Background
Geelong, the 2007 Premiers, won 21 of 22 games during the home and away season to win its second consecutive McClelland Trophy, and tied the 2000 Essendon Bombers for most wins ever in a home and away season. They were convincing 58-point winners in their Qualifying Final against St Kilda, earning them a week's rest and a home Preliminary Final. They then defeated the Western Bulldogs by 29 points to qualify for the Grand Final. Leading up to the Grand Final Geelong had won its past fifteen games.
Hawthorn won its first nine games of the season, and sat atop the AFL ladder at Round 11. They began to lose a few games towards the end of the season, and finished in second place with a record of 17 wins and 5 losses; full-forward Lance Franklin won the Coleman Medal with 102 goals. They convincingly beat the Western Bulldogs by 51 points in their Qualifying Final, which earned them a week's rest and home Preliminary Final, in which they beat St Kilda by 54 points. Hawthorn had won four games in a row leading into the Grand Final, all by more than 50 points. It was the team's first appearance in a Grand Final since winning the 1991 AFL Grand Final.
The two teams had met only once during the season, in a Friday night game in Round 17. Geelong was missing defending and eventual Leigh Matthews Trophy winner Gary Ablett, Jr., but defeated Hawthorn 12.16 (88) to 11.11 (77). Geelong was the warm favourite to win the Grand Final, with Hawthorn attracting odds of $3.05 for the win at the opening bounce.
It was a highly anticipated Grand Final, eliciting memories of the classic 1989 VFL Grand Final played between the same teams.
Read more about this topic: 2008 AFL Grand Final
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