HAWTHORN has won the McClelland Trophy and $1 million prize money after a last-quarter surge handed its AFLW side victory over Richmond on the final Sunday of the 2024 home and away season.

The McClelland Trophy is awarded to the best-performed club across the home and away seasons in the men's and women's competitions.

TIGERS v HAWKS Full match coverage and stats

Brisbane's win over Euro-Yroke earlier on Sunday had moved the Lions to the top of the McClelland standings, meaning the Hawks had to avoid defeat against the Tigers to secure the title.

In a tight and see-sawing match at the Swinburne Centre, the Hawks were in danger of letting the win slip when they fell behind early in the fourth term.

But three late goals secured the victory, a top-two spot in the finals and the $1 million prize money.

The Hawks finished on 136 points thanks to 14 wins from the men's side and 10 from the women's team, while the Lions finished second with 130 points.

The $1 million prize for winning the trophy is split between the two playing groups at the club, with $250,000 going to AFLW players, $250,000 to AFL players and the remaining $500,000 to the club.

Half of the money allocated to the club will go to football department staff and is exempt from the soft cap. The money for players will not be counted under the club's salary cap.

Wins in the men's competition are worth four premiership points, while victories in the NAB AFL Women's competition earn eight points on the McClelland Trophy ladder.

Hawthorn finished 17th in last year's McClelland Trophy race, underlining the remarkable turnaround for both the club's men's and women's programs in 2024.

"It's crazy to think that we'd be in this position at the start of the year," Hawthorn's Greta Bodey told the Seven Network.

"The boys turned it around amazingly and we've done a pretty good job as well to bring it home.

"It was a big game coming into finals. We really wanted to get ourselves ready for next week, and Richmond were the perfect team to (play) because they're such a good, quality opposition.

"Credit to them for bringing the fight. It took us the four quarters, and (we're) stoked to get the result."

First struck in 1951 in the VFL, the McClelland Trophy recognises the contributions of William McClelland, who was a former Melbourne captain, president of the Melbourne Cricket Club and VFL president from 1926-55.

Before being restricted to the AFL competition in 1991, it had a rich history of being awarded to the club with the best overall performance across multiple teams in men's competitions (seniors, reserves and under-19s).

It was re-launched last year to take in the men's and women's results from the 18 clubs.