Background
Hawthorn had played the Grand Final in seven of the previous eight seasons, having most recently won the 1989 VFL Grand Final, while West Coast was playing in its first Grand Final ever, having entered the competition just four years previously. The Eagles came into the game as strong favourites, having played through the entire 1991 season as the leading team in the competition in which they won their first 12 games and finished three games clear on top of the ladder with a 19-3 record, earning their first McClelland Trophy. Hawthorn had finished second with a record of 16 wins and 6 losses. Though starting the season slowly, losing five of their first 11 games, they lost just one more game for the rest of the home and away season. The Eagles defeated the Hawks in both their home-and-away encounters during the season, by 82 points at Princes Park in round 7 and 24 points at Subiaco Oval in round 22.
In the lead-up to the Grand Final, Hawthorn defeated West Coast by 23 points at Subiaco the Qualifying Final. The Eagles subsequently defeated Melbourne by 38 points in the First Semi-Final, while Hawthorn defeated Geelong by two points in the Second Semi-Final, sending the Hawks to the Grand Final. The Eagles defeated Geelong by 15 points in the Preliminary Final to take their place in the premiership decider.
Read more about this topic: 1991 AFL Grand Final
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