2008 AFL Grand Final - Aftermath

Aftermath

Hawthorn's Luke Hodge was the winner of the Norm Smith Medal for best afield, just edging out Geelong's Gary Ablett. Playing as a loose defender, Hodge was instrumental in generating and directing the rebounds which Hawthorn dominated throughout the game, and in applying the defensive pressure which helped keep the Hawks in the game when the Cats' midfield was dominating the second quarter.

Hawthorn held celebrations for its members in both Victoria and Tasmania, Sunday at Glenferrie Oval and Monday in Hobart and Launceston, in the latter of which it plays four home games each season. Shane Crawford retired after the game setting a record for most games before playing in a Premiership (305 games); the sound bite of Crawford hijacking the microphone and shouting "That's what I'm talkin' about!" as he received his medallion has been replayed and paraphrased frequently over the following seasons.

The 2008 Grand Final will be remembered as the one that got away from Geelong, which had been the best side of the season proper with its 21-1 record in the home and away season. It had been widely expected to defend its 2007 premiership, and to win back-to-back Premierships for the first time since 1951-52. By failing to win the Grand Final, Geelong instead set the record for the best win/loss record by a non-Premier (breaking the 16-2 record set by South Melbourne in both 1935 and 1936) and for the most home and away wins by a non-Premier (breaking the record of 19 wins set by Collingwood in 1973 and tied by West Coast in 1991).

Geelong's twenty-three behinds included eleven rushed behinds by Hawthorn, most of which were deliberate, and some of which occurred directly from kick-ins. Hawthorn defenders made a clear effort to rush behinds whenever there was any applied pressure from the Geelong forwards, which was reflected in Geelong's inability to defend against Hawthorn's rebounds. This was one of the major contributing factors to a rule change the following year, prohibiting defenders from conceding rushed behinds unless under immediate pressure.

Hawthorn became the first Melbourne-based team to win a premiership since Essendon in 2000.