UNSURPRISINGLY, the elation of Geelong, misery of Collingwood and celebration of an incredible game of football dominated the media the day after the Grand Final.
Amazing stories of courage, inspiration, sacrifice, mateship, heartbreak and Meat Loaf littered the newspapers in the aftermath of Geelong's 38-point premiership victory and the man judged best afield in the Grand Final took time out from his post-match festivities to write a column for the Herald Sun.
Jimmy Bartel described how the pre-season doubts over whether the Cats could push for another flag - despite an aging playing list and the departures of Gary Ablett and Mark Thompson - spurred the team to greatness.
"This premiership is a reward for hard work. This group has been playing finals footy since 2004 and, apart from 2006, we've been in the running every year and three flags is probably just reward," Bartel wrote.
"The questions being raised about us before the season were legitimate. Look at the age of the list and the big gap from the experienced to the young players, it seemed like an issue.
"Football is one of the most opinionated games in the world, but we didn't sit back and take in the headlines that were writing us off. While everyone was looking at reasons we couldn't win, we were thinking of reasons we could.
"We knew we had good coaches, good players and, with good health and a bit of good luck, the dream was still well and truly alive."
Indeed it was, with Bartel playing a huge part in the Cats' third flag in five years. The star midfielder, who described his Norm Smith Medal win as the icing to go with the more important premiership medallion, paid special tribute to powerhouse forward Tom Hawkins, who also played a pivotal role in the victory.
"We had heroes everywhere. But special mention goes to Tom Hawkins," Bartel wrote. "People have been too harsh on the 'Tomahawk'. He's only 23 and has a lot of improvement to go, but he came alive in this finals series and played like a man.
"It was no longer the teenager from the private school out there. He played like a brute with all the pressure of the world on his shoulders after J-Pod went down and against two of the best key defenders."
Tomahawk's reputation growing
Hawkins' rise from much maligned underachiever to Grand Final matchwinner wasn't lost on the media the day after the premiership decider.
Not surprisingly, both major Melbourne newspapers praised the emerging Cat forward for his inspired work against the Magpies, with Mark Stevens in the Herald Sun compiling a 'reputation report' on five players who enhanced their reputations and five players who suffered what might be irreparable damage.
First on his list was Hawkins: "He was getting used to being tagged one of the AFL's great underachievers," Stevens wrote. "Now, he is a hero who will forever be remembered for sparking a premiership victory.
"Hawkins took seven contested marks yesterday. Yes, SEVEN. Collingwood, yep the entire Collingwood team, took 11.
"He kicked 3.3 and gave one away with a cheeky handball to Stevie Johnson in the final term. If Hawkins had kicked straight, he would have won the Norm Smith Medal. As it is, he was in the top three best players on the ground."
Stevens named Cats pair Travis Varcoe and Tom Lonergan as second and third on his list, slipping in Pies Andrew Krakouer and the retiring Leigh Brown in fourth and fifth.
However, he wasn't as kind to the players he believed sullied their reputations, naming five Magpies who may have suffered "irreparable damage."
He led with the often-mercurial Alan Didak, who hardly fired a shot in the Grand Final.
Stevens wrote: "Yesterday, he looked a shadow of his former self. There was a couple of trademark pin-point passes, but not a lot else.
"It didn't help that he had Matthew Scarlett standing next to him for much of the game, but Didak only had nine disposals and failed to have an impact.
"We thought he might flick the switch and have a major impact on the biggest match of the year. It wasn't to be. Form doesn't lie.
"Didak has much soul-searching to do over summer. He needs a full pre-season. He needs to get some zing back into this game."
Other Pies in the gun were were Jarryd Blair, Sharrod Wellingham and injured duo Darren Jolly and Ben Reid.
Reid takes full responsibility
The man unlucky enough to have the task of trying to quell the rampaging Hawkins, Ben Reid, defended his decision to take the field despite struggling with a groin injury.
