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2008 AFL Grand Final

The 2008 AFL Grand Final was the 112th annual championship game of the Australian Football League played between the Geelong Cats and the Hawthorn Hawks. The game was played following the 2008 regular season on 27 September 2008 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne.

The 2008 Grand Final was the first Grand Final contested by two Victorian-based teams since since Essendon and Melbourne in 2000. It was a highly anticipated Grand Final, eliciting memories of the classic 1989 VFL Grand Final played between the same teams. Geelong entered the match as the favourites to win, however Hawthorn won by 26 points.

Lead-up

Main article: 2008 AFL finals series

Geelong, the 2007 premiers, won 21 of 22 games during the regular season to win its second consecutive McClelland Trophy for the best record in the league, and tied the 2000 Essendon Bombers for most wins ever in a season. They were convincing 58 point winners in their qualifiying final against , earning them a bye and a home preliminary final. They then defeated the Western Bulldogs by 29 points to qualify for the Grand Final. Going into the grand final, Geelong had won its past fifteen games.

Hawthorn won its first nine games of the season, and sat atop the AFL ladder at Round 11. They began to lose a few games towards the end of the season, and finished in second place with a record of 17 wins and 5 losses, with full-forward Lance Franklin winning the Coleman Medal with 102 goals. They convincingly beat the Western Bulldogs by 51 points in their qualifying final, which earned then a bye and home preliminary final, in which they beat by 54 points. Hawthorn had won four games in a row leading into the Grand Final. It was the team's first appearance in a Grand Final since winning the 1991 AFL Grand Final.

The two teams had met only once during the season, in a Friday Night game in Round 17. Geelong was missing defending and eventual Leigh Matthews Trophy winner Gary Ablett, Jr., but defeated Hawthorn 12.16.88 to 11.11.77. Geelong was the warm favourite to win the Grand Final, with Hawthorn attracting odds of $3.05 for the win at the opening bounce.

Grand Final Parade

The AFL Grand Final Parade was held on Friday 26 September 2008.

Pre-Match Entertainment

Included a live performance by Powderfinger of their hit (Baby I've Got You) On My Mind, interspersed with a rendition of the AC/DC classic, It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll), including bagpipers. The traditional Grand Final motorcade, which was controversially omitted from the 2007 pre-match entertainment, returned, honouring the 2008 Australian Football Hall of Fame inductees, individual award winners and retiring players with over 200 games experience, as well as Olympic and Paralympic gold medallists. The Australian National Anthem Advance Australia Fair was performed by Amanda Harrison and Lucy Durack, stars of the hit musical Wicked.

Match Summary

It was one of the most anticipated AFL Grand Finals in years, when 2 fairly evenly matched Victorian sides were due to extend their rivalry which started in the classic 1989 Grand Final epic. It was a perfect Melbourne day, and under bright, sunny skies, 100,012 people crammed into the mighty MCG, the first time the crowd figure hit the 6 figure mark since the mid 1980's. After all the anticipation and the massive build-up, the first quarter did not dissapoint. It was one of the most absorbing, intense 30 minutes of football for the season, and certainly one of the best Grand Final opening quarters for years. From the moment Geelong's Tom Lonergan booted the inspirational first goal of the match, it was a see-sawing affair, with 10 goals kicked (5 each) and the Cats leading by a point at the first change.

The second quarter was just as absorbing, although scrappy on the scoreboard, with the Cats scoring a wasteful 1.9 to Hawthorns 3.1. The quarter will be remembered for Geelong's continued dominance in general play, although their scoring opportunities were dried up by Hawthorn's immense defensive pressure, forcing the Geelong players to uncharacteristically panic. It will also be remembered for Geelong's Cameron Mooney marking 5 meters out and having a shot on goal after the half-time siren, but missing, which would have given the Cats the lead at the main break.

The third quarter was the game breaker. After another intense opening struggle, Gary Ablett Jr. finally found the big sticks with a stunning snap that regained the lead for Geelong. Then, the Hawthorn avalanche commenced. Lance Franklin immediately replied to give the Hawks back the lead, and they never looked back. They booted the next 5 goals, largely thanks to contreversial Hawks recruit Stuart Dew causing Geelong defensive headaches with 2 for the quarter (as well as setting up many others). The Cats kicked the last 2 of the term, but 17 points was still the margin at three-quarter time and the premiership was slowly slipping out of Geelong's hands.

Nearly 10 minutes passed until the crucial first goal of the final term was kicked, by Lance Franklin of Hawthorn. Hawks fans started celebrating as the determined Hawks held on and the minutes counted down for Hawthorn's 10th premiership, and their first since 1991, with the final scores 18.7.115 to 11.23.89. It will be remembered as the one that got away from Geelong, the most dominate team of the season proper, who were aiming at back-to-back flags for the first time since 1951/1952. But it will also be remembered as a deserving victory for Hawthorn, who were the Cats main challenger throughout the year, and were clearly the best side in the finals, including the big one when it counted.

Hawthorn's Luke Hodge was also a deserving winner of the Norm Smith Medal for best afeild, just edging out Geelong's Gary Ablett Jr., who was sensational for his side and would unquestionably have won the medal himself if his team had won. Geelong's score of 11.23.89 included 11 rushed behinds by Hawthorn. The Hawks post-premiership celebrations included flying the Premiership Cup to its adopted home in Tasmania (where it plays a selecion of home games) for a day of celebration.