Another AFL season is over and for the first time since 2010, the team that proved to be the best throughout the regular season won the match that mattered most – the grand final.
That team is Hawthorn, who all but buried the demons of last year’s heartbreaking grand final loss to Sydney in the most emphatic fashion to win their 11th VFL/AFL premiership at the expense of Fremantle, who appeared overawed by the occasion of a maiden AFL grand final appearance.
Entering the grand final, questions were going to be asked about whether the Hawks could rebound from last year’s disaster against a team which has come from a very long way since entering the competition in 1995.
Alastair Clarkson’s men had come off a bruising preliminary final against Geelong, which famously ended the ‘Kennett curse’, which had dated back to the Hawks’ last premiership, back in 2008, while Fremantle came in having disassembled the premiership defence of the Sydney Swans.
Many saw Fremantle as the favourites, given the manner in which they dominated the Swans and the Hawks’ nervy performance against the Cats at the same time.
However, it was the experience of the Hawks that counted the most, with nine of the team that lined up having also played in the team that upset the Geelong Cats to win the 2008 premiership.
The nine Hawks who can now proudly call themselves dual Hawthorn premiership players are: Lance Franklin, Jarryd Roughead, Sam Mitchell, Luke Hodge, Jordan Lewis, Brad Sewell, Grant Birchall, Brent Guerra and Cyril Rioli.
Shaun Burgoyne can also call himself a dual premiership player, having experienced the ultimate success with Port Adelaide in 2004.
By contrast, Ross Lyon fell to a third grand final loss as head coach, having previously failed in his attempt to land St Kilda a second premiership in 2009 and 2010.
Zac Dawson also fell to the same record, having also previously played in the three aforementioned grand finals at the Saints under Lyon.
So where did it all go wrong for the Fremantle Dockers?
Their first half was as poor a half they could possibly have ever played, as nerves and stage fright got the better of the team, all but two of whom were playing in their first AFL grand final.
Their goalkicking accuracy deserted them as Nat Fyfe missed two set shots which went out on the full, one shot at goal appeared on target only for it to be touched on the line, and Matthew Pavlich skewed a set shot with half-time looming.
Their attack also failed to create any opportunities, and even though they came back to within three points twice in the third quarter, as many expected them to do, they were no chance of ever winning the match.
Whenever the Dockers tried to challenge, the Hawks would always answer back.
And in the vital fourth quarter, which started with the Hawks leading by ten points, there was one man who won the premiership for them with his strong performance in defence – Brian Lake, who crossed over from the Western Bulldogs at the beginning of the year in pursuit of an elusive premiership.
His strong outmarking of the Fremantle attack was what won him the Norm Smith Medal – and this will no doubt be his sweetest ever moment as he himself buried the demons of three consecutive preliminary final losses with the Bulldogs between 2008 and 2010.
In the end, the Hawks scored 11.11 (77) – four behinds less than their losing score of 11.15 (81) from last year.
By contrast, the Dockers managed only eight majors and 14 behinds – if there was a time where they lost the match, it was in the first half alone.
What if the Dockers had taken their chances in the first half? Would they have won the match? Or did nerves get the better of them?
They say ‘what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger’.
Hawthorn’s premiership victory came after they choked on the big stage against the Sydney Swans last year, losing by ten points after having led by as much as two goals midway through the final quarter.
While the Swans were deserved premiers last year, many feel the Hawks should have won the flag, given they had finished at the top of the ladder during the regular season.
The fear of another grand final failure among this talented squad was what drove them to victory this year; the same was said when Geelong defeated the Ross Lyon-coached and stage fright-plagued St Kilda in 2009 after having lost to the Hawks in 2008, and when the Eagles beat the Swans in 2006 after having lost to them in the previous year.
All the Dockers can do now is learn from this year’s defeat, which should spur them on as they bid to go one better in 2014.
Ross Lyon, on the other hand, is fast trying to avoid continuing a losing grand final record which could be compared to that of Andy Murray’s previous Grand Slam troubles in tennis.
Next year marks the Dockers’ 20th year in the competition and there is no doubt they would love to mark it with a maiden premiership.
The Dockers should know they are not alone following this grand final loss – the West Coast Eagles also lost their premiership decider debut, against the Hawks, back in 1991.
