AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL
GRAND FINALS
1989
Grand Final - Hawthorn Hawks (144) v (138) Geelong Cats - In arguably the greatest Grand Final ever, the Hawks and the Cats went toe-to-toe for the title. Both teams were very physical, with the Hawks Demott Brereton and Robert DiPierdomenico both suffering from broken ribs due to hits in the game. The Hawks rebounded from an early deficit to lead by 33 points at the half and despite a strong 2nd half from the Cats, the Hawks held on for the win. The Norm Smith medal went to the Cats Gary Ablett who finished with a record-tying 9 goals (10, Official DVD, 1 Disc, CH7 - Cometti/Robertson, PAL)
2007
Grand Final - Geelong Cats (163) v (44) Port Adelaide Power - Geelong finally ended 44 years of drought since their last title with a sensational display of running football and smothering defense. The 119 point margin of victory was a Finals record and the 24 goals scored was 2nd all time. Steve Johnson won the Norm Smith medal with 4 goals (9, 2 Discs, CH10 - Lane/Hudson/ Walls/Voss, PAL)
2008
Grand Final - Hawthorn Hawks (115) v (89) Geelong Cats - In a rematch of the classic 1989 final, it was the Hawks who pulled the upset to win their first title in 17 years. The Hawks used a big 3rd quarter to open an 89-72 lead and held on at the end. The Hawks scored 18 goals while the Cats struggled to score goals, kicking a huge 23 behinds. The loss was only the second of the season for Geelong (10, 2 Discs, CH7 - McAvaney/Cometti, PAL)
2009
Grand Final - St.Kilda Saints (68) v (80) Geelong Cats - Geelong cemented their place as a great team with their 2nd title in 3 years. In a tough game in the rain at the MCG, the Cats needed a goal with 2 minutes left from Norm Smith medal winner Paul Chapman to finally take the lead and the result was sealed when Max Rooke kicked a goal after the siren. Chapman kicked 3 goals and had 26 touches despite playing with a pulled hamstring. The Cats also got a big game from Gary Ablett Jr. who had 25 touches, 1 goal and 6 tackles. Coverage includes 50 minute review of the Semi-Finals (10, Missing 4 seconds in the 1st quarter + 22 seconds at the start of the 3rd quarter - No scoring missed, 2 Discs, CH10 - Quartermain/Hudson, PAL)
2010
Grand Final - Collingwood Magpies (68) v (68) St.Kilda Saints - In a highly-anticipated final, both teams played out a classic draw, the 1st tied final since 1977. The Pies set the early tone, with Dane Swan and Nick Maxwell keeping the Saints at bay, while building a 50-26 lead at the half. But the 2nd half saw the Saints comeback, with Nick Riewoldt leading the way, and they tied the game with 1:31 left. Neither team could find the winning points and the game ended a draw. The Norm Smith Medal went to the Saints Lenny Hayes (10, 2 Discs, CH7 - Cometti/McAvaney/Matthews, PAL)
Grand Final Replay - Collingwood Magpies (108) v (52) St.Kilda Saints - The Magpies claimed their 1st title since 1990 with a dominating win over the Saints. As in the 1st game, the Pies raced out to an early 20-2 lead at the end of the 1st quarter, but this time the Saints had no reply. The Pies increased their lead to 41-14 at the half and coasted home. Scott Pendlebury won the Norm Smith medal for best-on-field (29 disposals, 11 tackles) (10, Next day re-broadcast with no Pre-Game or half-time, 2 Discs, CH7 - Cometti/McAvaney/Matthews, PAL)
2011
Grand Final - Collingwood Magpies (81) v (119) Geelong Cats - The Cats ensured their legacy as one of the greatest teams of the modern era by beating the Minor Premiers to claim their 3rd title in 5 years. Both teams were evenly matched through 3 quarters but the Cats pulled away with a 3 goal final term and played great defense to keep the Pies to just single point scores. The heroes for Geelong were Tom Hawkins (3 goals), Joel Selwood (31 possessions), Steve Johnson (4 goals) and Jimmy Bartel (3 goals, 26 possessions), who also claimed the Norm Smith medal for man-of-the-match. Collingwood were led by captain Nick Maxwell and also featured Scott Pendlebury (33 possessions), Brownlow medallist Dane Swan (20 possessions), Andrew Krakouer (3 goals) and Travis Cloke (1 goal). After the game, Geelong captain Cameron Ling announced his retirement (10, 2 Discs, CH10 - Quartermain/Hudson/Darcy/Lloyd, PAL)
2012
