Mark Yeates is now off the field as well, in trouble with a knee injury by the looks.
Q4. 1:21 gone: Hawthorn 18.14 (122) v Geelong 13.7 (85) “Everything to play for!” Not wrong, Dennis. Will we get a grandstand finish? Dunstall! Anderson picks him off on the lead, kicking from 35 on the angle. “If he kicks this,” says Cometti, “the grand final is all over.” But he does not. It hasn’t been his best kicking day, truth told. Meanwhile, Michael Tuck is calling for medical assistance; they are asking for tape. There’s blood coming from his hand and there’s nobody who can come on for him. Anderson’s turn to load up from a similar part of the ground to Dunstall on a run 30 seconds later but he misses too.
Half an hour. That’s all that stands between Allan Jeans’ men and a fourth flag of the decade and back-to-back flags. Geelong were so close to forcing their way right into the contest after half-time but misses from Brownless and Scott from close range gave the Hawks all the room they needed to fight back with three goals on the trot before exchanging blows in the final 10 minutes of the quarter. It’s a big buffer. Everything needs to go right for the Cats. But, as I said above, anything is possible with Gary Ablett playing the way he is. Doubly so with Hawthorn all out of support, Platten and Ayres both out of the game injured.
Three-quarter-time: Hawthorn 18.13 (121) v Geelong 13.7 (85)
Brownless brings the ball to ground, Ablett snaps and just misses to the left-hand side. That’s his first behind of the afternoon. Hawthorn push forward again through Madigan, who has given plenty since coming on, but Brereton can’t quite link the ball to Dunstall. Geelong get it back with one chance left to score before time is up. Langford nearly gives them that with a tackle on Ablett, which easily could have been given as holding the man, but instead the ball is thrown in. But they get the goal they need right on the bell! It’s the young man Hamilton, who was brilliant after coming onto the park at quarter time, his snap evading three defenders as the Siren sounds around the MCG. It gives Hawthorn a 36-point buffer at this final change.
Q3. 29:43 gone: Hawthorn 18.13 (121) v Geelong 12.6 (78) Good hands from Madigan, to Condon, who finds Anderson on his own 30 metres out and slots his third as well! As we’ve been saying for two quarters now, every time Geelong get a sniff, Hawthorn kick one. And so it goes, with three minutes remaining on the clock until the three-quarter-time siren.
Q3. 29:01 gone: Hawthorn 17.13 (115) v Geelong 12.6 (78) Gary Ayres has done his right thigh, Michael Roberts reports. So, with Platten concussed out of the game, the 18 players on the field for Hawthorn now are the 18 who will need to finish it. Far from ideal for Jeans.
Q3. 27:30 gone: Hawthorn 17.13 (115) v Geelong 12.6 (78) “Once more Geelong have fallen off the pace,” notes Cometti as Greg Madigan, onto the ground for his first run – what a crazy old story his inclusion is – runs hard, collects and thumps the brown and gold forward once more. But Lindner and Bews combine in return, the latter finding Ablett! Another scarcely believable grab, both legs horizontal – almost in a seated position off the ground – when the ball hits his chest after jumping over Kennedy. Is there anything he can’t do? He has seven kicks for five goals… make that eight kicks for six majors! The celebration from the Cats fans is modest – they are still a long way off the pace after that burst. But with Ablett able to do as he has today whenever the ball is in his reach? Don’t despair, Geelong fans. It’s not over. Oh, and Ablett now has 24 goals in this 1989 finals series, which is a VFL record.
Q3. 25:03 gone: Hawthorn 17.13 (115) v Geelong 11.6 (72) Well, it won’t be if they close it out before the final change! After Langford dispossesses Ablett, it’s Mew moving the ball by foot through the corridor, Curran getting low to ground, Kennedy collecting at 50, his handball put straight into the waiting hands of Buckenara who storms into the open goal from 30! That’s his third, moving the Hawthorn lead out to 43 points – their biggest of the match. Remember: Robert Scott had a basic set shot to reduce the margin to 17 earlier this term. “Are we headed to back-to-back premierships for Hawthorn?” asks Cometti at the re-start.
Q3. 23:45 gone: Hawthorn 16.13 (109) v Geelong 11.6 (72) Dipper loses his boot on the wing but not his nerve, picking out Mew who finds Curran in turn. Has there been a more influential player on the ground than big Bertie? I don’t think so. They don’t capitalise though, the set shot misses to the right. We see shots on TV of Gary Ayres on the bench. He’s not injured as well, is he? If so, Hawthorn have no bench left. Might that be factor?
Q3. 22:23 gone: Hawthorn 16.12 (108) v Geelong 11.6 (72) Dipper! He’s too big for Bruns, who can’t spoil his direct opponent on centre wing. Too strong. Playing on, he wants Dunstall but finds Morrissey! The man they call The Freak isn’t missing a snap from 20. It’s goal for goal, three of those for the Hawks in this term coming across the body. Geelong just can’t find a way to stitch together a run of three or four goals in a row.