The Eagles then won two premierships in the ensuing three years, both coming at the expense of the Geelong Cats. They also added another premiership to their tally in 2006.
Thus, there is no reason why the Dockers cannot go one better in 2014.
As for the Hawks – they will now revel in the glory of their latest premiership, and completely forget about the failure that was 2012 once and for all.
Their premiership victory now means seven of the last nine premierships have been won by either Hawthorn (2008 and 2013), Geelong (2007, 2009 and 2011) or the Sydney Swans (2005 and 2012) – with the only blots being West Coast (2006) and Collingwood (2010).
Geelong blew a chance to continue their odd-year dynasty by losing last week’s preliminary final against the Hawks.
This comes a decade after the Brisbane Lions captured a hat-trick of premierships at the turn of the century, and ever since Sydney started the three-team stranglehold in 2005, the Lions have struggled.
Each grand final since 2005 has featured at least one of Geelong, Hawthorn, Sydney or Ross Lyon.
The only year in which not one of the Cats, Hawks or Swans reached the grand final was in 2010, when the Lyon-coached Saints drew, then lost, against Collingwood in the two-leg grand final.
The question will be whether this trend can continue on into 2014 and beyond.
Finally, congratulations to Hawthorn, a well deserved 11th VFL/AFL premiership, one that will be toasted by the players for days to come.
And commiserations to Fremantle, who I know will be back stronger and better than ever in 2014.
The Hawks’ premiership caps off what has been a somewhat controversial 2013 season, as the Melbourne tanking saga, the Essendon supplements scandal, and the Adam Goodes racism controversy plagued the year.
But what a year it has been for the Hawthorn Football Club, as they buried the demons of 2012 in the most emphatic fashion.
Simoc
Guest
Only to those who don't understand or follow the game. Losers. You obviously listen to the critics and can't see with your non brain attached eyes. But its good of noddies like you to announce their ignorance.
Mick
Guest
I thought the umpiring was very good for the grand final, much better than all the other AFL games I have watched this year. There were no soft 'in the back' or free kicks or soft penalties for collisions in the marking contest. I also liked that players who ducked their headds into contests were not awarded 'high tackle' free kicks.
mark
Guest
well said Pete . Whilst we have seen an improvement in some areas of umpiring , this one they get wrong more than they get right. I have no problem with them paying the decision any where on the ground . but the current trend of standing off the play does not allow them to skirt the pack and see the opposition pushing and holding the ball under the player. You can thank old fossils like Malthouse and Sheedy for their criticisms of umpiring for that being implemented by the umpires coaches. We need to get back to the umpires patrolling their zones like they did 3 or 4 years ago rather than being pushed out of the play and getting it wrong, and if an umpire occasionally gets caught up in the play , tough luck just get on with it. We also need to have a look at our recruiting of umpires and find a few that have a real feel for the game rather than recruiting them because they can run fast . The 2012-13 seasons have seen some absolute jokes running around getting paid big bucks to make pathetic decisions. The AFL needs to sort this out very soon
Brendon the 1st
Guest
Port and other clubs can't pay the full salary cap and that's the point! Duh We didn't want to lose Burgoyne and I can tell you North would have been spewin to lose those player. Port payed only 92% of its salary cap last year leaving it a couple of million behind Sydney and about a million behind Hawthorne, were not the only club with that problem. I stand by what I said, Hawthorne have stolen players using a broken AFL system, all power to them but it still sucks!
Justice
Guest
GWS may throw the cash at Buddy, but, can Buddy do for GWS what Ablett does for the Suns? Could Buddy get a Brownlow while with the Giants?
