This week, we’re celebrating all things ’78, ’88 and ’08 in the lead up to our Mighty Fighting Hawks Premiership Reunion. If you are yet to purchase your ticket to the Round 13 event, click here.

Brereton’s banana

A passage that showed just how determined the Hawks were on grand final day, key forward Dermott Brereton chased down Demon defender Danny Hughes deep in the forward pocket. Brereton’s tackle forced Hughes’ kick out of bounds on the full, with the resultant free kick giving Brereton a shot at goal from the tightest of angles. Lining up for his third major, Brereton curled through a goal to put the Hawks further in front as their domination was well under way.

Dipper from the boundary

An ingenious tap-on from Hawk James Morrisey set teammate Robert DiPierdomenico up with the ball tight against the boundary line in Hawthorn’s forward 50, with the Brownlow Medallist steadying himself off a handful of steps before slotting one of the goals of the game with a brilliant left foot kick. The Hawks’ piled on six goals to one for the term as they stormed to a 49-point lead at half time.

Abbott from long range

Up by 79 points in the final term, the Hawks were on the precipice of breaking their own record for the greatest grand final winning margin, set with an 83-point thumping of Essendon in 1983.  Key forward Paul Abbott, who already had five goals to his name, found himself on the end of a handball outside the attacking 50 and, on the run, blasted a long kick towards goal. The ball sailed through for a career-best sixth major for Abbott and all but secured the Hawks not only their seventh premiership but the most dominant VFL grand final win then to be seen.