Every Geelong supporter knows the feeling. You're watching a game, the Cats are down, and somewhere in the back of your mind, a quiet voice whispers: "Remember 1989."
That voice isn't being dramatic. It's referencing one of the most brutal, brilliant, and heartbreaking Grand Finals in Australian Football League history. The 1989 AFL Grand Final wasn't just a loss—it was a war of attrition that defined an era, forged legends, and left a scar that would take nearly two decades to fully heal. For the Cats, it was the moment they arrived as a genuine force, only to have their hearts ripped out by the most dominant team of the decade.
This case study examines the 1989 Grand Final from every angle: the background that set the stage, the strategic approach both sides employed, the brutal implementation on the day, and the lasting legacy that shaped the Geelong Cats for years to come. By understanding this heartbreak, we understand what made the eventual premierships so sweet.
Background / Challenge
The Long Road Back
To understand 1989, you have to understand where the Cats had been. The 1980s were a decade of genuine struggle for Geelong. The club had finished in the bottom half of the ladder for six consecutive seasons between 1982 and 1987. Kardinia Park was a crumbling relic. Membership numbers were dwindling. The club was, by any measure, a basket case.
But something shifted in 1988. Under the guidance of coach John Devine, a young, exciting Geelong side burst onto the scene. They finished fifth and won a stunning elimination final against Sydney before falling to Melbourne in the semi-final. The football world took notice. This wasn't the same old Cats.
Then came 1989. And everything changed.
The Challenge: Hawthorn's Dynasty
The challenge facing Geelong wasn't just any opponent. It was Hawthorn. The Hawks were in the midst of one of the greatest dynasties the AFL competition has ever seen. Between 1983 and 1991, they played in seven Grand Finals and won four premierships. They were ruthless, experienced, and physically imposing.
Hawthorn had finished minor premiers in 1989 with a 15-7 record. They'd demolished Melbourne in the qualifying final and scraped past Essendon in the preliminary. They were battle-hardened and knew exactly what it took to win on the last Saturday in September.
Geelong, by contrast, had taken the scenic route. They finished fourth, beat Melbourne in the elimination final, stunned Essendon in the semi, and then produced one of the great performances in club history to knock off the reigning premiers—Carlton—in the preliminary final. That win at the MCG sent Geelong into their first Grand Final since 1967.
The challenge was clear: a young, hungry, but relatively inexperienced Cats outfit against a Hawthorn juggernaut that had been there and done it all.
The Personnel
Geelong's 1989 team was a beautiful mix of emerging stars and seasoned warriors. Gary Ablett Sr. was in his absolute prime—a forward so dominant he seemed to bend the laws of physics. Paul Couch had just won the Brownlow Medal. Mark Bairstow was a midfield bull. Barry Stoneham was a defensive rock. And then there were the kids: Billy Brownless, Garry Hocking, and a young ruckman named John Barnes.
Hawthorn, meanwhile, boasted names that still echo through AFL history: Dermott Brereton, Jason Dunstall, John Platten, Chris Mew, Gary Ayres, and Michael Tuck—who was playing in his record seventh Grand Final.
The stage was set for a classic.
Approach / Strategy
Geelong's Game Plan: Attack and Believe
John Devine's approach was simple in concept but audacious in execution: back your talent, move the ball quickly, and let Gary Ablett do Gary Ablett things. The Cats had averaged over 100 points per game during the finals series. They were the highest-scoring team in the competition, and Devine saw no reason to change.
The strategy revolved around winning the midfield battle through Paul Couch and Mark Bairstow, getting the ball into space, and allowing Ablett to work his magic one-on-one. Geelong's forward line was essentially a "get it to Gary" operation, and it had worked all season.
Defensively, the plan was to press up and try to force Hawthorn into errors. The Cats knew they couldn't match the Hawks' physicality in a grind, so they aimed to create a fast, open game where their skill advantage could shine.
Hawthorn's Approach: Intimidation and Control
Hawthorn coach Allan Jeans had a different philosophy. The Hawks would win this Grand Final through physical dominance. They would hit hard, hit often, and see if the young Cats had the stomach for the fight.
The strategy was built around Dermott Brereton's physical presence, a ruthless midfield led by John Platten, and a defense marshaled by Chris Mew that could absorb pressure and rebound with precision. Hawthorn's game was about control: they wanted to dictate the tempo, slow the game down when necessary, and strike with devastating efficiency.
The Tactical Battle
The Grand Final week was filled with talk about how Geelong would handle Hawthorn's physicality. The Cats had been bullied in their earlier meeting that season, losing by 47 points. Could they stand up?
Devine's answer was to trust his system. The Cats wouldn't be bullied into changing their style. They would play their game, and if Hawthorn wanted to make it a war, well, they'd fight back.
That decision would define the game.
Implementation Details
The First Quarter: The Hit Heard 'Round Australia
The 1989 Grand Final started like no other in AFL history. Within the first minute, Dermott Brereton—already carrying a punctured kidney from the preliminary final—was crunched in a tackle by Geelong's Mark Yeates. The hit was legal, but the impact was devastating. Brereton's ribs were fractured. He was bleeding internally. By any rational measure, he should have been carried off the ground.