Q3. 21:09 gone: Hawthorn 15.12 (102) v Geelong 11.6 (72) Malakellis has lifted after half-time, taking advantage of an excellent Flanigan tap here, giving the swift handball to the running Cameron who kicks a running drop punt from 45 right – straight through. So, they’re replied immediately. What an exhibition this is turning into. Goals galore at the MCG!
Q3. 20:40 gone: Hawthorn 15.12 (102) v Geelong 10.6 (66) Ayres to Dunstall – what a combination. Darcy, undersized in this contest, elects to drag Dunstall to the ground after taking the grab. That’s 50 metres! It takes him to the goal line to kick his third for the afternoon. “Every time Geelong mount a challenge,” says Don Scott, “Hawthorn are retaining their composure.” That’s the problem for Geelong: the counterattack is always there.
Q3. 18:34 gone: Hawthorn 14.12 (96) v Geelong 10.6 (66) Pritchard clears, takes a bounce, sprints to 50, shoots and misses. That’s his fourth behind of the afternoon but what energy he has provided for Hawthorn. The kick in ends up with The President, Bruce Lindner, who gives it off to Bairstow with clean hands, the centreman hitting Brownless leading hard down the middle of the ground. Will he take a shot from 55? He certainly has the leg for it. Yep – he does, and what a kick! He’s drained it with 10 metres to spare. Back to 30 points.
Q3. 16:53 gone: Hawthorn 14.11 (95) v Geelong 9.6 (60) Two left-foot snaps in two minutes after Hocking is felled, bringing two goals for Hawthorn! Curran is the man this time, gathering the better part of 45 out after Brereton was smothered, the connection solid enough to go the distance. Moved to centre half-forward when Dermie was whacked, the 1986 premiership player – who missed out in 1988 – now has three goals to his name, pushing the Hawks’ lead back to 35 points. They might not be far from breaking this game open after all, Geelong really failing to capitalise when they had the run of play.
Q3. 15:58 gone: Hawthorn 13.11 (89) v Geelong 9.6 (60) Brereton! Strong overhead again; he’s been immense. Inboard he goes to Anderson, who collects in the forward pocket, turns and snaps on the left and it wobbles through! A freakish goal! A badly-needed goal. Top work from Morrissey as well, laying the shepherd to buy Anderson the time he required.
Q3. 15:03 gone: Hawthorn 12.11 (83) v Geelong 9.6 (60) DiPierdomenico reported! It was bound to happen and it was bound to be Gary Hocking, who did his best to belt several Hawthorn players earlier in the day – including Platten; out for the count. Dipper hands out the blow with a venomous right elbow on centre wing, his number taken by umpire Sheehan. Hocking is in some strife, blood coming out of his mouth. “Hawthorn are looking to square the ledger,” says Don Scott, running through Hocking’s earlier crimes. “But if you’re going to do it, do it on centre wing because you’re not giving any real advantage to the other team.” Spoken like a man who dealt out his own fair share of punishment as a player.
Q3. 12:42 gone: Hawthorn 12.10 (82) v Geelong 9.6 (60) Hamilton to Couch, goes long into the 50 and Bill Brownless is there! He takes a strong mark up against the behind post on the southern side. Urgh, but he goes for the drop punt instead of the snap and it doesn’t work, missing to the right. Couch gets the rebound, to Stoneham, to Spiro Malakellis who locates Robert Scott 30m out directly in front. The Big V rover has been quiet today and his game doesn’t get any better here, also missing to the right. They can’t afford that.
Q3. 9:31 gone: Hawthorn 12.10 (82) v Geelong 9.4 (58) Ayres, a man with two Norm Smith medals from the pressure of grand final day in 1986 and 1988 – the “good driver in heavy traffic” as Jeans dubbed him – drops a mark at half back but recovers with a cool kick to clear. Bairstow and Bews get the Cats back into their 50 though, before Langford denies Ablett. Bairstow will get a shot though, taken too high by Buckenara. Yep, it’s the right call the replay confirms. Shooting from 40, directly in front, city end… and he’s kicked it! Suddenly, the pressure transfers back to the Hawks. They still have plenty of work to do.
Q3. 7:13 gone: Hawthorn 12.10 (82) v Geelong 8.4 (52) Excellent tackle by Condon on the outer wing, Whitman taking the advantage to kick to Hawthorn’s half-forward line. Mew is called upon to go again and finds Pritchard 60 out. Turnover! Geelong’s turn, Bairstow to Ablett who is out of position and poleaxes Collins, blindsided when contact came. The Cats star is operating in brilliance and violence; a captivating force. And here he is again when Gary Hocking’s kick finds him 30 out. A perfectly-timed leap, he pulls it down with complete ease. His kick is just as faultless – he has five goals. “He has not gone missing today,” says Scott. He has 22 goals across the last three weeks and doesn’t look done yet.
