1976 VFL Grand Final
Encyclopedia
The 1976 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football
game contested between the Hawthorn Football Club
and North Melbourne Football Club
, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
in Melbourne
on 25 September 1976. It was the 80th annual Grand Final
of the Victorian Football League
, staged to determine the premiers for the 1976 VFL season
. The match, attended by 110,143 spectators, was won by Hawthorn by a margin of 30 points, marking that club's third premiership victory.
.
At the conclusion of the regular home-and-away season
, Hawthorn had finished second (behind Carlton
) on the ladder with 16 wins and 6 losses. North Melbourne had finished third with 15 wins and 7 losses.
In the finals series leading up to the Grand Final, North Melbourne lost to Hawthorn by 20 points in the Qualifying Final before defeating Geelong
by 33 points in the First Semi-Final. They then met Carlton in the Preliminary Final which they won by just one point to advance to the Grand Final. Hawthorn, after their win in the Qualifying Final, defeated Carlton by 17 points in the Second Semi-Final to advance to the Grand Final.
Hawthorn took the initiative from the start and could have been further ahead had it not been for some wayward kicking, scoring 10.18 by three quarter time and only led by 10 points at that break. In the final quarter they kept the Kangaroos goalless, eventually running out easy winners. It was the club's third win under coach John Kennedy.
who was suffering from cancer
. Crimmins, 28, sent a telegram which Kennedy read out before the players took the field: 'Good luck to you and all the bots. It will be a long, hard, 100 minutes but I am sure you will be there at the end. Regards, Peter Crimmins.'
Crimmins' team mates carried the premiership cup to Crimmins' hospital bed on the night of the Grand Final win. He would die three days after the game.
Hawthorn's next appearance in a Grand Final would be two years later (again against North Melbourne), in the 1978 VFL Grand Final
, while North's next appearance would be against Collingwood
in the 1977 VFL Grand Final
.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
game contested between the Hawthorn Football Club
Hawthorn Football Club
The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...
and North Melbourne Football Club
North Melbourne Football Club
The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
on 25 September 1976. It was the 80th annual Grand Final
AFL Grand Final
The AFL Grand Final is an annual Australian rules football match, traditionally held on the final Saturday in September at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia to determine the Australian Football League premiership champions for that year...
of the Victorian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
, staged to determine the premiers for the 1976 VFL season
1976 VFL season
Results and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1976.-Premiership season:In 1976, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, plus two substitute players, known as the 19th man and the 20th man...
. The match, attended by 110,143 spectators, was won by Hawthorn by a margin of 30 points, marking that club's third premiership victory.
Background
This was North Melbourne's third successive Grand Final, and were the reigning premiers after having defeated Hawthorn in the 1975 VFL Grand Final1975 VFL Grand Final
The 1975 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the North Melbourne Football Club and Hawthorn Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 27 September 1975. It was the 79th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to...
.
At the conclusion of the regular home-and-away season
1976 VFL season
Results and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1976.-Premiership season:In 1976, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, plus two substitute players, known as the 19th man and the 20th man...
, Hawthorn had finished second (behind Carlton
Carlton Football Club
The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
) on the ladder with 16 wins and 6 losses. North Melbourne had finished third with 15 wins and 7 losses.
In the finals series leading up to the Grand Final, North Melbourne lost to Hawthorn by 20 points in the Qualifying Final before defeating Geelong
Geelong Football Club
The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also...
by 33 points in the First Semi-Final. They then met Carlton in the Preliminary Final which they won by just one point to advance to the Grand Final. Hawthorn, after their win in the Qualifying Final, defeated Carlton by 17 points in the Second Semi-Final to advance to the Grand Final.
Match summary
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawthorn Hawthorn Football Club The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys... |
5.6 | 9.12 | 10.18 | 13.22 (100) |
| North Melbourne North Melbourne Football Club The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world... |
4.2 | 7.5 | 10.8 | 10.10 (70) |
Hawthorn took the initiative from the start and could have been further ahead had it not been for some wayward kicking, scoring 10.18 by three quarter time and only led by 10 points at that break. In the final quarter they kept the Kangaroos goalless, eventually running out easy winners. It was the club's third win under coach John Kennedy.
Epilogue
Hawthorn's win was dedicated to former captain Peter CrimminsPeter Crimmins
Peter Crimmins was a rover for the Hawthorn Football Club in the VFL, playing 176 games and kicking 231 goals from 1966 to 1975. He was an inspirational player and captain from 1974 who wore number 5. He was a member of the Hawks' 1971 premiership team.At the completion of the 1974 VFL season...
who was suffering from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. Crimmins, 28, sent a telegram which Kennedy read out before the players took the field: 'Good luck to you and all the bots. It will be a long, hard, 100 minutes but I am sure you will be there at the end. Regards, Peter Crimmins.'
Crimmins' team mates carried the premiership cup to Crimmins' hospital bed on the night of the Grand Final win. He would die three days after the game.
Hawthorn's next appearance in a Grand Final would be two years later (again against North Melbourne), in the 1978 VFL Grand Final
1978 VFL Grand Final
The 1978 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Hawthorn Football Club and North Melbourne Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 30 September 1978. It was the 82nd annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to...
, while North's next appearance would be against Collingwood
Collingwood Football Club
The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
in the 1977 VFL Grand Final
1977 VFL Grand Final
The 1977 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the North Melbourne Football Club and the Collingwood Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 24 September 1977...
.
Teams
Goalkickers
Hawthorn:
|
North Melbourne:
|
See also
- 1976 VFL season1976 VFL seasonResults and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1976.-Premiership season:In 1976, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, plus two substitute players, known as the 19th man and the 20th man...