The 2015 AFL grand final between Hawthorn and West Coast resulted in Hawthorn’s historic third consecutive premiership flag. But how did they do it? Here are the five plays that shaped the three-peat.
MORE AFL GRAND FINAL
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>> HAWKS MAKE HISTORY WITH 3-PEAT
>> 5 TALKING POINTS FROM THE GRAND FINAL
>> GRAND FINAL PLAYER RATINGS
>> CYRIL RIOLI WINS THE NORM SMITH
1. Luke Shuey’s first quarter blunder
Luke Shuey started the grand final off in style, kicking the first goal of the game. Although this may have not been a great thing as his next play wasn’t something to remember.
The ball came into the forward 50 with Shuey and Mark Hutchings 10 metres out running into an open goal. Patrick Cripps was over the top for an easy handball and easy goal but Shuey, perhaps buoyed by his first goal, felt like more. Instead of doing the team thing he went for glory, and missed.
It may not have cost them the game but kicking the first two goals would have changed the match dramatically for both sides.
2. Cyril Rioli’s space and time in the first quarter
If anyone can have teenage disposals and still be the best player on the ground it’s Cyril Rioli. But what is beyond me is letting one of the most dangerous and damaging players in the AFL run riot without any attention.
Rioli only had five possessions in the first quarter, but with those five he kicked two goals (with one out of bounds on the full), took four marks and produced a goal assist. One of his goals was from a set shot where he took a mark inside 50 with no one within 15 metres of him. If you let someone like Rioli have time or space he will damage you, and the Eagles took the whole blow, trailing by 19 points at the first break.
3. The captain’s left-foot banana
Not even a minute into the second quarter had elapsed and you got the feeling that the Hawks were on top. It was 30 plays 11 and already Rioli had the ball in space, before kicking it long into the forward line. The ball spilled to Paul Puopolo and he handballed it out to Luke Hodge, who was at a standstill on the boundary line 35 metres out. Hodge sized up and kicked the goal of the day, lifting his team who went on to pile on another five goals in quick succession.
4. Cyril’s MCG chase down
During the second quarter, with the scores 43 to 12, you felt Hawthorn had started to put the foot down. In the 14th minute, following pressure from the Hawks, Jeremy McGovern sent a long handball out to Hutchings, who was greeted with ample space and time – a rarity for any Eagles player.
Rioli started chasing from 15 metres away, his presence so felt. But not for Hutchings, who just went on an MCG stroll down the wing. Next thing, Rioli chased down Hutchings from behind and held the ball. The Hawks kicked the next three goals and the grand final looked over by half-time.
5. Brian Lake’s goal-line smother
It may have been two minutes into the last quarter and the game may have seemed done and dusted with the Hawks boasting a 61-point margin, but Brian Lake’s heroic smother to deny a Josh Hill goal was exceptional.
The former Bulldog teammates confronted each other on the goal-line with Lake playing a goalkeeper role as Hill had teammates Hutchings and Dom Sheed screaming for a cheap handball and an easy goal. Hill decided to take the shot on goal and Lake made a courageous diving smother to force a rushed behind. Some would say play of the day – others would say that it summed up the Eagles performance.
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