Grand Final - Hawthorn Hawks (81) v (91) Sydney Swans - In an upset at the MCG, Sydney claimed their 1st flag since 2005 with a comeback win against the Hawks. The Swans started the better and led by 28 points in the 3rd quarter before the Hawks fought back to take an 12 point lead in the 4th quarter. Sydney suddenly re-found their form and kicked the last 4 goals of the game, including the game-sealer with 34 seconds left, to take the title. The heroes for the Swans were all in the midfield and included Norm Smith medal winner Ryan O'Keefe (28 disposals, 15 tackles), Daniel Hannebery (29 disposals, 1 goal), Josh Kennedy (26 disposals, 2 goals), Jarrad McVeigh (21 disposals, 9 tackles, 2 goals) and Adam Goodes (14 dispoals, 6 tackles, 1 goal) who finished the game with a torn ligament in his knee. The Hawks were led by Lance Franklin (24 disposals, 3 goals), Brad Sewell (33 disposals and 11 tackls) and Sam Mitchell (24 disposals) but were let down by poor shooting, especially in the final quarter (10, 2 Discs, CH7 - McAvaney/Cometti/Matthews/Harley, PAL)
2013
Grand Final - Hawthorn Hawks (77) v (62) Fremantle Dockers - Hawthorn made amends for their shock loss in 2012 with a big win at the MCG to claim their 11th VFL/AFL title. A battle between the leagues best Offense (Hawthorn) and the leagues best Defense (Fremantle) went the way of the Hawks as they used great Defense of their own to force Freo into a poor shooting performance. The Hawks led by 23 points at the half and, despite the Dockers rallying in the 3rd quarter to within 3 points, the Hawks pulled away in the 4th quarter to win the cup. The Norm Smith medal winner was Hawthorn Defender Brian Lake (22 disposals, 10 marks). The Hawks also featured Jack Gunston (4 goals), Cyril Rioli (15 disposals, 1 goal) and Jordan Lewis (26 disposals). Fremantle featured Matthew Pavlich (3 goals), David Mundy (28 disposals) and Nathan Fyfe (28 dispsoals) (10, 2 Discs, CH7 - McAvaney/Cometti/Matthews/Harley, PAL)
2014
Grand Final - Sydney Swans (74) v (137) Hawthorn Hawks - The Hawks claimed back-to-back titles for the 1st time since 1988/89 with a big win over the Swans. In a very physical game, the Hawks seized momentum early, running out to a 75-33 lead at the half and coasted home. The stars for the Hawks were Norm Smith medal winner Luke Hodge (35 disposals, 12 marks, 2 goals), in his 250th game, Jarryd Roughead (5 goals), Josh Gibson (32 disposals) and Luke Breust (17 disposals, 5 tackles, 3 goals). The Swans were led by Jarrad McVeigh (11 disposals, 5 marks), Josh Kennedy (29 disposals, 5 marks, 1 goal) and Lance Franklin (14 disposals, 5 marks, 4 goals, 2 behinds) (10, 3 discs, CH7 - McAvaney/Cometti/Matthews/Harley, PAL)
2016
Grand Final - Sydney Swans (67) v (89) Western Bulldogs - In one of the greatest finals ever, the Western Bulldogs broke the AFL's longest existing premiership drought (62 years) to win their 2nd Premiership title with a 22 point win over the Swans. A tight back-and-forth game was won in the 4th quarter as the 'Dogs kicked the final 3 goals of the game to win the cup. The Bulldogs featured Norm Smith Medal winner Jason Johannisen (33 disposals, 7 marks), Jack Macrae (33 disposals), Tory Dickson (5 goals, 3 behinds) and Tom Boyd (14 disposals, 8 marks, 3 goals). Sydney featured Josh Kennedy (34 disposals, 3 goals), Tom Mitchell (26 disposals, 13 tackles, 2 goals) and Lance Franklin (16 disposals, 8 marks, 1 goal). Disc 1 is the Pre-Game. Discs 2 and 3 are the game (10, 3 Discs, CH7 - McAvaney/Cometti/Carey/Ling/Richardson, PAL)
2020
Grand Final - Richmond Tigers (81) v (50) Geelong Cats - In an epic battle at the Gabba in Brisbane, Richmond over-turned a half-time deficit to beat Geelong and win their 3rd Grand Final in 4 years. The game was played at night in front of only 30,000 fans due to the Coronavirus Pandemic and featured injuries, 2 stretchers, pitch invaders and the final game for one of the greats of the modern game. Geelong had the better of a frantic 1st half and took a 35-20 lead in at the half. But Richmond showed why they were Champions, out-scoring the Cats 9 goals to 2 in the 2nd half to overwhelm Geelong and win the Cup. The Norm Smith medal went to Richmond midfielder Dustin Martin (21 disposals, 4 goals, 3 tackles), who won it for a record-making 3rd time. Richmond also featured Shane Edwards (27 disposals), Jayden Short (25 disposals), Dion Prestia (2 goals) and Jack Riewoldt (2 goals). Geelong featured Mitch Duncan (25 disposals), Joel Selwood (21 disposals, 5 tackles), Patrick Dangerfield (12 disposals), Tom Hawkins (1 goal) and Gary Ablett Jr (12 disposals) who retired after the match, his 357th first grade game (9, 2 Discs, CH7 - McAvaney/Taylor/Hodge/Voss/Holmes, PAL)
