1978 VFL grand final

Grand final of the 1978 Victorian Football League season December 2017 December 2017 1978 VFL 50px 50px NM HAW 2.2 (14) 7.8 (50) 10.12 (72) 15.13 (103) 5.3 (33) 7.4 (46) 14.10 (94) 18.13 (121) 15.13 (103) 18.13 (121) 30 September 1978 101,704 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia Seven Network Lou Richards Peter Landy 1977 1979 The 1978 VFL grand final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Hawthorn Football Club and North Melbourne Football Club at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 30 September 1978. It was the 82nd annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine the premiers for the 1978 VFL season. The match, attended by 101,704 spectators, was won by Hawthorn by a margin of 18 points, marking that club's fourth premiership victory. Background 1978 VFL season It was the third time in four seasons that these two sides met in the grand final, and it was North Melbourne's fifth successive grand final. North Melbourne was the reigning premier, having defeated Collingwood in the 1977 VFL grand final. At the conclusion of the home-and-away season, North Melbourne had finished on top of the ladder with 16 wins and 6 losses. Hawthorn had finished second, also with 16 wins but with an inferior percentage. In the finals series leading up to the grand final, Hawthorn comfortably defeated Collingwood in the qualifying final by 56 points, before beating North Melbourne by 10 points in the second semi-final to progress to the grand final. North Melbourne, after the second semi-final loss, defeated Collingwood by 12 points in the preliminary final to progress to the grand final. In the week leading up to the grand final, North Melbourne's Malcolm Blight was awarded the Brownlow Medal. Match summary North Melbourne went into the game without a number of players from the previous season's premiership victory – star full-back David Dench, who had injured his knee in round 3, ruckman Peter Keenan, who had received a two-match suspension for striking Hawthorn captain Don Scott in the last quarter of the semi-final,The Age Mike Sheahan Keenan 2, Carman off https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=a_RUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=U5IDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3658%2C1937421 19 September 1978 36 and injured utilities Steven Icke and Brent Crosswell.The Age Mike Sheahan Revenge so sweet for Hawks https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vO1UAAAAIBAJ&sjid=W5IDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5684%2C282209 32 2 October 1978 First quarter Hawthorn got off to a fast start, with forward Michael Moncrieff kicking three goals (including two goals in the first two minutes of the game), and they led by nineteen points at quarter time. Second quarter North Melbourne had the better of the second quarter, with Phil Baker becoming the focal point of the North Melbourne attack and taking the mark of the year over Ian Paton. He helped North Melbourne kick five goals to two to lead by four points at half time. Third quarter Hawthorn had a strong third quarter which saw them kick seven goals whilst keeping North Melbourne to only three. A key shift in momentum occurred when two North Melbourne players spoiled each other in the goal square at the 6-minute mark, when a mark and a goal could have put them 17 points up. The Hawks went on to dominate play after this incident, kicking 6.3 to North's one behind in the next 12 minutes. Fourth quarter The teams traded goals in the fourth quarter, and North Melbourne was not able to significantly reduce the margin. After being flattened off the ball, Peter Knights was moved forward, kicking two goals then taking a spectacular mark beside the behind post. For Hawthorn, Leigh Matthews was considered best on ground with 28 disposals and four goals, lifting his game when the result was on the line.'Lethal' stars in '78 flag 6 June 2018 https://www.hawthornfc.com.au/news/462228/leigh-matthews hawthornfc.com.au Also important was Robert DiPierdomenico, who gave Hawthorn considerable attacking drive off half back and kept his opponent Arnold Briedis, considered by Hawthorn to be North Melbourne's most dangerous forward, quiet for most of the match. First year player Terry Wallace was prominent in the midfield, gathering 21 kicks. Besides the loss of Keenan, Icke and Crosswell before the match, North Melbourne lost Malcolm Blight early with a torn groin muscle after just five minutes, and Stan Alves also limped off in the second quarter. Aftermath The win was the first for David Parkin as coach. He had previously captained Hawthorn to the 1971 VFL grand final victory, and later went on to coach Carlton to premierships in the 1980s and 1990s. Hawthorn's next premiership came five years later, when they won the 1983 VFL grand final against Essendon. It would take another 18 years for North Melbourne to appear in another premiership decider, when it defeated the Sydney Swans in the 1996. Teams _brown_stripes_copia _sides_on_white _hoops_gold FBBF15 FBBF15 823F00 Hawthorn _3stripesonwhite _whitesides 000099 000099 000099 North Melbourne #4D2004 Hawthorn Hawthorn Football Club #FBBF15 27 Alle De Wolde 15 Kelvin Moore 42 Ian Paton 10 David Polkinghorne 24 Peter Knights 9 Robert DiPierdomenico 2 Geoff Ablett 16 Terry Wallace 26 Rodney Eade 43 Peter Murnane 14 Alan Martello 25 John Hendrie 45 Richard Walter 6 Michael Moncrieff 4 Peter Russo 23 Don Scott (c) 17 Michael Tuck 3 Leigh Matthews (vc) 20 Michael McCarthy 1 Norm Goss David Parkin #FFFFFF North Melbourne North Melbourne Football Club #013B9F 34 Ross Henshaw 4 Ross Glendinning 13 Gary Cowton 12 Ken Montgomery 5 Darryl Sutton 27 Keith Greig (c) 2 Stan Alves 25 Xavier Tanner 20 Wayne Schimmelbusch (a/vc) 6 Arnold Briedis 16 Stephen McCann 44 Maurice Boyse 15 Malcolm Blight 29 Phil Baker 10 Ray Huppatz 22 Mick Nolan 21 John Byrne 17 Graham Melrose 46 Doug Smith 3 John Cassin Ron Barassi Scoreboard Grand final Saturday, 30 September (2:32 pm) 5.3 (33) 7.4 (46) 14.10 (94) 18.13 (121) 4 Moncrieff, Matthews 3 Scott 2 Knights 1 Ablett, Martello, Hendrie, Eade, Murnane DiPierdomenico, Matthews, Moore, Wallace, Scott, Tuck, Eade, Ablett Knights (slight concussion), DiPierdomenico (bruised leg) Nil A 2.2 (14) 7.8 (50) 10.12 (72) 15.13 (103) Baker 6 Briedis, Huppatz, Boyse, Smith 2 Melrose 1 Schimmelbusch, Huppatz, Baker, Sutton, Henshaw, Glendinning, Nolan, Byrne Blight (groin), Alves (hamstring) Nil Melbourne Cricket Ground 101,704 Report Deller, Robinson Seven Network won their 4th premiership. References External links Hawks Headquarters page on the grand final See also 1978 VFL season Grand final Category:VFL/AFL Grand Finals Category:Hawthorn Football Club Category:North Melbourne Football Club