TheCunningLinguistic
Guest
I have no issue with Ross Lyon's game-plan. I think it was the players themselves that unravelled. Had every Freo player played with the same intensity, focus and skill that they showed against Geelong & Sydney, the result could have been quite different. They simply played too nervously, lost their composure and their skill-set, particularly in the first half. The second half was a cracker, just a shame those Dockers couldn't show up in the first half! Full credit to Hawthorn, there's no doubt they were the better team on the day
Australian Rules
Guest
Justin, the journos at AFLMedia will continue to write AFL content, as well as supply material for other sport such as cricket and netball (multiple sports are actually hiring AFLMedia to supply content and marketing). You clearly don't like Australian Football, which is fine - but it's strange that a "Pro" would climb onto the AFL tab with enlightening comments like: "Thank Gosh its over!" The link you provided is actually a huge endorsement of the AFL Media model/strategy and discusses how AFL content and news has increased and become *more* transparent since they launched this arm of the business. Here's another one you might enjoy: http://www.businessspectator.com.au/article/2013/8/30/technology/afl-media-future-content-marketing
Winston
Guest
I didn't say Hawks didn't deserve to win, in fact I think they deserve every bit of it. I'm just saying that from a neutral viewer's point of view the grand final itself was a bit of a fizzer.
Pope Paul VII
Guest
the drugs
Kasey
Guest
Justin: They'll make the usual big deal over trade week and the draft, then there's talking up the Giants maybe winning more than one game once they throw the bank at Buddy. -- Comment from The Roar's iPhone app.
Justin Thighm
Roar Guru
Thank Gosh its over! What are the 105 strong AFL Media Department team going to write about for the next 6 months? http://www.thecitizen.org.au/media/more-footy-reporters-herald-sun-why-afls-media-play-threatens-big-media-players
Joe
Guest
Well neither Hawthorn or Fremantle were out there to please you Winston, or anybody else for that matter (apart from themselves of course). Both sides came in with a clear goal of winning the game and hence winning the Premiership, and Hawthorn decided that in order to travel down the road of glory, they needed to nullify Lyon's high pressure game plan with defensive tactics. Therefore defensive team versus another defensive team = boring game by AFL standards, so I concur with you there. But Hawthorn got the job done in the end which is what mattered the most, and another deserving Premiership for Alistair Clarkson and his men is under their belts.
GazzaW
Guest
Wasn't much of a spectacle but it was intense, the conditions at the MCG were something the dockers wouldn't have been used to either. Hawthorn were the better side and if it was fine i think they would have won by more. Credit to the dockers they had enough shots (just) to win but didn't take them. But also I think it highlights the shortcomings of Lyons gameplan too few options in attack if they miss their shots they don't get enough chances to make it up. The dockers need to recruit a younger gun key forward fast if they want to win rather than make grand finals Also is it just me or do the gun small forwards go missing in grand finals more often than not.
pope paul v11
Guest
North wanted to keep Gibson.
Lroy
Guest
Mate.. have to disagree.. was an absorbing contest IMO.. the second half was as good as it gets.. Hawks at times were sublime.. Dockers too... I was suprised at the errors the Dockers made in the first half.. but they managed to stay in touch.. ten points in it at 3/4 time??? Its anyones game at that point... ;-)
Lroy
Guest
Mate.. Dockers fans hate West Coast more than all the other clubs combined.. so on this special day, I think its only fair we return the favour... Karma.. its a beach.. ;-)
George Max Baer
Guest
I don't think we learnt anything from the 2013 AFL Grand Final. It was a pretty ordinary game. Freo never really looked like winning. THe scoreboard was flattering for Freo. They were shocking in the first half. Absolutely bloody disgraceful.
Winston
Guest
Did anyone else feel that the grand final was a bit underwhelming? While Dockers did come back a little bit in the 3rd quarter, that was their one and only challenge for the day, which was answered emphatically by the Hawks. Hawks weren't that much better either, kicking poorly in the first half to keep the Dockers in it. Complete contrast to last year I reckon when both teams traded periods of dominance and fans from both sides would have had their hearts in their mouths all through the match. As a neutral this year, not happy.
Justice
Guest
Remember back in 2005 and 2006, the rabid Docker fans backing the Swans to win over the Eagles... This AFL victory for the Hawks over the first time Dockers is simply justice. As for the Dockers winning most of their matches in 2014 and making it to the Grand Final... unless they have rigged their games, have magical powers or Lyon doesnt keep choking his teams at finals... then, wishful thinking. There are 18 clubs in the competition, 18 squads susceptible to injury, off/on field problems, coaching dumpings, questionable umpiring decisions, match review panel decisions, etc to influence the outcome of the clubs/competition. Do the Dockers deserve to get to the 2014 AFL Grand Final? What about the other 17 clubs?
Australian Rules
Guest
Um, ever heard of something called the salary cap Brendan..?