2008 AFL Grand Final
Encyclopedia
The 2008 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football
match contested between the Geelong Football Club
and the Hawthorn Football Club
, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
in Melbourne
on the 27th of September 2008. It was the 112th annual Grand Final
of the Victorian Football League/Australian Football League
, staged to determine the Premiers for the 2008 AFL season
.
The game was the third Grand Final meeting between the two teams in their long history, having previously contested in the 1963
and 1989 VFL Grand Final
s. The 2008 Grand Final was the first Grand Final contested by two Victorian
-based teams since Essendon
and Melbourne
met in 2000
. It was attended by 100,012 spectators, the first crowd to exceed 100,000 for a VFL/AFL game since the 1986 VFL Grand Final
. Geelong entered the match as the favourites to win, however Hawthorn won by 26 points, earning its 10th Premiership.
Geelong, the 2007 Premiers, won 21 of 22 games during the home and away season to win its second consecutive McClelland Trophy
, and tied the 2000 Essendon Bombers
for most wins ever in a home and away season. They were convincing 58-point winners in their Qualifying Final against , earning them a week's rest and a home Preliminary Final. They then defeated the Western Bulldogs
by 29 points to qualify for the Grand Final. Leading up to the Grand Final Geelong had won its past fifteen games.
Hawthorn won its first nine games of the season, and sat atop the AFL ladder at Round 11. They began to lose a few games towards the end of the season, and finished in second place with a record of 17 wins and 5 losses; full-forward Lance Franklin
won the Coleman Medal
with 102 goals. They convincingly beat the Western Bulldogs
by 51 points in their Qualifying Final, which earned them a week's rest and home Preliminary Final, in which they beat by 54 points. Hawthorn had won four games in a row leading into the Grand Final, all by more than 50 points. It was the team's first appearance in a Grand Final since winning the 1991 AFL Grand Final
.
The two teams had met only once during the season, in a Friday night game in Round 17. Geelong was missing defending and eventual Leigh Matthews Trophy
winner Gary Ablett, Jr.
, but defeated Hawthorn 12.16 (88) to 11.11 (77). Geelong was the warm favourite to win the Grand Final, with Hawthorn attracting odds of $3.05 for the win at the opening bounce.
It was a highly anticipated Grand Final, eliciting memories of the classic 1989 VFL Grand Final played between the same teams.
The 2008 decider was telecast by the Seven Network
, its first Grand Final telecast since 2001
. The network had only broadcast the match following an agreement that would see them, along with rival Network Ten
(which had telecast the event between 2002 and 2007 inclusive), share the rights to the match every year, with the losing network broadcasting the pre-season Grand Final and the Brownlow Medal
presentation that year as well.
Included a live performance by Powderfinger
of their hit "(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind
", interspersed with a rendition of the AC/DC
classic, "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)
", including bagpipers. Ian Moss
also performed lead guitar notes to the tune of "Up There Cazaly
". The traditional Grand Final motorcade, which was controversially omitted from the 2007 pre-match entertainment
, returned, honouring the 2008 Australian Football Hall of Fame
inductees, individual award winners and retiring players with over 200 games experience, as well as Olympic and Paralympic gold medallists. The Australian National Anthem Advance Australia Fair
was performed by Amanda Harrison
and Lucy Durack
, stars of the hit musical Wicked
.
. With conditions reaching 27° Celsius, this is the warmest VFL/AFL Grand Final on record.
on the run, Xavier Ellis
from a set shot and Jarryd Roughead
along the ground from an acute angle. Hawthorn started conceding goals through free kicks, first to Gary Ablett, Jr. then to Max Rooke, to reduce the margin. Geelong looked stronger than Hawthorn at stoppages, but Hawthorn was damaging from rebounds, so neither team could gain the overall dominance in general play, leading to an intense see-sawing quarter of football which saw each team score five goals and Geelong lead by one point at quarter time.
behind from 15 metres (49.2 ft) on the run and a Cameron Mooney
behind from a 5 metres (16.4 ft), 45° set shot after the siren – and strong defensive pressure from the Hawthorn defense restricted Geelong to just 1.9 (15).
Meanwhile, Hawthorn scored 3.1 (19) for the quarter, with goals to Cyril Rioli
, Mark Williams
and Clinton Young
, generating almost all of their scoring from rebounds. Hawthorn defender Trent Croad
left the field midway through the second quarter with a broken foot. Midfielder Sam Mitchell
was reported for making forceful front-on contact on Ablett (the charge was withdrawn at the tribunal). Geelong captain Tom Harley
was concussed because of a clash of heads with Hawthorn's Williams
and he left the ground.