Q3. 4:26 gone: Hawthorn 12.10 (82) v Geelong 7.4 (46) Yeats, the man who felled Brereton off the top, takes a brave, athletic mark to move Geelong forward. He’s called upon again after Hawthorn rebound, this time finding Stoneham at true centre half-forward. Under pressure, Ayres turns onto his left boot and sprays it out on the full in front of the MCC. Cameron has a chance, on the acute angle from 25 out, but misses with a stabbed drop punt.
Langford makes a rare skill error to give the ball back to Bos, who gets a 50 metre penalty as well. What for? It doesn’t matter, as he picks out Flanigan on the lead. The ruckman was cleaned up by Langford after taking the grab but this time doesn’t get the 50 metre penalty that he surely deserved. Leaning back on the kick he… hits the right hand goal post.
Q3. 1:28 gone: Hawthorn 12.10 (82) v Geelong 7.2 (44) We’re back. Whitman to Buckenara to Morrissey… who misses from 40. The chance for the perfect start after Tuck fisted the Hawks forward to the Punt Road End. “No sign of Platten,” detects Cometti. He looked in a right state after copping a smack to the head by Gary Hocking back when the Cats were going to knuckle in the first term. In effect, it means the Hawthorn bench is down to one.
Will the Olympics return to the MCG in 1996? That’s the big question on all the lips of all warm-blooded Melburnians as the bid process reaches the final stage. This is the theme of the half-time entertainment, lots of kids waving flags in Olympic-rings formation to the music of We Are the World. After the show Melbourne put on in 1956, the Friendly Games, they’d be mad to send it anywhere else. Surely not Atlanta? What a mess that would be. Mind you, the naff cultural dance display this has morphed isn’t exactly inspiring confidence in our bid. Now, to cap off the presentation: another round of Waltzing Matilda, with yet more flags. “Now Australia,” says the PA system, “show your support for the Melbourne 1996 bid by waving your flag!” At least he’s on message.
Hawthorn were tested but responded. After Geelong jumped out of the blocks in that second quarter through Stoneham and Ablett – the latter doing some ridiculous things so far today – the Hawks found a way to keep their cool and hit back through the usual suspects: Brereton and Dunstall. If Geelong’s aim was to peg back the lead in that term they achieved it, taking three points off the margin. But they are going to have to get busy after the break in order to get within striking distance. There’s nothing to suggest this game is going to step back in tempo, so grab yourself a drink and enjoy the half-time entertainment.
Half-time: Hawthorn 12.8 (81) v Geelong 7.2 (44)
A minute left in the first half, Pritchard gallops and bounces through the middle of the MCG, evading a couple of tacklers before banging it into Dunstall! At this stage, he’s right there alongside DiPierdomenico and Curran as Hawthorn’s best on the field. That gives the full-forward the chance to extend their 40-point lead from quarter-time but he misses from 20. You don’t see that too often from the Coleman medallist. And that’s the last shot on goal for the quarter – the siren sounds.
Q2. 27:43 gone: Hawthorn 12.8 (80) v Geelong 7.2 (44) It’s the elder statesmen with wise heads in the middle: Tuck, Mew, Kennedy. They know how to control the tempo of a grand final. Brereton is another, who attempts to put Mark Bairstow into the Olympic Stand but misses with his hip and shoulder. That would have been a near carbon copy of his hit on Van der Haar in the second semi had it landed. Off the ball, Cameron whacks Anderson – one of two Hawks on grand final debut – and gets reported for his trouble. Would you believe, that is the first time a player has prompted one of the umpires to pull their book out today!
Q2. 26:10 gone: Hawthorn 12.8 (80) v Geelong 7.2 (44) From the re-start, Dear taps to with precision to Condon who unloads into the 50, Curran puts his body on the line to tap into the path of Morrissey, who somehow gets a left-handed handball to the running Whitman, the clever utility sneaking past Robert Scott and snapping Hawthorn’s second in a minute! Oh how that will hurt Geelong! So much good undone with a few minutes left in the half.
Q2. 25:40 gone: Hawthorn 11.8 (74) v Geelong 7.2 (44) Morrissey has been influential, a strong mark here on the wind, finding Pritchard in from of the Smokers’ Stand who kicks across his body at full pace finding Dunstall on his own . That’s some stellar work from the Tasmanian. Just when the Hawks needed a bit of a steadier it’s delivered by Dunstall, converting the straightforward set shot from 30. The margin is back out to five goals.
Q2. 24:31 gone: Hawthorn 10.8 (68) v Geelong 7.2 (44) Oooh! After such a clinical first term, there have been a truckload of missed chances in the second, Flanigan failing to score at all from 40m running towards the goal. He’s had a very good quarter in the ruck, though.
Q2. 20:31 gone: Hawthorn 10.8 (68) v Geelong 7.2 (44) Dipper to Dunstall, another clever tap to Pritchard and he misses the finish from 35. That’s his third point, yet to kick a goal. Geelong have taken 10 marks to Hawthorn’s five in this quarter, after the Hawks took 20 in the opening stanza. The physicality continues as Brownless clips Buckenara on the head. He recovers quickly from the indiscretion, nearly soccering home from the square! Nor far from all. As we near time on in this second quarter, Geelong still have the run of play.
