In a Tweet
It’s a #ThreePeat! We’ve beaten the Eagles by 46, Chip and Schoey salute and Cyril’s won the Norm Smith!
The Rundown
It was a history making grand final against the West Coast Eagles with Hawthorn stamping themselves as one of the best teams in the AFL era with a third consecutive premiership.
After being beaten by West Coast in the qualifying final three weeks earlier in Perth, the Hawks blew the game wide open in the first half, kicking five goals in the first term and a further four in the second, holding a 31-point lead at the main break.
Cyril Rioli was at his dynamite best, sparking the Hawks in the first term with two goals and running riot in the front half of the ground - eventually going on to win the Norm Smith Medal.
After weathering what was left of the Eagles’ resistance early in the third term, Hawthorn piled on six unanswered goals on their way to a 46-point win and the club’s 13th premiership.
The Star
Finishing with 18 disposals, two goals, four goal assists and 12 marks, Cyril Rioli was instrumental in helping the Hawks dominate in the periods of the game that mattered most.
His chase and rundown of Mark Hutchings on the wing which led to a Jack Gunston goal will go down as one of Hawthorn’s most memorable grand final moments.
The Moment
Although Rioli’s chase was brilliant, it’s hard to go past Luke Hodge’s goal early in the second term.
After a one-on-one contest with Will Schofield deep in the left forward pocket, Hodge regathered the ball from Paul Puopolo and from a standing start, curled a left foot banana through the middle in front of a bay of jubilant Hawthorn fans – another moment which will go down in Hawthorn’s grand final folklore.
The Coach
“We’re enormously proud of their (the players’) resilience. We were up against it throughout the course of the year, but they were just a really proud group that wanted to represent their club really proudly again and they did so today.” – Alastair Clarkson
HAWTHORN 5.0 9.3 14.5 16.11 (107)
WEST COAST 1.5 3.8 5.9 8.13 (61)
GOALS
Hawthorn: Gunston 4, Smith 3, Rioli 2, Hodge, Roughead, Birchall, Schoenmakers, Hill, McEvoy, Suckling
West Coast: McGovern 2, Darling, Hill, Hutchings, LeCras, Shuey, Yeo
BEST
Hawthorn: Rioli, Mitchell, Smith, Hodge, Gunston, Burgoyne, Frawley
West Coast: Gaff, Shuey, Butler, Hutchings, Priddis
INJURIES
Hawthorn: Nil
West Coast: Nil
SUBSTITUTES
Hawthorn: David Hale replaced by Matt Suckling in the third quarter
West Coast: Callum Sinclair replaced by Matt Rosa in the third quarter
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Dalgleish, Rosebury, Stevic
Official crowd: 98,633 at MCG
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