The same trends continued into the early third quarter, with Geelong winning in the midfield but faltering in the forward-line. Set shots from Mooney and Lonergan
hit the posts. A running goal from 45 metres (147.6 ft) from Ablett broke a string of eleven consecutive behinds for Geelong, and put them back in front. However, Lance Franklin
kicked his first goal forty seconds later from outside 50m with a set shot. The Hawks regained the lead and were never headed again.
In the latter half of the third quarter, Hawthorn started to win stoppages for the first time in the game. Now dangerous from both rebounds and stoppages, the Hawks started to gain the ascendancy, and a crumbing goal from to Rioli put Hawthorn two goals up. Stuart Dew
went forward, and either scored or assisted with three goals in just 2:47 of playing time late in the quarter to open up a five-goal lead. The Cats scored two goals against the run of play in the final minute of playing time to reduce the margin to 17 points at three quarter time.
scored the opening goal of the quarter to increase the margin to 21 points. Mitchell
goaled less than a minute later. Hawthorn was able to maintain the margin, and eventually won its tenth Premiership by the score of 18.7 (115) to 11.23 (89).
was the winner of the Norm Smith Medal
for best afield, just edging out Geelong's Gary Ablett. Playing as a loose defender, Hodge was instrumental in generating and directing the rebounds which Hawthorn dominated throughout the game, and in applying the defensive pressure which helped keep the Hawks in the game when the Cats' midfield was dominating the second quarter.
Hawthorn held celebrations for its members in both Victoria and Tasmania, Sunday at Glenferrie Oval and Monday in Hobart and Launceston, in the latter of which it plays four home games each season.
Shane Crawford
retired after the game setting a record for most games before playing in a Premiership (305 games); the sound bite of Crawford hijacking the microphone and shouting "That's what I'm talkin' about!" as he received his medallion has been replayed and paraphrased frequently over the following seasons.
The 2008 Grand Final will be remembered as the one that got away from Geelong, which had been the best side of the season proper with its 21-1 record in the home and away season. It had been widely expected to defend its 2007 premiership, and to win back-to-back Premierships for the first time since 1951-52. By failing to win the Grand Final, Geelong instead set the record for the best win/loss record by a non-Premier (breaking the 16-2 record set by South Melbourne in both 1935 and 1936) and for the most home and away wins by a non-Premier (breaking the record of 19 wins set by Collingwood in 1973 and tied by West Coast in 1991).
Geelong's twenty-three behinds included eleven rushed behinds by Hawthorn, most of which were deliberate, and some of which occurred directly from kick-ins. Hawthorn defenders made a clear effort to rush behinds whenever there was any applied pressure from the Geelong forwards, which was reflected in Geelong's inability to defend against Hawthorn's rebounds. This was one of the major contributing factors to a rule change the following year, prohibiting defenders from conceding rushed behinds unless under immediate pressure.
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...
match contested between the Geelong Football Club
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...
and 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...
, 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 the 27th of September 2008. It was the 112th 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
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 2008 AFL season
2008 AFL season
-Round 1 :-Round 2:-Round 3 :-Round 4:-Round 5:-Round 6 :-Round 7:-AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match:-Round 8:...
.
The game was the third Grand Final meeting between the two teams in their long history, having previously contested in the 1963
1963 VFL Grand Final
The 1963 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Geelong Football Club and Hawthorn Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 5 October 1963. It was the 67th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine the...
and 1989 VFL Grand Final
1989 VFL Grand Final
The 1989 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Hawthorn Football Club and the Geelong Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 30 September 1989. It was the 93rd annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine...
s. The 2008 Grand Final was the first Grand Final contested by two Victorian
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
-based teams since Essendon
Essendon Football Club
The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
and Melbourne
Melbourne Football Club
The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....
met in 2000
2000 AFL Grand Final
The 2000 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Essendon Football Club and the Melbourne Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 2 September 2000. It was the 104th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League/Australian...
. It was attended by 100,012 spectators, the first crowd to exceed 100,000 for a VFL/AFL game since the 1986 VFL Grand Final
1986 VFL Grand Final
The 1986 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Hawthorn Football Club and Carlton Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 27 September 1986. It was the 90th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine...
. Geelong entered the match as the favourites to win, however Hawthorn won by 26 points, earning its 10th Premiership.
Background
McClelland Trophy
The McClelland Trophy is an Australian rules football trophy, currently awarded to the minor premiers in the Australian Football League each year...