2021
Grand Final - Melbourne Demons (140) v (66) Western Bulldogs - At the Optus Stadium in Perth, Melbourne finally won a Premiership, their first in 57 years, ending the longest active drought of any team in the AFL. The game featured scoring runs from both teams, with the Demons owning the 1st quarter and the Bulldogs the 2nd quarter and the start of the 3rd. The Bulldogs held a 19 point lead in the 3rd before the Demons took control of the game for good, scoring 9 unanswered goals bridging the 3rd and 4th quarters to take an unassailable lead and the emotional victory. The Demons featured Christian Petracca (39 disposals, 2 goals, 4 tackles) who won the Norm Smith Medal with a Grand Final-record-equaling 39 disposals, Bayley Fritsch (6 goals), Ben Brown (3 goals) and Clayton Oliver (33 disposals, 1 goal, 10 tackles). The Bulldogs featured Marcus Bontempelli (25 disposals, 3 goals, 6 tackles), Adam Treloar (27 disposals, 3 goals) and Caleb Daniel (37 disposals, 6 marks) (9, No Half-Time, 2 Discs, CH7 - Brayshaw/Taylor/Hodge/Pearce/Holmes, PAL)
2022
Grand Final - Geelong Cats (133) v (52) Sydney Swans - Geelong won their 10th Premiership with a dominating 81-point victory at the MCG. The victory was the Cats 16th consecutive win to end the season. Geelong started on-fire and ended the game as a contest when they scored 6 goals in 21 minutes to set up a 35-point lead at quarter-time. The Cats then used a dominant 3rd quarter, out-scoring the Swans by 39 points to 1, to wrap up the game and turn the 4th quarter into a victory lap. The 81 point margin of victory was the 5th largest in a Grand Final. Geelong winger Isaac Smith (3 goals, 32 disposals, 12 marks) received the Norm Smith Medal, making him the oldest recipient of the award at 33. Geelong also featured Joel Selwood (1 goal, 27 disposals, 8 marks, 4 tackles), Patrick Dangerfield (27 disposals), Tom Hawkins (3 goals, 14 disposals) and Tyson Stengle (4 goals, 15 disposals). Sydney featured Chad Warner (29 disposals, 6 tackles), Tom Papley (20 disposals), Luke Parker (23 disposals, 14 tackles) and Lance Franklin (1 behind, 5 disposals, 2 marks), who had a quiet game. After the game, Geelong captain Joel Selwood announced his retirement (9, 2 Discs, CH7 - Brayshaw/Taylor/Hodge/Pearce/Holmes/Richardson, PAL)
2023
Grand Final - Collingwood Magpies (90) v (86) Brisbane Lions - After a 13-year wait, and in front 100,024 people at the MCG, Collingwood won their 16th Premiership with a tight win over the Lions. Both teams were evenly matched throughout and the game came down to the final 5.5 minutes. The Lions scored to go up by 4 points, but the Pies replied with 14 unanswered points to re-take the lead. The Lions goaled again to get within 4 points with 1.5 minutes to play, but the Pies held out to the end, and claimed the title. Collingwood featured Bobby Hill (4 goals, 18 disposals) whose performance earned him the Norm Smith Medal, Nick Daicos (29 disposals, 1 goal), Jack Crisp (25 disposals, 2 goals), Scott Pendlebury (24 disposals) and Tom Mitchell (24 disposals, 13 tackles). Brisbane featured Keidean Coleman (25 disposals, 8 tackles), Lachie Neale (21 disposals), Hugh McCluggage (21 disposals, 2 goals) Joe Daniher (3 goals, 16 dispsoals, 7 marks) and Charlie Cameron (3 goals). Includes the Pre-match concert from KISS (9, 2 Discs, CH7 - Brayshaw/Taylor/Hodge/Richardson/Holmes/Dangerfield, PAL)
2024
Grand Final - Brisbane Lions (120) v (60) Sydney Swans - In front of 100,013 fans at the MCG, Brisbane dominated Sydney in the middle quarters of the game to win their 4th AFL Premiership. The Lions scored 12 goals in the 2nd and 3rd quarters, to only 2 goals for the Swans, to take a 73 point lead into the 4th quarter before coasting home to the win. Brisbane featured Kai Lohmann (4 goals, 15 disposals, 4 tackles), Callum Ah Chee (4 goals, 6 marks), Joe Daniher (2 goals, 16 Disposals, 8 marks), Lachie Neale (35 Disposals) and Norm Smith medal winner Will Ashcroft (30 Disposals, 3 Tackles). Sydney featured Luke Parker (3 goals, 14 Disposals, 6 Tackles), Errol Gulden (24 Disposals, 4 tackles) and Tom Papley (10 Disposals). Coverage includes Katy Perry's pre-game show (9, 2 Discs, CH7 - Brayshaw/Taylor/Hodge/Richardson/Holmes/Thomas, PAL)