How much premierships has hawthorn won

But the side saved their best for last, dismantling Sydney with ferocious pressure and pin-point accuracy of disposal by hand and foot. Hawthorn's intensity proved too much for the Swans as Clarkson's team ran away with a stunning point victory to claim the Club's twelfth premiership.

Skipper Luke Hodge was a deserving winner of the Norm Smith Medal, the second of his career, after an inspiring performance that saw him pick up 35 disposals, take 12 marks and kick two goals in the victory. The Hawks lost just three games for the season and were regarded by all as the best side in the competition that year. Following the disappointment of the Grand Final loss, the Hawks were hungry all season and determined to taste the ultimate success in The Hawks faced and overcame Fremantle in the decider, who many believed were the best defensive side in the competition that year.

But it was Hawthorn who reigned supreme in the Grand Final, with Brian Lake and his defensive teammates proving an impenetrable force. Jack Gunston led the way up forward with four goals while Jordan Lewis was outstanding in the midfield.

Lake, in his first season at the Club, was a deserving Norm Smith Medallist following his outstanding defensive performance on Fremantle Captain Matthew Pavlich and his ability to continuously thwart opposition attacks. Jason Dunstall, the heroic full forward from the golden era of the s had returned to the Club as Football director with a mission to rebuild the Hawks. The innovative and disciplined Clarkson oversaw the Hawks win their tenth premiership in 50 years, 17 years since its last, defeating hot favourites and minor premiers Geelong by 26 points for the Premiership.

Key defender Trent Croad was injured early but the Hawks stuck to their game plan and were locked in a mighty arm wrestle with the Catsuntil late in the third quarter, when the Hawks started to exert their dominance over the game with some magnificent creative play led by Cyril Rioli, Mark Williams and Stuart Dew kicking a number of match winning goals.

It was the only Grand Final played at Waverley Park and featured the first ever appearance by a non-Victorian team on the big day. West Coast had dominated the home and away season but Hawthorn, written off by many early in the season, had slowly gathered momentum and had stunned the Eagles by winning the first ever Final played outside Victoria. West Coast began the re-match kicking with the aid of a strong wind blowing down to the main scoreboard end and kicked the opening four goals.

However, from that point the Hawks began to gain the ascendancy and, apart from inaccuracy in the second term, would have had a significant half time lead.

Against the wind in the third quarter the Hawks held their nerve, while in the final quarter the Hawks then slammed on 8. Saturday, September 30, Hawthorn finally achieved back-to-back Premierships, but only after receiving a major scare from the fast-finishing Geelong. In a sensational start, Dermott Brereton was felled at the opening bounce.

Ignoring instructions to leave the field, moments later he took an inspirational mark that highlighted the brilliant opening term that saw the Hawks race to a point quarter time lead. After the first quarter, Geelong slowly pegged the Haws back with Gary Ablett starring at full forward booting 9 goals.

In a war of attrition, the Hawks were down to having only a dozen fit players by the end of the game. In the tension-filled last quarter, it was the coolness of the Hawks under pressure that finally got them home to hold on by six points in what many thought was the best Grand Final ever.

In a remarkable passage of play later in that quarter, the Hawks moved the ball forward through the middle of the ground to score in a stoppable wave of dominance without any opposition player touching the ball. The winning margin of 96 points broke the Hawks own record of 83 set in Jason Dunstall, Paul Abbott and Brereton kicked 18 goals between them, while Gary Ayres became the first player to win two Norm Smith Medals, brushing off a fractured cheekbone suffered in the first quarter.

Champions such as Leigh Matthews and Peter Knights had retired, leading the experts to believe that Hawthorn was at the end of its successful road. But a new breed was maturing. Coach Allan Jeans retired from the police force to coach full-time and he was striving for a more flexible side, telling his young players to go with their selected opponent.

Hawthorn controlled the game all day, sealing it with a 7. Gary Ayres, playing on the wing, won the Norm Smith Medal while Rodney Eade, controversially left out of the Grand Final side, cut his opponent out of the game and won many kicks himself. The Hawks intensity was shown right from the start when Leigh Matthews and Peter Knights collided as they charged for the ball. The Hawks suffered an early blow when forward Gary Buckenara went down with a serious knee injury but, fortunately there was a more than adequate replacement in Ken Judge on the bench.

By early in the final term, Hawthorn led by over points and, despite allowing Essendon the consolation of some late goals, still won by a then-record Grand Final margin of 83 points, Leigh Matthews kicked 6 goals and was credited with the mark of the game and kicked the goal of the year.

Much to the ire of the Essendon fans Colin Robertson won the Norm Smith Medal; they were upset after a clash that Robertson had with their favourite son, Tim Watson early in the game. Currently the top eight teams in the AFL competition play off in the finals, eventually with a grand final match usually played in the last week of September.