, and tied the 2000 Essendon Bombers
Essendon Football Club
The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
for most wins ever in a home and away season. They were convincing 58-point winners in their Qualifying Final against , earning them a week's rest and a home Preliminary Final. They then defeated the Western Bulldogs
Western Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based at the Whitten Oval in West Footscray, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne...
by 29 points to qualify for the Grand Final. Leading up to the Grand Final Geelong had won its past fifteen games.
Hawthorn won its first nine games of the season, and sat atop the AFL ladder at Round 11. They began to lose a few games towards the end of the season, and finished in second place with a record of 17 wins and 5 losses; full-forward Lance Franklin
Lance Franklin
Lance "Buddy" Franklin, Jr is a professional Australian rules footballer currently playing for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League . Nicknamed 'Buddy', Franklin primarily plays as a centre half-forward, but also spends some time in the midfield, where he plays along the wing...
won the Coleman Medal
Coleman Medal
The Coleman Medal is awarded yearly to the Australian Football League player who kicks the most goals in regular-season matches in that year...
with 102 goals. They convincingly beat the Western Bulldogs
Western Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based at the Whitten Oval in West Footscray, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne...
by 51 points in their Qualifying Final, which earned them a week's rest and home Preliminary Final, in which they beat by 54 points. Hawthorn had won four games in a row leading into the Grand Final, all by more than 50 points. It was the team's first appearance in a Grand Final since winning the 1991 AFL Grand Final
1991 AFL Grand Final
The 1991 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Hawthorn Football Club and West Coast Eagles, held at Waverley Park in Melbourne on 28 September 1991. It was the 95th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League/Australian Football League, staged to...
.
The two teams had met only once during the season, in a Friday night game in Round 17. Geelong was missing defending and eventual Leigh Matthews Trophy
Leigh Matthews Trophy
The Leigh Matthews Trophy is an annual award given by the AFL Players Association to the Most Valuable Player in the Australian Football League. It is named in honour of Leigh Matthews, who won the first MVP award in 1982, when the league was still known as the Victorian Football League...
winner Gary Ablett, Jr.
Gary Ablett, Jr.
Gary Ablett, Jr. is a professional Australian rules football player and current captain of the Gold Coast Football Club in the Australian Football League ....
, but defeated Hawthorn 12.16 (88) to 11.11 (77). Geelong was the warm favourite to win the Grand Final, with Hawthorn attracting odds of $3.05 for the win at the opening bounce.
It was a highly anticipated Grand Final, eliciting memories of the classic 1989 VFL Grand Final played between the same teams.
Pre-match entertainment
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
, its first Grand Final telecast since 2001
2001 AFL season
Results and statistics for the Australian Football League season of 2001.See List of Australian Football League premiers for a complete list.-National Cup:Port Adelaide defeated Brisbane Lions 17.9 to 3.8 in the Final....
. The network had only broadcast the match following an agreement that would see them, along with rival Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
(which had telecast the event between 2002 and 2007 inclusive), share the rights to the match every year, with the losing network broadcasting the pre-season Grand Final and the Brownlow Medal
Brownlow Medal
The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...
presentation that year as well.
Included a live performance by Powderfinger
Powderfinger
Powderfinger was an Australian rock band that formed in Brisbane in 1989. From 1992 until their breakup the band lineup consisted of vocalist Bernard Fanning, guitarists Darren Middleton and Ian Haug, bassist John Collins, and drummer Jon Coghill....
of their hit "(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind
(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind
" On My Mind" is a song on Powderfinger's fifth studio album Vulture Street. It was released as a single in 2003 and reached #9 on the Australian music chart, the band's third highest charting single to date.-Background:After two albums of Powderfinger releasing singles that were either acoustic...
", interspersed with a rendition of the AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
classic, "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)
It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)
"It's a Long Way to the Top " is a song by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. It is the first track of the group's album T.N.T., released in December 1975, and was written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young and Bon Scott...
", including bagpipers. Ian Moss
Ian Moss
Ian Moss is an Australian rock musician, best known as the guitarist and occasional singer of Cold Chisel. In that group's initial ten year career, Moss recorded eight albums, three of which were No. 1 national hits. His solo career began with a No. 1 album and single and five ARIA Awards...
also performed lead guitar notes to the tune of "Up There Cazaly
Up There Cazaly
"Up There Cazaly" is an Australian sporting catchphrase inspired by former St Kilda and South Melbourne great Roy Cazaly...
". The traditional Grand Final motorcade, which was controversially omitted from the 2007 pre-match entertainment
2007 AFL Grand Final
The 2007 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Geelong Football Club and the Port Adelaide Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 29 September 2007. It was the 111th annual Grand Final of the VFL/AFL, staged to determine the...