Q2. 17:16 gone: Hawthorn 10.7 (67) v Geelong 7.1 (43) Dunstall thinks he has kept Anderson’s kick in and tapped to Morrissey but he’s roughly where Wayne Harms was 10 years ago on this day. The throw in lands with Pritchard who tries to banana it home from 30 but just misses. Hamilton – the youngest man on the ground – does superbly on the wing to gather, run and hit up Ablett but this time he can’t take the easier chance, losing his balance. He is mortal. Hamilton, who is having a brilliant term since coming off the bench, is there again on the other side of the ground and finds the rover Bews with a clever snap, who straightens up and drills it from 40 with a crisp drop punt. The Geelong chant goes up around the MCG. They’re still four goals behind but Geelong are very much in this grand final.
Q2. 14:39 gone: Hawthorn 10.6 (66) v Geelong 6.1 (37) Lindner, the South Australian champion, is excellent in the air only to botch the kick for the second time today, Tuck makes the interception and soccers it forward. Morrissey eventually gets it in the vicinity to Dunstall, who can’t get the footy but can nail another tackle to dispossess Darcy. The TV cuts to Bob Hawke, the prime minister, who has been on deck to see Hawthorn win three premierships already during his time in the top job. Geelong’s turn to surge now through Hamilton, who is having a very good quarter, but the Hawks repel the Cats at half back. Meanwhile, Jeans has made the big change down back: Langford has moved to Ablett.
Q2. 12:01 gone: Hawthorn 10.6 (66) v Geelong 6.1 (37) Ablett! Oh my, a second miracle! How has he done that? From a boundary throw-in in the forward pocket in front of the Southern Stand, he’s leapt over both ruckmen, taken the ball on the full from the contest and on one foot after landing, managed to snap over his left shoulder high into the Melbourne sky and straight through the sticks. That’s an absurd piece of football! “Mercurial stuff!” says Ian Robertson. “I get the feeling the momentum is starting to shift,” adds Cometti. He’s not wrong and it is almost all down to one man: Gary Ablett. The Cats are inside five goals.
Q2. 11:20 gone: Hawthorn 10.6 (66) v Geelong 5.1 (31) Tuck is doing a job on Bairstow but Geelong are coming in waves anyway, the young man Hamilton finding Ablett with his left on the lead. Classy pass. From in front of the Olympic Stand, the magic man replies from 40 metres out on the angle. He has three and, despite the margin, is looking pristine.
Q2. 9:06 gone: Hawthorn 10.6 (66) v Geelong 4.1 (25) Buckenara flies! He can’t bring it down but Curran, good again, gathers and bangs it into the danger zone. Bews collects and tries to run out of trouble for the Cats but Dunstall is having none of that – another merciless tackle! The ball spills free to Brereton who snaps from close range for the Hawthorn major. That’s what Allan Jeans has demanded from this team all year: tackling unmatched by any opponent. Even better to see it from the full forward in Dunstall, really making it count there; what a decisive piece of defensive football. “It’s a massacre at the MCG,” says Ian Robertson with the margin back out to 41 points. “What a magic tackle by Dunstall,” says Scott after he has finished assassinating Bews’ character once again. I’m not so sure about that bit, Don.
Q2. 8:22 gone: Hawthorn 9.6 (60) v Geelong 4.1 (25) Brereton too big for Stephen Hocking once again! When he was dropped down to the forward pocket after that initial collision, the smaller defender went to him rather than Schulze – his initial opponent – or Yeates. On this occasion, he misses from 35. But it’s a problematic matchup for the Cats. They get another chance soon enough, through the midfield Buckenara links to Curran, to Morrissey off the bench, with clever hands to Whitman… who misses as well. Two chances to really hurt Geelong after their energetic start to this quarter. Don Scott lines up Lindner, arguing that he took his eye off the ball at the crucial moment. “You can’t afford to do that in finals!”
Q2. 5:34 gone: Hawthorn 9.4 (58) v Geelong 4.1 (25) Pressure released! A fumble from Schulze and miscue from Cameron across the face of goal and Buckenara there to take a strong, contested mark. He pops it through from 20, easy as you like.
Q2. 4:39 gone: Hawthorn 8.4 (52) v Geelong 4.1 (25) Brilliance from Ablett! Astonishing balance and strength, in the forward pocket, pushing off Maginness and taking a diving, one-handed gem! Wow. He’s arrived big time now. Going with the banana, the champion times it sweetly! “Nonchalant,” purrs Cometti on the telly. “I am just shaking my head in amazement,” adds Don Scott. What a special grand final goal that is. And far more importantly, that’s two in two minutes for Geelong.
John Platten is off the field. Michael Roberts on the boundary reports on television that the rover was in quite a state at quarter-time, tested for concussion. This could have major ramifications; he was second in the Brownlow medal to Paul Couch on Monday night.
