• Ten things we learned from the Grand Final
• Norm Smith Medal: Rioli inspires Hawks to new heights
• Match report: Hawks secure historic three-peat
CONVENTIONAL wisdom is being turned on its head during this era of Hawthorn dominance.
Not since 1986 had a team kicked the ball 270 times in a Grand Final. Or be able to execute that skill so well that 130 uncontested marks were taken.
That rate of possession takes courage in front of 100,000 people in the decider.
"It's difficult. They have got a great system, [but] we were able to cortrol the tempo of the footy," Grant Birchall said.
They were also able to kick goals blindfolded with their set shots standing up in the finals.
The Hawks second behind didn't arrive until nine goals were on the board, when the left-footed skipper Luke Hodge decided to have a ping from 50 metres out on his right.
Such accuracy takes skill refined through purposeful practice.
Every Hawk rated, from Birchall to Suckling
Hawthorn took that training on to the ground against West Coast on Saturday, and it proved the difference.
That they did so with two ruckmen, three tall defenders and two tall forwards defied belief. Cheekily, they also did so with six players aged 30 and above.
Surely those gentlemen would be too old and too slow at some stage, particularly with conditions more akin to Boxing Day than a Grand Final.
But as coach Alastair Clarkson said post-game, birth certificates and rulers don't mean much to him.
It's whether you can perform the role required.
And this team performs the roles required so well it looks like fun at times, keeping the ball off the opposition, daring them to engage in the chase.
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Hawthorn began its attack at the source.
"We had a big focus on outhunting and beating them in the middle of the ground," Liam Shiels said.
It sent Cyril Rioli to the centre bounce to hunt the ball along with veterans Hodge and Sam Mitchell.
That trio bored in like a tennis ball smashes into a hedge. The Hawks then moved the ball quickly and gained territory.
Early it was about getting the ball inside 50. Later when the nerves settled, they used the ball a little more creatively.
They kicked the ball far and wide to stretch the fine sinews of the Eagles' web to breaking point.
"You've got to utilise the whole space and they defend really well, they have got a really good system. We had to make them chase because if we just keep going long down the line the whole time, they have got energy to move the ball and work us off our feet," Jordan Lewis said.
Sometimes that creativity gave their coach a few nervous moments as they conceded territory to the opposition and let them in for scoring opportunities.
It allowed the Eagles to draw within 25 points and looked to be gaining momentum.
In Clarkson's mind, the game is not just about controlling the ball, it's about advancing the ball into dangerous positions and keeping pressure on the opposition mentally.
But twice when the door was slightly open, the Eagles couldn't execute the basics in the same fashion as Hawthorn, a dropped mark and a missed kick making the difference.
As a result, Ryan Schoenmakers, someone who knows what its like to drop a chest mark at a key point in a big final as Jack Darling did on Saturday, kicked a goal.
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"We were under the pump and we needed one to settle and I was pretty spent when I was up the other end actually and luckily just got the ball and put it through," Schoenmakers said.
Forget the web. At that point, the Eagles lost any grip and the Hawks had the ascendancy again.
The Eagles had gambled early too, putting Mark Le Cras as an extra around the ball. This gave Brian Lake too much latitude and the remaining West Coast's forwards failed to pressure him enough. His first intercept mark led to the Hawks' first goal.
BACK TO BACK TO BACK: VFL/AFL premiership streaks
| Streak | Club |
|---|---|
| 2013-2015 | Hawthorn (three flags) |
| 2001-2003 | Brisbane Lions (three flags) |
| 1955-1957 | Melbourne (three flags) |
| 1939-1941 | Melbourne (three flags) |
| 1927-1930 | Collingwood (four flags) |
Psychologically his effort felt crucial, providing James Frawley with such confidence that by midway through the third quarter he had five intercept possessions.
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Josh Gibson was appreciating the midfielders' efforts in ensuring the ball's hang-time was above average.
The Hawks didn't relent their pressure at defensive stoppages either with Hawthorn ensuring Matt Priddis and Luke Shuey had hard bodies pressed against them whenever the ball was bounced inside their forward 50.
"They're dangerous players around forward 50 and can get on the move," Shiels said.
Shuey kicked the opener when he flung his head back and drew a free kick. But he did not get another chance.
By contrast, anytime a stoppage happened outside the defensive 50, the Hawks backed their midfielders to win the ball.
And they did. Mitchell and Hodge managed 34 and 30 touches respectively.
In the qualifying final Mitchell's disposal efficiency was 57.1 per cent. In the Grand Final it was a remarkable 82.4 per cent.
Isaac Smith was outstanding on the outside with 23 touches and three goals.
With each touch, he gained ground, kicked long and exposed the Eagles lack of height in defence.
And with Schoenmakers in the team, the Hawks had a genuine marking target inside 50.
His selection was a microcosm of the conventional wisdom Hawthorn has upended under Clarkson.
This is a three-peat that was never meant to happen, but it did.
This group of Hawks are football's version of three-time Melbourne Cup winning mare Makybe Diva. Trained to perfection.
