HAWTHORN had two powerful motivations for winning the 1976 Grand Final.
The first was that the club was seeking revenge for its humiliating loss to North Melbourne in the 1975 Grand Final.
The second was that the Hawks' inspirational captain, Peter Crimmins, was seriously ill with cancer.
Crimmins was too ill to attend the game, but invoking the need to win for “the little fella” was all that coach John Kennedy Snr needed to say to inspire his players.
Hawthorn controlled the game for most of the day and while North had the better of the third term, the result was never really in doubt.
John Hendrie was generally acknowledged as best-on-ground; there would have been no argument except for his inaccuracy that saw him kick 2.7.
On Grand Final night, a group of Hawthorn players took the premiership cup to the home of their dying former skipper.
One of the most iconic photographs in the history of the Hawthorn Football Club shows Crimmins surrounded by a group of his team mates, holding the premiership cup.
Crimmins passed away three days later - and the premiership win is often referred to as 'Crimmo's Cup'.
On Saturday night, Hawthorn will celebrate 40 years since that famous victory - and 30 years since it's 1986 premiership win against Carlton - at the Mighty Fighting Hawks Premiership Reunion.
Hawthorn 13.22 (100) d North Melbourne 10.10 (70)
Coach: John Kennedy
Captain: Don Scott
Backs: Brian Douge, Kelvin Moore, Bernie Jones
Half-backs: Ian Bremner, Peter Knights, David O’Halloran
Mid-field: Rodney Eade, Barry Rowlings, Geoff Ablett
Half-forwards: Kelvin Matthews, Alan Martello, David Polkinghorne
Forwards: Allan Goad, John Hendrie, Michael Moncrieff
Followers: Don Scott, Michael Tuck, Leigh Matthews
Reserves: Leon Rice, Peter Murnane
Goalkickers: M Moncrieff 3, J Hendrie 2, A Goad 2, K Matthews 2, A Martello 1, L Matthews 1, D Scott 1, B Rowlings 1
Best players: J Hendrie, P Knights, G Ablett, B Douge, B Rowlings, K Moore
Attendance: 110,143
