1. The flag unfurling
A premiership team has never taken the field together again in the game's history. Although Hawthorn's premiership 22 from 2014 remain at the club in 2015, it introduced recruit James Frawley alongside Jed Anderson and Jonathon Ceglar with Matt Spangher, David Hale and Grant Birchall on the sidelines. Spangher, who finally achieved the premiership dream in 2014, earned the honour of unfurling the flag in front of his adoring Hawk fans. Much like Spangher's career the flag became stuck for a second as it unfurled near the top of the southern stand before it opened up and made a safe journey to its ultimate destination. After a summer where it added more talent to its list than most contenders, Hawthorn soon showed it was not content with back-to-back premierships but would be firm favourites to win its third consecutive flag as it dismantled Geelong by 62 points.

2. Hawthorn tackling
One of the more remarkable statistics from 2014 was that the premiership team, Hawthorn, trailed the competition when it came to tackling. For a team as hard and relentless as the Hawks it seemed an anomaly, particularly with their tackling such a feature on Grand Final day. Perhaps the statistic indicated how much the Hawks dominated the teams lower on the ladder in 2014 because Hawthorn was at it again against Geelong. It led the tackle count at half-time 31-29 as it opened up its match-winning lead and was able to pressure Geelong into turnovers in Hawthorn's half of the ground. Hawthorn also had 52 contested possessions to Geelong's 34 in the second quarter and finished with three more tackles and 30 more contested possessions than Geelong.

3. Shaun Burgoyne is a wonder
Maybe it's because Shaun Burgoyne is such an unassuming person that he sometimes gets left out of the conversation about the game's best players. He should be one of the first mentioned. Three premierships and five Grand Finals tell the story because unbelievably, he has just one All Australian and one placing in a best and fairest. The 32-year-old's effort late in the second quarter when he dispossessed first gamer Nakia Cockatoo, reclaimed the ball and found Cyril Rioli in dangerous space on the wing that led to a Ben McEvoy goal was sublime. He did not give Cockatoo a moment's peace all day. Such is his influence Fremantle coach Ross Lyon suggested on Sunday his gun midfielder David Mundy might push behind the ball occasionally in 2015 to replicate Burgoyne's impact. It might become known as Burgoyne's position.

4. Puopolo's mark
Eight minutes into the third quarter with Hawthorn up by 40 points, the smallest man on the ground, 173cm Hawk Paul Puopolo, soared to great heights to take an early contender for mark of the year as he grabbed a Will Langford kick. He leapt from the side to rise above teammates Ben McEvoy and Cyril Rioli, and Cats defenders Jared Rivers and Jed Bews, taking a grab reminiscent of former Tiger full-forward Michael Roach's mark against Hawthorn. To top it off, Puopolo went back and slotted the goal from 40m out.

5. What now for Geelong?
Chris Scott had only watched Geelong lose by 10 goals or more twice before in his coaching career until the Cats fell apart on Easter Monday. One positive sign was that Mitch Clark and Tom Hawkins looked promising whenever the ball entered the forward 50 and kicked five goals between them. Unfortunately the duo was denied opportunities after quarter-time with Hawthorn recording 40 inside 50s to 14 in the second and third quarters. Clark was very good considering it was his first senior game since round 4, 2013. It would be foolish to put a line through the Cats as Hawthorn will destroy other teams in 2015, however there were real concerns. Corey Enright looked slow and his kicking was off early. The youngsters Darcy Lang and Nakia Cockatoo struggled. Dawson Simpson didn't take his opportunity in the ruck and late replacement for Andrew Mackie, Billie Smedts, lost his footing when the game was at its hottest. And in key statistical measures the Cats were well beaten. The Cats have Fremantle next week at Simonds Stadium so they will need to regroup quickly.