Q2. 3:10 gone: Hawthorn 8.4 (52) v Geelong 3.1 (19) Let’s go again. Buckle up. Clever from Ablett to hold his feet after contact, feeding to Stoneham for his first meaningful contribution. He plays on and sets sail from 50 but can’t quite make the journey. Hawthorn clear but Bruns takes a strong mark, copping the booing that Hawthorn supporters have made routine for him since Leigh Matthews king hit him in 1985 – the less said about that the better, right? “This is a spiteful game!” says Don Scott. No kidding. Flanigan takes a strong grab at half-forward, the ruckman taking his turn on the field after starting on the bench. He sends in a long and probing kick to the top of the square, taken by Stoneham! It’s a lovely grab. Did he miss? Has he missed from 10 metres out? It doesn’t matter, because he gets another kick… Chris Mew has ran over the mark! Anyway, all’s well that ends well. They have their third.
Good grief! What a half hour of footy. On any other day the Yeates shirtfront of Brereton at the first bounce, then the centre half-forward’s extraordinary response, would be only story from it. But there were so many hits, so many goals, such wonderful use of the football. It might have been violent – the hits on DiPierdomenico and Ablett to pick out but two others – but what a quarter of pure footballing skill as well. The tone is set. The challenge for Hawthorn is to capitalise on this and take the game away by half-time, as they did against Melbourne last year. But might it be that Geelong find a way to settle after that onslaught? They will know that they have been up against some peerless football.
Quarter-time: Hawthorn 8.4 (42) v Geelong 2.0 (12)
Ayres and Kennedy combine to go inboard again, Whitman the time after that. Geelong are reeling but Bews is composed, getting the Cats twice out of trouble. Buckenara attempts a diving mark on the half forward flank right where he suffered a crippling knee injury on this day in 1983; he isn’t able to quite stick the landing here, the ball going out of play. Geelong work up the outer side to enter their 50 one last time but it doesn’t go to hand. And there goes the siren.
Q1. 28:11 gone: Hawthorn 8.4 (52) v Geelong 2.0 (12) Hawthorn push hard to give themselves another chance, Maginness excellent by foot running of half back, Condon again important through the guts. Lindner takes a spectacular diving mark over Buckenara for Geelong but plays on! Or at least is called to have played on. Holding the ball given. Curran takes the free and bangs it high and long the hot spot and… there’s Brereton! Felled to start the quarter, he is too big for Stephen Hocking and too good above his head and now has two goals. What a momentous quarter in the storied career of this champion.
Q1. 26:22 gone: Hawthorn 7.4 (46) v Geelong 2.0 (12) Dipper again, combining with the ruckman Dear but he can’t find a man. His opposite number, Damien Bourke, gets it back and gives Bruns an opportunity but it’s Dipper dragging him to the ground appealing for holding the ball. Couch, who won the Brownlow earlier in the week, gets his first clear possession and kicks in the direction of Ablett but that man again – DiPierdomenico – is underneath is. Ooooh, so Ablett runs through him from behind! That’s perhaps the most brutal hit yet, from a very competitive field! “He’s earned the free kick” says Cometti – too right. Dipper had no idea what was about to hit him. But he is, somehow, straight back up. Blimey.
The Hawks take full advantage of the free kick, then another to Platten for a subsequent infringement, taking it quickly up the other end of the field where they outnumber the Geelong defence. Buckenara is the happy recipient of a handball from Dunstall in the goal square and doing the rest from point blank range. They now lead by 34.
Q1. 23:53 gone: Hawthorn 6.4 (40) v Geelong 2.0 (12) DiPierdomenico is caught high! He’s already won possession once in the passage of play and gets it back courtesy of Peter Cameron’s whistle. Ohh, it’s a nasty hit from Gary Hocking, hitting the big Dipper with a roundhouse left hook. It should be a downfield free but it doesn’t matter as the 1986 Brownlow medallist and four-time premiership player launches a glorious drop punt from 55, straight over the goal umpire’s hat. As he so often says of himself, the 31-year-old is born to play grand finals. He was best on ground in 1978 and he’s the Hawks’ best so far here.
Q1. 22:51 gone: Hawthorn 5.4 (34) v Geelong 2.0 (12) Geelong have tried to take Brereton out of the game, it hasn’t worked, and now he’s busy winning a free kick across half-forward, putting it on the chest of Anderson who sends it long towards Dunstall. Again, it is just outside of his reach. The pace they are keeping is relentless right now. Geelong force the ball back into their 50 and into the hands of Baitstow but he isn’t getting away from his tagger, Michael Tuck, who drags him to the ground with a textbook tackle from behind. The captain has saved a goal there and the coach will absolutely love it. All of a sudden Curran has another shot from 20 but wastes it to the right. Hawthorn have had 13 marks to Geelong’s four, highlighting once again that constant pressure.
