HAWTHORN defender Brian Lake has won the Norm Smith Medal after a brilliant defensive performance in the 2013 Grand Final.
Recruited to Hawthorn at the start of the year to strengthen its defensive set up, the 31-year-old dominated in the air to lead the Hawks to victory.
The key defender had 26 disposals and took 10 marks. He rebounded from the Hawks' defensive 50 on five occasions.
His marking early in the last quarter when the game was in the balance tipped it the Hawks way.
Lake becomes the sixth Hawthorn player to the win the medal.
He is the first player to win the medal while playing for his second club since Byron Pickett in 2004. He had played 197 games for the Western Bulldogs before he decided to move to Hawthorn to chase a premiership.
Lake spent some time on Fremantle skipper Matthew Pavlich, who kicked three goals, but the Dockers' champion's influence was confined to a purple patch in the third quarter.
He appeared to kiss Ben Stratton when his teammate laid a tackle on Ryan Crowley late in the last quarter and he knew the Hawks were home.
Lake went and hugged friends in the crowd after embracing David Hale before returning to join in the celebrations.
Norm Smith Medal Voting
Brian Lake (Hawthorn) 12
Jack Gunston (Hawthorn) 11
D Mundy (Fremantle) 4
L Hodge (Hawthorn) 2
N Fyfe (Fremantle) 1
Judges Voting (3-2-1):
B McCartney (Western Bulldogs) - Gunston, Hodge, Lake
T Shaw (3AW) - Lake, Mundy, Gunston
G McFarlane (Herald Sun) - Lake, Gunston, Mundy
A McNicol (AFL Media) - Lake, Gunston, Mundy
K Langdon (6PR) - Gunston, Lake, Fyfe
