1986 VFL Grand Final
Encyclopedia
The 1986 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football
game contested between the Hawthorn Football Club
and Carlton Football Club
, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
in Melbourne
on 27 September 1986. It was the 90th annual Grand Final
of the Victorian Football League
, staged to determine the premiers for the 1986 VFL season
. The match, attended by 101,861 spectators, was won by Hawthorn by a margin of 42 points, marking that club's sixth premiership victory.
. At the conclusion of the home and away season, Hawthorn had finished first on the VFL ladder with 18 wins and 4 losses. Carlton had finished third (behind Sydney
) with 15 wins and 7 losses.
In the finals series in the lead-up to the game, Carlton defeated Sydney in the Qualifying Final before meeting the Hawks in the Second Semi-Final, which the Blues won by 28 points to advance to the Grand Final. Hawthorn, after this loss, convincingly defeated Fitzroy
by 56 points in the Preliminary Final to advance to the Grand Final. Carlton entered the game as slight favourites after their defeat of the Hawks in the Second Semi-Final.
Hawks player Robert DiPierdomenico
won the Brownlow medal
in the week leading up to the game. Meanwhile, the Blues were looking to give Bruce Doull
, who was retiring after the game, a winning finish to his eighteen season career.
The Hawks jumped out of the blocks early, and by early in the second term they led by 37 points. A seven goal burst by the Hawks in the third quarter sealed their win. In the last term Hawthorn kicked only one goal but by then the contest was effectively over. Hawthorn's Jason Dunstall
, who was in just his second VFL season, kicked six goals to help the Hawks to victory, while Gary Buckenara
kicked 4 goals for the Hawks, all of them in the first half of the game.
The Norm Smith Medal
was awarded to Hawthorn defender Gary Ayres
for being judged the best player afield. Ayres was playing on dangerous Carlton wingman David Rhys-Jones
, who had been a match-winner against Hawthorn in the Second Semi-Final. Ayres, playing on the wing for the first time in five years, nullified Rhys-Jones and set up many attacking moves for the Hawks.
This was the first of two consecutive Grand Finals to be contested between these teams. In the 1987 VFL Grand Final
the fortunes were reversed, with Carlton running out winners by a margin of 33 points.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
game contested between the Hawthorn Football Club
Hawthorn Football Club
The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...
and Carlton Football Club
Carlton Football Club
The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
on 27 September 1986. It was the 90th annual Grand Final
AFL Grand Final
The AFL Grand Final is an annual Australian rules football match, traditionally held on the final Saturday in September at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia to determine the Australian Football League premiership champions for that year...
of the Victorian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
, staged to determine the premiers for the 1986 VFL season
1986 VFL season
Results and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1986.- Awards :* The Brownlow Medal was awarded to both Greg Williams of the Sydney Swans and Robert "Dipper" DiPierdomenico of the Hawthorn Hawks...
. The match, attended by 101,861 spectators, was won by Hawthorn by a margin of 42 points, marking that club's sixth premiership victory.
Background
Hawthorn was playing its fourth successive Grand Final and had lost the last two, while Carlton was appearing in its first premiership decider since winning the 1982 VFL Grand Final1982 VFL Grand Final
The 1982 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Carlton Football Club and Richmond Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 25 September 1982. It was the 86th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine...
. At the conclusion of the home and away season, Hawthorn had finished first on the VFL ladder with 18 wins and 4 losses. Carlton had finished third (behind Sydney
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
) with 15 wins and 7 losses.
In the finals series in the lead-up to the game, Carlton defeated Sydney in the Qualifying Final before meeting the Hawks in the Second Semi-Final, which the Blues won by 28 points to advance to the Grand Final. Hawthorn, after this loss, convincingly defeated Fitzroy
Fitzroy Football Club
The Fitzroy Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Lions, is an Australian rules football club formed in 1883 to represent the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, Victoria and was a foundation member club of the Victorian Football League on its inception in 1897...
by 56 points in the Preliminary Final to advance to the Grand Final. Carlton entered the game as slight favourites after their defeat of the Hawks in the Second Semi-Final.
Hawks player Robert DiPierdomenico
Robert DiPierdomenico
Robert "Dipper" DiPierdomenico is a former Australian rules footballer in the VFL/AFL of Italian descent and a member of the VFL/AFL Italian Team of the Century...
won the Brownlow medal
Brownlow Medal
The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...
in the week leading up to the game. Meanwhile, the Blues were looking to give Bruce Doull
Bruce Doull
Bruce Doull is a former Australian rules football player who played for the Carlton Football Club....
, who was retiring after the game, a winning finish to his eighteen season career.
Match summary
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawthorn Hawthorn Football Club The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys... |
5.6 | 8.8 | 15.9 | 16.14 (110) |
| Carlton Carlton Football Club The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897... |
1.5 | 4.11 | 6.13 | 9.14 (68) |
The Hawks jumped out of the blocks early, and by early in the second term they led by 37 points. A seven goal burst by the Hawks in the third quarter sealed their win. In the last term Hawthorn kicked only one goal but by then the contest was effectively over. Hawthorn's Jason Dunstall
Jason Dunstall
Jason Hadfield Dunstall is a former Australian rules football player for the Hawthorn Football Club of the AFL. He is the third greatest goalkicker in the history of the VFL/AFL. Dunstall is regarded as one of the greatest full-forwards to have ever played, kicking 1254 goals, a feat only...
, who was in just his second VFL season, kicked six goals to help the Hawks to victory, while Gary Buckenara
Gary Buckenara
Gary Buckenara played Australian rules football for the Hawthorn Football Club in the VFL during the 1980s.Buckenara first played senior football for Subiaco in the WAFL from 1979 to 1981. Subiaco agreed to lease him for three years for $210,000 and after a court case began his career at Hawthorn...
kicked 4 goals for the Hawks, all of them in the first half of the game.
The Norm Smith Medal
Norm Smith Medal
The Norm Smith Medal is the award given in the AFL Grand Final to the player adjudged by an independent panel of experts to have been the best player in the match.-History:The Norm Smith Medal is named after former Melbourne player and coach, Norm Smith...
was awarded to Hawthorn defender Gary Ayres
Gary Ayres
Gary Ayres is a former Australian rules footballer for the Hawthorn Football Club and currently the senior coach for the Port Melbourne Football Club in the Victoria Football League.-Playing career:...
for being judged the best player afield. Ayres was playing on dangerous Carlton wingman David Rhys-Jones
David Rhys-Jones
David Rhys-Jones is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Carlton Football Club and the Sydney Swans in the VFL/AFL. The highlight of his 182 game career was winning the Norm Smith Medal as best on ground in Carlton's 1987 Grand Final victory...
, who had been a match-winner against Hawthorn in the Second Semi-Final. Ayres, playing on the wing for the first time in five years, nullified Rhys-Jones and set up many attacking moves for the Hawks.
This was the first of two consecutive Grand Finals to be contested between these teams. In the 1987 VFL Grand Final
1987 VFL Grand Final
The 1987 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Carlton Football Club and Hawthorn Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 26 September 1987. It was the 91st annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine...
the fortunes were reversed, with Carlton running out winners by a margin of 33 points.
Teams
Goalkickers
Hawthorn
|
Carlton
|
See also
- 1986 VFL season1986 VFL seasonResults and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1986.- Awards :* The Brownlow Medal was awarded to both Greg Williams of the Sydney Swans and Robert "Dipper" DiPierdomenico of the Hawthorn Hawks...