MELBOURNE SIDE Hawthorn overwhelmed West Coast on Saturday to win their third consecutive premiership, by 46 points, in the Australian Football League grand final.
The Hawks finished every quarter ahead and when the full-time siren sounded they were 16.11 (107) to the Eagles’ 8.13 (61) before a crowd of more than 98,000 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
It was the hottest AFL grand final on record with the temperature at the MCG topping the previous game-day record of 30.7 Celsius (87 F), set in 1987, but the heat did not favour the Perth team.
Hawthorn’s Cyril Rioli, who kicked two goals, was named the Norm Smith Medal winner as the best player on the ground.
His performance was supported by teammates including captain Luke Hodge, who kicked a remarkable goal from close to boundary in the second quarter, and forward Jack Gunston who kicked four goals.
West Coast, playing their first grand final since 2006, were able to narrow the deficit at one stage but, hurt by errors and missed chances, were unable to stop the Hawthorn domination.
Hawthorn beat the Sydney Swans in last year’s grand final and the previous year defeated Fremantle for the title.
Saturday’s emphatic win, Hawthorn’s 13th premiership, makes them the first team since Brisbane in 2001-03 to win three straight grand finals.
