1991 AFL Grand Final

The 1991 AFL Grand Final took place on September 28, 1991 at Waverley Park between AFL clubs Hawthorn and West Coast. Reconstruction work at the Melbourne Cricket Ground meant that the game was played at Waverley Park. It was the only time that the ground hosted a premiership decider.

Match Summary

Hawthorn had made the grand final in 7 of the previous 8 seasons while West Coast were playing in their first ever. The Eagles entered the game as favourites, having played through the entire 1991 season as the premier team in the competition and finishing on top of the ladder.

A crowd of 75,231 saw Hawthorn win by 53 points. The Eagles had the better of play early and led at quarter time, before the Hawks slowly chipped away at the lead, eventually gaining the ascendency by half-time. The margin at three-quarter time was only ten points, but the Hawks blew the game open in the final term, kicking eight goals to one.

Hawthorn's experience was seen as the decisive factor in their victory, and sparked a new club T-shirt: "Too old. Too slow. Too good." (Some commentators had previously thought the Hawks were 'too old and too slow' to ever win another premiership.)

Hawthorn's flag closed a period in which the club won five premierships in nine years.

The day was also memorable for the half-time entertainment which featured a parade of sporting celebrities in Ford Capris, and Angry Anderson singing "Bound for Glory" on a pseudo-Batmobile. The entertainment has been the subject of derision, and footage of the performance features in a 2008 Carlton and United Breweries satirical television advertisement, with the caption stating that "CUB is a proud supporter of AFL footy since 1877 (except for 1991)".

Teams

Aussie rules team | title = Hawthorn
backpocket1 = Andrew Collins
fullback = Chris Langford
backpocket2 = Gary Ayres
halfbackflank1 = Michael Tuck (c)
centrehalfback = Chris Mew
halfbackflank2 = Ray Jencke
wing1 = Darrin Pritchard
centre = Ben Allan
wing2 = Andrew Gowers
halfforwardflank1 = Paul Hudson
centrehalfforward = Dermott Brereton
halfforwardflank2 = Tony Hall
forwardpocket1 = Darren Jarman
fullforward = Jason Dunstall
forwardpocket2 = Paul Dear
ruck = Stephen Lawrence
ruckrover = Anthony Condon
rover = John Platten
interchange1 = Dean Anderson
interchange2 = James Morrissey
interchange3 =
interchange4 =
interchange5 =
interchange6 =
coach = Alan Joyce

Aussie rules team | title = West Coast
backpocket1 = John Worsfold (c)
fullback = Michael Brennan
backpocket2 = Guy McKenna
halfbackflank1 = Craig Turley
centrehalfback = Andrew Lockyer
halfbackflank2 = Chris Waterman
wing1 = Dean Kemp
centre = Scott Watters
wing2 = Peter Matera
halfforwardflank1 = Brett Heady
centrehalfforward = Ashley McIntosh
halfforwardflank2 = Chris Lewis
forwardpocket1 = Glen Jakovich
fullforward = Peter Sumich
forwardpocket2 = David Hart
ruck = Dean Irving
ruckrover = Dwayne Lamb
rover = Don Pyke
interchange1 = Chris Mainwaring
interchange2 = Peter Wilson
interchange3 =
interchange4 =
interchange5 =
interchange6 =
coach = Mick Malthouse

tatistics

core

Goal kickers

Norm Smith Medal

The Norm Smith Medal was won by Hawthorn's Paul Dear who managed 26 disposals and kicked 2 goals.

External links

* [http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/games/1991/HWWC19910928.html Match details at Rleague]

ee also

* 1991 AFL season