Grand Final, 1988
Hawthorn vs Melbourne
Saturday 24 September
Venue: MCG
Attendance: 93,754
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | |
| Hawthorn | 4.4 | 10.9 | 14.16 | 22.20.152 |
| Melbourne | 1.5 | 2.8 | 5.14 | 6.20.56 |
Hawthorn win by 96 points
Goalkickers: Garry Lyon 2, David Williams 2, Greg Healy 1, Alan Johnson 1
Milestones:
50 games
Brett Lovett
Last game
David Williams
Statistical categories led:
Biggest loss in a Grand Final
After the heartbreak of 1987 finally made it to a Grand Final from fifth place. The last two sides to do that had lost by 80 points, and Hawthorn started as red-hot favourites in their sixth consecutive premiership decider. The only omen in Melbourne's favour was Footscray winning the Reserves Grand Final, their first of any variety since 1962.
With ruckman Steve O'Dwyer suspended, John Northey named Bret Bailey, Tony Campbell, Dean Chiron, Doug Koop and Todd Viney as potential replacements. With the prospect of rain he opted for Viney, leaving Stynes to go it alone in the ruck, despite not playing a full game in the middle since Round 21. Garry Lyon was absent from midweek training with calf soreness, and Sean Wight restricted by recurring knee soreness but both made the final side.
Northey's first tactical move was to throw Danny Hughes into the ruck. Steven Stretch, one of Melbourne's best in the prelim, was sent to full-back to play on Jason Dunstall. The plan was for Stretch to run off the Hawthorn spearhead and provide drive out of defence for the Demons. It didn't work as planned. He held Dunstall to one goal but couldn't get enough of the ball to do any damage.
Several years later, John Northey suggested his team got off to a slow start partly because they'd been made to wait an extra three minutes to run onto the ground while waiting for entertainment to finish.
The Demons kicked with the wind in the second quarter, and after they got their first fans were hoping that it would signify a revival, instead it sparked the Hawks into murderous form. Midway through the second Stretch was moved onto DiPierdomenico and the game was already rapidly sliding away. The margin was 49 points at half-time and in wet conditions there was no way back for the Demons.
They kicked the first of the third quarter before once again suffering an avalanche of goals. The result would remain the biggest win in a Grand Final until Geelong's twenty goal win over Port Adelaide in 2007. A female streaker ran across the ground during the last quarter and was promptly arrested.
Best were Stynes, Grinter and Lovell.
Team
B: Alan Johnson, Steven Stretch, Rod Grinter
HB: Stephen Newport, Jamie Duursma, Brett Lovett
C: Todd Viney, Brian Wilson, Graeme Yeats
HF: Garry Lyon, Earl Spalding, David Williams
F: Danny Hughes, Sean Wight, Ricky Jackson
R: Jim Stynes, Andy Lovell, Greg Healy (c)
I: David Flintoff, Steven Febey
Coach: John Northey
Video
Media
Canberra Times - 21/09/1988, 22/09/1988, 23/09/1988, 25/09/1988
Football Record - Grand Final 1988
Age - 21/09/1988, 26/09/1988, 12/05/1995
Sunday Press - 25/09/1988