Michael Gleeson in The Age reported that Reid took full responsibility for his failure to blanket Hawkins, who kicked three goals, and "bullied Reid in marking contests".
"I felt good, the physios gave me the tick,'' Reid said after the loss. ''I still back my decision to play. I am just disappointed, I guess, with the way I played, and we couldn't get a win as a team.''
Reid admitted to tiring and lacking strength in his legs in that last term, but said that was no excuse, Gleeson wrote.
''I guess a bit of wear and tear on the body come the final, and Tommy got on top of me there, and it was pretty disappointing. But I will use that come the pre-season, and have that in the back of my mind," Reid said.
''I guess I just didn't have that push in the last quarter that I needed, and the first half I felt pretty good.
''But as the game went on I felt bit tired. I am gutted. It happens. I have got to move on now and use it."
Reid said he had not felt that he had torn his groin again: ''Last week it was just a bit of soreness. I don't have any excuses for the way I played.
''He got on top of me. He was too good on the day - that happens. You get beaten every now and then, and he beat me today.''
Calls for video replay technology
One person who would have breathed an enormous sigh of relief when Geelong opened the floodgates in the last quarter was the goal umpire who adjudged Sharrod Wellingham's shot for goal in the third term worthy of six points.
Replays showed the ball clipped the goal post, but thankfully the mistake didn’t cost the Cats victory. However, the thought of a mistake of that nature one day costing a team a premiership has produced calls for video replays to be introduced.
Geelong chief executive Brian Cook told Jon Pierik of The Age that he believed the AFL should consider introducing video replay technology.
''I think if there is technology available, we should use it, like in tennis,'' Cook said.
''I don't know whether not having technology is a uniqueness our game should continue with. I think … if there is technology available that is dependable, we should look at it.''
Pierik also quoted Geelong defender Harry Taylor as saying there was merit in considering video technology provided it did not slow the game.
''I do think it [Wellingham's shot] hit the post. I am not too sure whether we should go to the video replay or not but they called it a goal,'' he said.
"Depending on the time it would take, if it [replay] is going to slow the game down too much, they should keep it with the goal umpires. But it would be great when there are those big plays to see what happens properly.''
Clark's daunting chat with Voss
In non-Grand Final news, Dale Miller of The West Australian wrote a lengthy article detailing Mitch Clark's soon-to-be switch from the Brisbane Lions to Fremantle.
Out-of-contract Clark said telling Lions coach Michael Voss that he wanted to be traded to Fremantle was one of the most difficult things he'd ever had to do.
The 23-year-old East Fremantle product told his coach directly about his desire to return home to Perth for family reasons.
"I was very honest with Vossy and he understood my reasons," Clark said. "He was obviously disappointed that's what I wanted to do, but was really supportive.
"I probably felt a bit guilty that I was letting a mate down, but at the same time I think my reasons for trying to leave Brisbane and get back home to Fremantle are really relevant and I think people will definitely understand my reasons for trying to leave.
"It's one of the hardest things I've done in my career and to be able to tell a few of my mates as well at the footy club."
Miller wrote that Clark flew to Perth last month with his three-year-old daughter Sienna and his partner Samantha as trade negotiations entered a delicate stage.
"His management and Fremantle are keen to get the deal done. Both parties are confident of finalising the trade during next week's AFL national draft combine," Miller wrote.
"The Lions are believed to want a first-round draft pick and a player or a late draft selection in exchange for the 200cm key-position player."
Miller added that Clark said personal reasons largely linked to his family's health had led him to contemplate a move home as early as last year's trade period.
The versatile key position player said a move to GWS had never been a consideration. He wanted to return to Perth but saw no place for himself at West Coast given their dominant ruck duo and mix of tall forwards, so Fremantle was the perfect fit.
He has already been taken for a tour of the club's facilities at Fremantle Oval and has met new coach Ross Lyon.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily of the AFL or its clubs
