AFL Odds: Triumph For Hawthorn
October 1st, 2014 by TJ DilferHawthorn are the 2014 AFL Premiers after a decisive win over the much-fancied Swans, and the win marks a very impressive achievement: back-to-back Grand Final wins. It’s surely the sort of achievement that will strengthen the case that says this Hawks side deserves to be regarded alongside the very best – they have shown a consistency throughout the 2014 season that can only have been a pleasure for their fans to watch, and whilst the AFL odds may have been against them, they showed that they have class to spare with a comprehensive victory.
Hawks captain Luke Hodge had a night to remember – his 250th game for Hawthorn not only saw him take his club to a third Premiership this century, but he collected the Norm Smith Medal for his performance – he was the best afield and a worthy man to lift the trophy for his side if ever there was one.
The media attention before the game was much more on the Swans that on the Hawks, but the nearly 100,000 fans who turned up to watch the Grand Final saw Hawthorn dominate Sydney physically right from the start, leading the tackle-count 22 to 7 in the first quarter. A flurry of goals in the second period meant that things were looking ominous for Swans fans as early as the half-time break, and the Hawks were never seriously threatened after it. The night was obviously full of disappointment for Lance Franklin, who had been hoping to put one over on his old club: it was Jarryd Roughead who won the much-anticipated battle between the two. But Hawthorn’s convincing win wasn’t built on just one or two performances – this was a very fitting culmination of a season that has seen the Hawks battling injuries all the way through, and simply finding a way to keep winning. Even coach Alastair Clarkson was on the injury list at one point – an illness saw him out of action for five long weeks – but he was justifiably proud of the achievement of his side: ‘we played four quarters of really tough footy. We’ve got great character our boys. It’s a fitting reward for this group, fitting Premiers I think.’ He’s not wrong, and this Hawks side will now be rightly regarded as amongst the greatest. But can they go on to a third consecutive Premiership in 2015? Is it too early to check out the AFL odds on them?
- 2023
- 2022
- - June
- 2018
- 2017
- 2016
- 2015
- 2014
- 2013
- 2012
- 2011
- 2010
- 2009
- 2000