Postscript
West Coast coach Michael Malthouse said after the game that "Hawthorn had been first to the ball and clearly won in the air".
Hawthorn's experience was seen as the decisive factor in their victory, and sparked a new club T-shirt: "Too old. Too slow. Too good." (Some commentators had previously thought the Hawks were 'too old and too slow' to ever win another premiership.) Hawthorn defender Gary Ayres made sarcastic reference to this in his post-match interview.
Hawthorn's flag closed a period in which the club won five premierships in nine years. The game also represented the final game of VFL/AFL football played by Michael Tuck. His record includes
- Most games by a player: 426
- Most premierships by a player: 7
- Most Grand finals by a player: 11
- Most finals by a player: 39
- Oldest Premiership player: 38 years, 95 days.
Hawthorn's next premiership would not come until 17 years later, when it defeated the 2008 season's most dominant team, Geelong, in the Grand Final. West Coast did not have to wait long for a maiden flag, when it defeated Geelong in the 1992 AFL Grand Final.
Read more about this topic: 1991 AFL Grand Final