Q1. 19:59 gone: Hawthorn 5.3 (33) v Geelong 2.0 (12) DiPierdomenico bursts through the pack with the ball in hand and slams the all into the 50 yet again – Hawthorn are swarming here. His kick doesn’t go to hand but the throw in creates another opportunity, Pritchard’s snap just missing to the right. Now down the other end, Maginness makes a determined dive to drag the ball out of bounds, which will feel good after his tough start. Geelong make the most of the re-start though, Billy Brownless pulling down a big, athletic mark close to goal after leaping over Langford. He pops it through from 20; Geelong’s first since the opening seconds. The margin is back to 21.
Q1. 16:32 gone: Hawthorn 5.2 (32) v Geelong 1.0 (6) Pritchard has had a fantastic start, racing through the middle, taking a bounce and kicking towards Dunstall. He can’t quite mark but Platten is there to rove expertly. The pressure builds and builds, Platten now the man delivering into the 50, the crumbs ending up with Curran who snaps his second from 20 out! A great start from the forward, now in Brereton’s vital position.
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Q1. 14:45 gone: Hawthorn 4.2 (26) v Geelong 1.0 (6) Brilliant hands from Dipper to Whitman, who is the linkman again to Platten this time, the 1987 Brownlow medallist knowing precisely what to do in this situation: look for Dunstall. And there the full forward is, racing out on the lead, pouching a comfortable chest mark. Maginness and Darcy have the two toughest jobs in the game. “Tremendous stuff,” says Ian Robertson. “They are running all over the field. Their teamwork is perfect.” Against the flow of play, though, Dunstall shanks the kick. “Geelong are on the ropes,” adds Cometti.
Q1. 13:45 gone: Hawthorn 4.1 (25) v Geelong 1.0 (6) Ooh, Hocking gets a bit back from Buckenara who hits him high after the Hawthorn half-forward put in ferocious tackle earlier in the passage. It’s Curran’s turn now to put his head over it and he doesn’t back out. Yeates is now in the game for the right reasons, collecting smoothly and picking out Ablett on the lead. Once again he’s got the jump on Maginness. He doesn’t quite get the journey this time, though. Ooh! Ablett gets another chance to fly as the ball rebounds back but can’t drag it down. Hawthorn might have this early lead but the Cats’ full-forward is hot.
Q1. 10:02 gone: Hawthorn 4.1 (19) v Geelong 1.0 (6) Hawthorn make Geelong pay again! DiPierdomenico has been busy early and collects the kick out, finding Condon who links up with Whitman, his rapid hands to Anderson who runs into an open goal! After Ablett’s major in the opening seconds, the Hawks have been unstoppable. Condon and Whitman were especially brilliant there under pressure. They’re already up by 19 points.
Q1. 8:15 gone: Hawthorn 3.1 (19) v Geelong 1.0 (6) This is exhilarating footy, a brutal physical contest too. Ayres gets a chance to run through Ablett close to the Geelong goal and doesn’t miss with a ruthless hip and shoulder. No free kick, play on! Rebounding once more, Kennedy gets another kick in the middle to Buckenara who finds Dunstall at full speed. What ball movement. Dunstall where the paint meets on the 50 and the boundary line makes the distance and it looks good… but it hits the post. Deep breath!
Q1. 6:15 gone: Hawthorn 3.0 (18) v Geelong 1.0 (6) Tuck combines with Condon who goes long into the 50 again for Hawthorn but Dunstall can’t gather, the ball out of bounds. Ooh! Dermie is in the thick of it again! He’s slid into Darcy at full pace! Nasty. “If he’s got to go off he’s going to take a few scalps with him,” concludes Don Scott. He now has Stephen Hocking by the throat! Kennedy has it again after Gary Hocking misses his mark out of defence and it is the same man who has taken Kennedy out when kicking himself – that’s a downfield free kick to Curran well within range. Stupid footy from the curly-haired youngster, the Hawthorn veteran clapping in his face so he knows all about it. Back to Curran who lines up and kicks high handsomely from 30, slotting Hawthorn’s third. Brereton is getting some more attention from Dr Terry Gay but he is going nowhere.
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Q1. 4:15 gone: Hawthorn 2.0 (12) v Geelong 1.0 (6) Hawthorn with the centre break again, Kennedy running through the middle of the MCG, offloading to Pritchard who delivers in the direction of Brereton who goes back with the flight and takes a towering overhead mark! A moment ago it looked like Yeates had ended his day within four seconds and now the Hawthorn megastar is walking back to slot their second in a minute. “What a courageous mark!” says Cometti. The first skirmish of the day breaks out as the man known as The Kid stabs truly from 25. The look on his face, teeth gritted together!
Q1. 3:17 gone: Hawthorn 1.0 (6) v Geelong 1.0 (6) Back in the middle, there’s an infringement that has gone Hawthorn’s way, Peter Curran taking the free. Brereton is still in the hands of the doctor and the trainer as the ball comes inside 50 and Dunstall clunks it! Superb positioning of his body, working Darcy under the flight. That’s bread and butter from the two-time Coleman medallist. He steps back from 40 and squares the ledger.
Brereton goes down!
