RIVALRY FOR THE AGES

There have been many great rivalries over the long history of the AFL/VFL, but few have matched the drama, action and big names of the North Melbourne v Hawthorn rivalry during the mid-to-late 1970s.

It is best encapsulated during their five-year finals ‘battle’ which started in 1974 and ended in the 1978 Grand Final.

1975

u After blowing a chance to win its first premiership the previous season, North Melbourne made no mistake with a thumping 55-point win over Hawthorn –giving the Roos their first VFL flag. Supercoach Ron Barassi masterminded the win, with former Bomber Barry Davis as captain. The club had completed a remarkable turnaround from its last-place finish just three years earlier.

1976

u This was ‘Crimmo’s Cup’, the game Hawthorn won for its champion rover and captain Peter Crimmins, at home with cancer on Grand Final day. The Hawks won by five goals and that night took the cup to Crimmo’s bedside. The ‘little fella’ died three days later.

1978

u A second Hawthorn victory in three years, but a Grand Final remembered more for the Hawks’ grinding determination than for brilliant football. That was left to North’s Phil Baker, who took a couple of first class ‘screamers’.

In that time, they met 10 times in finals (including three Grand Finals) and the overall win-loss record was a narrow 6-4 in the Hawks’ favour.

So as the two teams prepare to square off in this round, we take a trip down memory lane as we relive those three Grand Finals – 1975, 1976 and 1978.

BEST: North Melbourne – Crosswell, Rantall, Greig, Burns, Dench, Nolan. Hawthorn – Knights, Martello, Jaworskyj, Bremner, Moore, Rowlings.

GOALS: North Melbourne –Briedis 5, Wade 4, Burns 4, Schimmelbusch 2, Blight, Kekovich, Crosswell, Feltham. Hawthorn – Martello 2, Moncrieff 2, Rowlings, K. Matthews, Trott, Meagher, Scott.

Umpire: K. Smith.

Crowd: 110,551

BEST: Hawthorn – Hendrie, Knights, Ablett, Douge, Rowlings, Moore. North Melbourne –Dench, Greig, Cable, Blight, Icke, Sutton.

GOALS: Hawthorn –Moncrieff 3, Goad 2, Hendrie 2, K. Matthews 2, L. Matthews, Martello, Rowlings, Scott.

North Melbourne – Burns 2, Cable 2, Icke 2, Byrne, Cowton, Melrose, Crosswell.

Umpires: W. Deller, K. Smith. Crowd: 110,143 Hawthorn

(103)

BEST: Hawthorn – DiPierdomenico, L. Matthews, Eade, Scott, Wallace, Knights. North Melbourne –Baker, Schimmelbusch, Huppatz, Sutton, Henshaw, Glendinning.

GOALS: Hawthorn – Moncrieff 4, L. Matthews 4, Scott 3, Knights 2, Ablett, Martello, Hendrie, Eade, Murnane. North Melbourne –Baker 6, Briedis 2, Huppatz 2, Boyse 2, Smith 2, Melrose.

Umpires: W. Deller, I. Robinson. Crowd: 101,704

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