AFL Grand Final

Previous grand finals

The last Saturday in September is one of the premier sporting dates in Australia, and the AFL Grand Final rarely disappoints. With a crowd of over 100,000 at the MCG and a huge television audience - the largest overall interest of any Australian sporting event - the day is of huge significance across the country.

And as 2008 proved, it can have the kind of drama that scriptwriters couldn't conjure up.

Geelong, the 2007 premiers, had won 21 of 22 games in the regular season which tied the 2000 Essendon Bombers for most wins ever in a season. They were 58-point winners in their qualifying final against St Kilda, then defeated the Western Bulldogs by 29 points in their home preliminary final, so everything pointed the way for another Cats success in the Grand Final.

But in the way stood Hawthorn, a team which had won its first nine games of the season and finished second on the AFL ladder with 17 wins and five losses. And in Lance "Buddy" Franklin they had a goal kicker who had single-handedly won them games during the season, so no-one was writing them off in what was their first Grand Final appearance since 1991.

The fact that Geelong had won the only regular season meeting between the sides, in Round 17, by 11 points despite being without fan favourite and eventual Leigh Matthews Trophy winner Gary Ablett helped ensure the Cats started as warm favourites.

Each team kicked five goals in the first quarter but Hawthorn restricted the Cats in the second quarter and Geelong's inability to score continued to hurt them in the third term, while Hawthorn took advantage to open up a five-goal lead.

The Cats were still in it as the game entered the final quarter, having scored two goals against the run of play in the final minute of the third term. But after Franklin scored the opening goal of the fourth quarter to increase the margin to 21 minutes and both Sam Mitchell and Rick Ladson scored, the game was sealed as Hawthorn ran out 18.7 (115) to 11.23 (89) winners.

The Hawks' win prevented Geelong winning back-to-back premierships for the first time since 1951-52, and continued a record of new winners each year in the sport.

Since the Brisbane Lions won three Grand Finals in a row from 2001-03 there has been a new name on the trophy each year.

Port Adelaide won its first premiership in 2004, then Sydney defeated the West Coast Eagles in 2005 in an exciting final which produced the closest result since the 1977 drawn Grand Final. The Swans secured their first premiership in 72 years by four points.

The West Coast Eagles gained revenge for that defeat a year later, edging the Swans by a single point this time.

And after the closest of matches, the 2007 Grand Final proved to be just the opposite as Geelong ended their 44-year premiership drought by winning with the highest ever Grand Final winning margin of 119 points over the Port Adelaide Power.

There is always considerable interest in, and betting on, who will win the Norm Smith medal for the game's best player. Luke Hodge of Hawthorn was voted winner in 2008, while the West Coast Eagles had back-to-back wins in 2005-06, with Chris Judd being named despite being on the losing side in the former final.