Read about the AFL finals system. Below are the winners of the Grand Final since the first one in , over years ago. There have been three drawn grand finals , and , which required a replay match the following week. Collingwood have played in the most Grand Finals. Essendon and Carlton have been premiers 16 times, Collingwood Only one team have won four consecutive grand finals, Collingwood in , , and They defeated North Melbourne in the qualifying final and then progressed to the grand final again by defeating Carlton.

It would be North again in the grand final, but Hawthorn wouldn't be bowed a second time and won the flag - which they consequently dedicated to popular player Peter Crimmins. Crimmins died from testicular cancer just a few days later. In the Hawks finished second again and would defeat North Melbourne again in the qualifying final.

This time though Collingwood defeated them in the second semi final and North would eliminate Hawthorn in the preliminary final. In the Hawks again finished second and easily accounted for Collingwood in the qualifying final. They would defeat North Melbourne in the second semi final and would meet them again in the grand final, scoring victory by 18 points to win their fourth flag. In though Hawthorn would slip to seventh missing the finals for the first time since But great times were ahead.

In the Hawks finished eighth and in they finished sixth, missing the finals after a second last round loss to Collingwood. In though Hawthorn returned to the finals finishing second. Carlton beat them in the qualifying final but they bounced back over North Melbourne, only to run into the Blues again in the preliminary final.

But it would be in that the Hawks started a historic run. Finishing second Hawthorn knocked off Fitzroy before defeating North Melbourne in the second semi final to reach the grand final for the first time since They would meet Essendon, and they would easily defeat them for the premiership. In the Hawks again finished second and won both the qualifying final and the second semi final for the second year running for their second grand final in a row.

They met Essendon again but this time the Bombers ran over them in the last quarter to turn a defeat into a victory denying Hawthorn a second flag in a row. In Hawthorn finished third behind a dangerous looking Footscray. The Hawks were no nonsense though winning easily, only to be beaten in the second semi final by Essendon. Footscray came back but Hawthorn ended their season, only for the Bombers to repeat their victory. In though the Hawks had a great season only losing four games to finish on top of the ladder.

Carlton though defeated them in the second semi final, only for Hawthorn to bounce back thrashing Fitzroy and enter their fourth grand final in a row. This time they would defeat the Blues by seven goals to win the premiership. In the Hawks finished second and met Sydney in the qualifying final, thrashing them. Carlton though repeated their second semi final victory forcing Hawthorn into the preliminary final against Melbourne, only escaping with a post siren goal assisted by a 15 metre penalty.

Five grand finals in a row, but the Blues were too good on the day. In the Hawks had their best season yet with just three losses and top of the ladder. The dominance was justified this season as they dealt with Carlton in the second semi final, and then thrashed Melbourne in their sixth grand final in a row to win their third flag for the decade.

In Hawthorn again only lost three games and finished on top. Victory over Essendon in the second semi final sent the Hawks to their seventh grand final on the trot, equalling the record set by Melbourne in the 's. They met Geelong and despite early roughness from the Cats they got out to a lead that Geelong couldn't overcome although they went close in one of the great grand finals. Hawthorn won their fourth flag for the decade and their second in a row by 6 points.

In the VFL became the AFL and the Hawks slipped to fifth and were beaten by Melbourne in the elimination final, ending their run of grand final appearances. But in they were back finishing second. The final six was introduced and Hawthorn travelled to Perth for the first ever final played outside of Victoria against West Coast - and they won by 23 points in what was seen as an upset.

The Hawks got a fright from Geelong in the second semi final, surviving by 2 points to enter the grand final. This was played for the first and only time at Waverley Park against West Coast. Hawthorn won well to score their third flag in four years. In the Hawks slipped to fifth and had to travel to Perth again, and this time the Eagles were too good to end Hawthorn's season. In the Hawks finished fourth and played Adelaide in the elimination final - and lost in something of an upset at the MCG to be done for that season.

The final eight was introduced in and Hawthorn finished sixth to face North Melbourne in their qualifying final. This game was the first in league history to finish in a draw and be resolved with extra time.

That was bad for the Hawks as North got away to eliminate them. In the Hawks had their worst season since , finishing fifteenth albeit five games clear of the wooden spoon. But they jumped to eighth in and went within a kick of upsetting top side Sydney. However the defeat meant another season ending. Another slide to fifteenth followed in , four games clear of the spoon. In they rose in thirteenth and in they missed the finals by half a game finishing ninth.

Hawthorn managed to confirm eighth place in at the start of the new millenium and then upset Geelong in the new final eight elimination final. But North Melbourne ended their season in the semi final. In the Hawks finished sixth and defeated Sydney in the elimination final. A big win over Port Adelaide in the semi final put Hawthorn into the preliminary final where they were beaten by reigning premiers Essendon. The Hawks fell to tenth in and then finished ninth in A crash to fifteenth followed in only avoiding the wooden spoon by percentage, and in Hawthorn finished fourteenth.

In the club rose to eleventh leading to a return to the finals in finishing fifth. A narrow win over Adelaide in the elimination final led to the semi final and a loss to North Melbourne.