, returned, honouring the 2008 Australian Football Hall of Fame
Australian Football Hall of Fame
The Australian Football Hall of Fame was established in 1996, the Centenary year of the Australian Football League, to help recognise the contributions made to the sport of Australian rules football by players, umpires, media personalities, coaches and administrators. It was initially established...
inductees, individual award winners and retiring players with over 200 games experience, as well as Olympic and Paralympic gold medallists. The Australian National Anthem Advance Australia Fair
Advance Australia Fair
"Advance Australia Fair" is the official national anthem of Australia. Created by the Scottish-born composer, Peter Dodds McCormick, the song was first performed in 1878, but did not gain its status as the official anthem until 1984. Until then, the song was sung in Australia as a patriotic song...
was performed by Amanda Harrison
Amanda Harrison
Amanda Harrison is an Australian musical theatre performer who will be originating the role of Paula in the World Premiere of An Officer and a Gentleman in Sydney 2012.-Early years:...
and Lucy Durack
Lucy Durack
Lucy Durack is an Australian musical theatre performer most recognised for playing Glinda in the Australian production of Wicked.-Biography:...
, stars of the hit musical Wicked
Wicked (musical)
Wicked is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. It is based on the Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West , a parallel novel of the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and L. Frank Baum's classic story The Wonderful Wizard...
.
Match summary
The Grand Final was played in warm conditions under sunny skies at the Melbourne Cricket GroundMelbourne 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...
. With conditions reaching 27° Celsius, this is the warmest VFL/AFL Grand Final on record.
First quarter
The first goal of the game was scored by Geelong's Tom Lonergan from a mark. The Hawks opened up a thirteen-point lead with goals from Chance BatemanChance Bateman
Chance Bateman is an Australian rules footballer who currently plays for Hawthorn in the Australian Football League ....
on the run, Xavier Ellis
Xavier Ellis
Xavier Ellis is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League...
from a set shot and Jarryd Roughead
Jarryd Roughead
Jarryd Roughead is an Australian rules footballer playing for Hawthorn in the Australian Football League .-Early life:Born in Leongatha in southern Gippsland, Roughead played Gippsland Power...
along the ground from an acute angle. Hawthorn started conceding goals through free kicks, first to Gary Ablett, Jr. then to Max Rooke, to reduce the margin. Geelong looked stronger than Hawthorn at stoppages, but Hawthorn was damaging from rebounds, so neither team could gain the overall dominance in general play, leading to an intense see-sawing quarter of football which saw each team score five goals and Geelong lead by one point at quarter time.
Second quarter
Geelong began to completely control play in the midfield, winning the stoppages easily and providing their forwards with plenty of opportunities which they wasted. However, a combination between inaccurate goalkicking from the Geelong forwards – the worst of which were a Brad OttensBrad Ottens
Brad "Otto" Ottens is a former Australian rules footballer for the Geelong Football Club and Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League .-Richmond: 1998–2004:...
behind from 15 metres (49.2 ft) on the run and a Cameron Mooney
Cameron Mooney
Cameron Mooney was an Australian rules footballer who played with the North Melbourne and Geelong Football Clubs in the Australian Football League...
behind from a 5 metres (16.4 ft), 45° set shot after the siren – and strong defensive pressure from the Hawthorn defense restricted Geelong to just 1.9 (15).
Meanwhile, Hawthorn scored 3.1 (19) for the quarter, with goals to Cyril Rioli
Cyril Rioli
Cyril Rioli is a professional Australian rules footballer currently playing with the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League...
, Mark Williams
Mark L. Williams
Mark Williams is a former indigenous Australian rules footballer who played with Hawthorn and Essendon in the Australian Football League...
and Clinton Young
Clinton Young
Clinton 'Clint' Young is an Australian rules footballer currently playing for the Hawthorn Football Club. He was recruited from Minyip-Murtoa and North Ballarat U18's. Young made his debut at AFL level in Round 16, 2005....
, generating almost all of their scoring from rebounds. Hawthorn defender Trent Croad
Trent Croad
Trent Eric Croad is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played in the Australian Football League .During his 222 game AFL career, he achieved some of the Australian Football League's highest honours including an AFL premiership medallion, All-Australian selection, representing...
left the field midway through the second quarter with a broken foot. Midfielder Sam Mitchell
Sam Mitchell (footballer)
Samuel Mitchell is an Australian rules football player for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League .- Debut season :...
was reported for making forceful front-on contact on Ablett (the charge was withdrawn at the tribunal). Geelong captain Tom Harley
Tom Harley
Thomas 'Tom' Harley is a former Australian rules footballer for the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League...
was concussed because of a clash of heads with Hawthorn's Williams
Mark L. Williams
Mark Williams is a former indigenous Australian rules footballer who played with Hawthorn and Essendon in the Australian Football League...
and he left the ground.