Oh my! At the first bounce, Mark Yeates ran off the wing at full pace and nailed Brereton’s left side with a hip and shoulder. The replay leaves little doubt: this was a premeditated hit. And the Hawthorn champion – who didn’t see him coming – is in a world of pain. He’s slamming his foot on the turf in agony as Dr Terry Gay sprints over to assess the damage, play stopping as he finally gets back to his feet. Surely he will come off! Surely! Allan Jeans is animated in the box, on his feet and pointing – it’s chaos! But as the game restarts, Brereton isn’t going off! He’s staying out there. He jogs to the forward pocket with his face telling the story, every step more painful than the next. What drama!
Q1. 0:17 gone: Hawthorn 0.0 (6) v Geelong 1.0 (6) Bourke gets the tap, clean hands from Bairstow to Bews to Ablett! The superstar has got the jump on Maginness at the first time of asking, taking the easiest of marks at the end of his lead. Barely seconds into this grand final and he takes his shot from 52 metres and slams it straight through the middle! That would have gone through had he been kicking from 60. What a way to settle the nerves for Geelong. What a start! And Don Scott says there was an altercation off the ball at the opening bounce between Yeates and Brereton – stand by!
The siren
Maginness goes to Ablett – that’s a huge call from Jeans, the young man getting the job ahead of Langford. Morrissey joins Madigan on the interchange to begin. Mark Yeates was named on Geelong’s bench but he’s out there for the first bounce, lining up on the outer wing. Schulze has Brereton and Darcy goes to Dunstall. All that is left is for Brian Sheehan to hold the ball aloft. “We are set to go,” says Cometti. “For the ultimate prize!” And we are away in the ‘89 grand final!
Geelong raise their fists to Blight! I’ve never seen that before! At their last huddle, the Cats puts their arms in before pointing to the coach’s box as one. A sign that they are ready, no doubt, for the most important 120 minutes of their footballing lives. Hawthorn break in less theatrical fashion, Michael Tuck keeping his final message short and sweet. They know precisely what comes next. Here we go!
The coin toss
Geelong win the toss! Allan Border’s coin comes down correctly for Damien Bourke, who elects to kick to the City End. That means Hawthorn will be surging that way in the final term as they did in 1971 when Bob Keddie slotted four majors to get over the line against the Saints in the best grand final of the television era. Can it be matched today?
Don Scott, who was Hawthorn’s best afield that day 18 years ago, says that even though Geelong will be kicking with the wind, he doesn’t think it will mean an awful lot in the first term of a frenetic decider. “The factor will be how these teams establish themselves in the first 10 minutes.” He’s up in the TV commentary box with Dennis Cometti and Ian Robertson. What a tremendous calling trio. Scott is backing his Hawks, and Robbo – a premiership player for Carlton – likes the Cats.
Time for Advance Australia Fair. As the players file into their lines for the national anthem the camera zooms in on Blight, who looks a million bucks in his light blue jumper. What a ride he’s been on since taking the Cats job last summer. The choir from the Victorian School for the Deaf an the Victorian Childrens’ Choir are joining John Farnham to belt it out. Not one of the 40 players sings along, instead using these final moments before the bounce to eye off their opposition. What a roar!
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And now for the Cats! “The Charge of the Blight Brigade” reads Geelong’s banner, entering the ground from the Southern Stand city end pocket. Their blue and gold balloons join Hawthorn’s. What an emotional time for Geelong fans, waiting so long for their chance to be here again on this famous day. We’re so close now.
Here come the Hawks! Led by Michael Tuck, playing in his 10th grand final and hoping for his sixth flag, they bunch up before running through their banner. “Why Hello Hawthorn,” it reads. “It’s so nice to have you back where you belong.” Thousands of brown and gold balloons sail into the sky as the players lap the centre square and the song rings out around the coliseum. Asked for his pick, Peter McKenna says, as he always does: “I never tip against Hawthorn.”
John Farnham takes the stage. How good is this? 100,000 fans doing the Mexican wave as Whispering Jack sprints down the Olympic Stand race, blonde mullet flapping in the wind, to take the stage for Waltzing Matilda – a grand final tradition in recent years. “It’s not our anthem but it could well be,” says Sandy Roberts. It’s a moving a cappella rendition too, just John and his famous back-up singers. If that can’t get you fired up, I don’t think anything can.
Maurice Fitzgerald is our Superboot! The Gaelic player has seen off Darren Bennett for the competition to decide who has the biggest kick of the footy. I wonder where the Melbourne star’s booming boot will take him into the future?
Australia’s Ashes heroes are doing a lap of honour. After regaining the urn in England last month for the first time since 1934, they are getting a wonderful ovation from the Melbourne faithful, uniting both sets of fans with a round of ‘three cheers’. We’ll see the skipper Allan Border again shortly – recently recognised with the Order of Australia – for the coin toss. What a great moment.
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The teams
No late changes for Hawthorn. “Look at that side,” declares the great Peter McKenna of Hawthorn on the telly. “Champions on every line!” Of course, Peter Schwab is the one forced change since their thrashing of Essendon, suspended for striking in what turned out to be a fairly open-and-shut case. In his place? The teenager, Greg Madigan. This is just his sixth VFL game – what a story! The hard luck selection table tale is that of Robert Dickson, missing out on the final spot.
Up front, Jason Dunstall already has 134 goals, having stitched up his second Coleman medal. And at centre half-forward is Brereton. He was named Lou Richard’s player of the match against Essendon in the second-semi despite only touching the ball 14 times and not kicking a goal, such was the influence of his vicious shirtfront on Paul van der Haar when it was to be won in the second term.
Who gets first crack at Ablett? Chris Langford – the state full-back and a master of his craft – or will Scott Maginness, the youngster? It’s a huge call for Jeans.
B: Andrew Collins – Chris Langford – Gary Ayres
HB: Scott Maginness – Chris Mew – John Kennedy
C: Robert DiPierdomenico – Anthony Condon – Darrin Pritchard
HF: Dean Anderson – Dermott Brereton – Gary Buckenara
F: Peter Curran – Jason Dunstall – Chris Whitman
R: Greg Dear – Michael Tuck – John Platten
I: James Morrissey, Greg Madigan
Geelong also as named. Mark Yates, the state wingman, is back after missing Geelong’s preliminary final victory through suspension. The tough decision for Malcolm Blight was leaving out utility Damien Drum, deemed not fit to play. The captain Damien Bourke will be rucking to a powerhouse midfield, the new Brownlow medallist Paul Couch, Mark Bairstow and rover Andrew Bews.
B: Spiro Malakellis – Tim Darcy - Michael Schulze
HB: David Cameron – Mark Bos – Steven Hocking
C: Neville Bruns – Paul Couch – Shane Hamilton
HF: Gary Hocking – Barry Stoneham – Gary Ablett
F: Bruce Lindner – Bill Brownless – Robert Scott
R: Damien Bourke – Mark Bairstow – Andrew Bews
I: Darren Flanigan, Mark Yeates
The TV broadcast has started. Sandy Roberts is on the tools hosting for Channel Seven. He reports that it is “a magnificent day for football,” a tad overcast earlier when watching the reserves grand final but the cloud is expected to lift just as the players take their positions. The MCG looks absolutely sensational.
Oh, and in that earlier game? Geelong went down by just two points to Fitzroy. And guess what? To start the day, the Cats fell one point short in the Under-19s preliminary final replay, losing to Richmond. What if there’s also only kick in the seniors a few hours from now? Well... we should be so lucky!
Preamble
Welcome to the 1989 VFL grand final! What a wonderful feeling. Here we are again, on this final Saturday in September, readying ourselves for the final game of the decade – the grand final. The last match to be played under the banner of the Victorian Football League before the brave new world of the AFL arrives in 1990. And what better way to celebrate this golden era of Australian rules than the most dominant team of the decade, Hawthorn, taking on the highest-scoring outfit in the competition, Geelong?
For the Hawks, it is their seventh big one in a row. With champions on every line, they know all there is about winning premierships. If they can get the job done today, it will be their fourth of the 1980s and deliver the family club back-to-back success for the first time. If it possible to mean any more, it does because Allan Jeans is at the helm today, the man who coached the 1983 and 1986 triumphs but wasn’t there when they flogged Melbourne in last year’s decider, that season spent recovering from a brain injury. The players love the man they call Yabby.
Where all but two Hawthorn players turning out today have been there as winners before, the opposite is true of Geelong – none of their 20 have played in a grand final. And where Hawthorn breezed through September, taking care of Essendon by six goals in the second semi at VFL Park to qualify after a week off, the Cats are playing in their fourth final in four weeks after a long, wet season. But boy, they know how to kick a score; no team has kicked so many goals in one season. And Gary Ablett, the enigmatic powerhouse, kicked seven against Melbourne to get through the first semi with easy before going one better to annihilate Essendon in the preliminary final last week – a 94-point victory.
Only once before have these clubs played off in the grand final, back in 1963 when Bobby Davis’s men stormed home to claim their sixth cup. They haven’t added to their trophy cabinet since, though – the Sleepy Hollow faithful have been waiting so patiently for this day. Under Malcolm Blight, who took over as coach for this season, they have played a brilliant brand of high-scoring football.
The main question in the build up bas been whether the Cats can roll that out against such a formidable opponent. In addition to all that aforementioned experience – also having finished two games clear on top of the ladder dropping just three home-and-away games – they broke Geelong’s heart in round six when coming back from a 49-point deficit to run over them in a Princes Park classic.
There was plenty of spite in that affair too, not least when Dermott Brereton made a mess of Mark Yeates’ groin and told him all about it. Don’t doubt for a moment that, in addition to being a high-scoring grand final, this will be a mightily physical encounter as well. I absolutely cannot wait. Welcome to the Melbourne Cricket Ground for our goal-by-goal coverage of the day that matters most.