Third quarter
Tom Lonergan
Tom Lonergan may refer to:*Tom and Eileen Lonergan, divers*Tom Lonergan , Australian rules footballer with the Geelong Football Club...
hit the posts. A running goal from 45 metres (147.6 ft) from Ablett broke a string of eleven consecutive behinds for Geelong, and put them back in front. However, Lance Franklin
Lance Franklin
Lance "Buddy" Franklin, Jr is a professional Australian rules footballer currently playing for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League . Nicknamed 'Buddy', Franklin primarily plays as a centre half-forward, but also spends some time in the midfield, where he plays along the wing...
kicked his first goal forty seconds later from outside 50m with a set shot. The Hawks regained the lead and were never headed again.
In the latter half of the third quarter, Hawthorn started to win stoppages for the first time in the game. Now dangerous from both rebounds and stoppages, the Hawks started to gain the ascendancy, and a crumbing goal from to Rioli put Hawthorn two goals up. Stuart Dew
Stuart Dew
Stuart Dew is a former Australian rules footballer and dual premiership-player for Port Adelaide and Hawthorn in the Australian Football League. Dew was a student at Enfield High School prior to his AFL career....
went forward, and either scored or assisted with three goals in just 2:47 of playing time late in the quarter to open up a five-goal lead. The Cats scored two goals against the run of play in the final minute of playing time to reduce the margin to 17 points at three quarter time.
Final quarter
The first half of the final quarter was closely fought on the field, with Hawthorn controlling general play, and both teams missing shots at goal. After nine minutes of playing time, FranklinLance Franklin
Lance "Buddy" Franklin, Jr is a professional Australian rules footballer currently playing for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League . Nicknamed 'Buddy', Franklin primarily plays as a centre half-forward, but also spends some time in the midfield, where he plays along the wing...
scored the opening goal of the quarter to increase the margin to 21 points. Mitchell
Sam Mitchell (footballer)
Samuel Mitchell is an Australian rules football player for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League .- Debut season :...
goaled less than a minute later. Hawthorn was able to maintain the margin, and eventually won its tenth Premiership by the score of 18.7 (115) to 11.23 (89).
Aftermath
Hawthorn's Luke HodgeLuke Hodge
Luke Hodge is a professional Australian rules footballer with the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League...
was the winner of the Norm Smith Medal
Norm Smith Medal
The Norm Smith Medal is the award given in the AFL Grand Final to the player adjudged by an independent panel of experts to have been the best player in the match.-History:The Norm Smith Medal is named after former Melbourne player and coach, Norm Smith...
for best afield, just edging out Geelong's Gary Ablett. Playing as a loose defender, Hodge was instrumental in generating and directing the rebounds which Hawthorn dominated throughout the game, and in applying the defensive pressure which helped keep the Hawks in the game when the Cats' midfield was dominating the second quarter.
Shane Crawford
Shane Crawford
Shane Barry Crawford is a former Australian rules footballer, having played for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League...
retired after the game setting a record for most games before playing in a Premiership (305 games); the sound bite of Crawford hijacking the microphone and shouting "That's what I'm talkin' about!" as he received his medallion has been replayed and paraphrased frequently over the following seasons.
The 2008 Grand Final will be remembered as the one that got away from Geelong, which had been the best side of the season proper with its 21-1 record in the home and away season. It had been widely expected to defend its 2007 premiership, and to win back-to-back Premierships for the first time since 1951-52. By failing to win the Grand Final, Geelong instead set the record for the best win/loss record by a non-Premier (breaking the 16-2 record set by South Melbourne in both 1935 and 1936) and for the most home and away wins by a non-Premier (breaking the record of 19 wins set by Collingwood in 1973 and tied by West Coast in 1991).
Geelong's twenty-three behinds included eleven rushed behinds by Hawthorn, most of which were deliberate, and some of which occurred directly from kick-ins. Hawthorn defenders made a clear effort to rush behinds whenever there was any applied pressure from the Geelong forwards, which was reflected in Geelong's inability to defend against Hawthorn's rebounds. This was one of the major contributing factors to a rule change the following year, prohibiting defenders from conceding rushed behinds unless under immediate pressure.
Teams
Scorecard
Information according to.See also
- 2008 AFL finals series2008 AFL finals seriesThe Australian Football League's 2008 Finals Series determined the top eight final positions of the 2008 AFL season. It began on the weekend of 5 September 2008 and ended with the 112th AFL Grand Final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 27 September 2008...