Brereton didn't leave. He played on.
This moment changed everything. Brereton's courage galvanized Hawthorn. The Hawks responded with a ferocity that bordered on violence. Players were knocked out. Blood was spilled. The game became less about football and more about survival.
Geelong, to their immense credit, didn't back down. They matched Hawthorn's physicality and even exceeded it at times. The first quarter ended with Geelong leading by a point, but the cost was enormous. Multiple players on both sides were playing injured.
The Second Quarter: The Ablett Show
If the first quarter was about brutality, the second was about genius. Gary Ablett Sr. produced one of the greatest quarters of football ever seen in a Grand Final. He kicked three goals from impossible angles, took marks that defied physics, and single-handedly dragged Geelong into the lead.
By halftime, the Cats led by 14 points. The crowd at the MCG was in a frenzy. Geelong was doing the unthinkable: they were taking the fight to the mighty Hawks and winning.
But the cost was mounting. Paul Couch was being tagged relentlessly by Hawthorn's Peter Curran. Mark Bairstow was carrying a leg injury. And the brutal first quarter had taken its toll on Geelong's young legs.
The Third Quarter: The Turning Point
The third quarter is where the 1989 Grand Final was lost. Hawthorn, led by John Platten's extraordinary midfield work and Jason Dunstall's finishing, began to assert their dominance. They kicked five goals to three and took a narrow lead into the final change.
But the real story of the third quarter was attrition. Geelong's players were dropping like flies. The relentless physical pressure from Hawthorn was breaking them down. Players were playing through injuries that would keep them out for months in a normal game.
The Cats were still in it, but they were running on fumes.
The Final Quarter: Heartbreak
The last quarter of the 1989 Grand Final is both glorious and painful for Geelong supporters. The Cats refused to die. They kept coming, kept fighting, kept believing. Gary Ablett kicked his sixth goal—a mark and kick from the boundary that still gives you chills—to put Geelong within striking distance.
But Hawthorn had more in the tank. They steadied, kicked two crucial goals, and held on. The final score: Hawthorn 21.18 (144) defeated Geelong 21.12 (138).
Six points. One kick. A lifetime of "what ifs."
The game remains the highest-scoring Grand Final in AFL competition history. Combined, the two teams kicked 42 goals and 30 behinds. It was a shootout of epic proportions, and Geelong had come within a whisker of winning it.
Results
The Numbers That Matter
Let's put the 1989 Grand Final into statistical perspective:
- Total score: 144-138 (282 points) — still the highest-scoring Grand Final ever
- Gary Ablett Sr.: 6 goals, 9 marks, named best on ground despite being on the losing team
- Dermott Brereton: Played with two broken ribs, fractured kidney, and internal bleeding. Kicked 3 goals.
- John Platten: 32 possessions and named Hawthorn's best player
- Free kicks: Hawthorn 28, Geelong 21 — a contentious disparity that still angers Cats fans
- Injuries: At least five Geelong players finished the game with significant injuries
The Immediate Aftermath
The loss devastated Geelong. Players wept in the rooms. Coach John Devine was inconsolable. The club had come so close to ending a 22-year premiership drought, only to fall agonizingly short.
But something else happened in that rooms. A resolve formed. The Cats had proven they could match the best team in the competition. They had shown they belonged on the biggest stage. The heartbreak of 1989 would fuel the fire for years to come.
The Legacy
Geelong would return to the Grand Final in 1990, 1992, 1994, and 1995. They would lose all of them. The 1989 defeat became the template for a decade of near-misses. The Cats were always good enough to get there, but they could never quite get over the line.
It wasn't until 2007—18 years later—that Geelong finally broke through. And when they did, many players from the 1989 team were there to witness it. Gary Ablett Sr. watched his son win a premiership. Paul Couch was in the stands. The heartbreak of 1989 made the joy of 2007 infinitely sweeter.
1. Physicality Matters in Finals
The 1989 Grand Final demonstrated that AFL finals are a different beast. Hawthorn's willingness to cross the line physically gave them a psychological edge. Geelong matched it for three quarters, but the cumulative toll was too much. The lesson: you can't win a premiership without being willing to hurt and be hurt.
2. Star Power Can Only Take You So Far
Gary Ablett Sr.'s performance in 1989 is arguably the greatest individual Grand Final performance by a losing player in AFL history. But one superstar couldn't beat a team of champions. Geelong needed more contributors, more depth, more resilience. It's a lesson that would take the club years to fully learn.
3. The Best Team Doesn't Always Win
On paper, Hawthorn was the better team in 1989. But for three quarters, Geelong was the better team on the day. The difference was experience, composure, and a willingness to do whatever it took—including playing through catastrophic injuries. The Cats learned that day that talent alone isn't enough.
4. Heartbreak Can Be Fuel
The 1989 Grand Final didn't break Geelong. It forged them. The players who experienced that loss carried it with them for the rest of their careers. It made them hungrier, tougher, and more determined. The eventual premierships of 2007, 2009, 2011, and 2022 all have roots in the pain of 1989.
5. Grand Finals Are Decided by Moments
One kick. One mark. One decision. The 1989 Grand Final was decided by a handful of moments that could have gone either way. If Gary Ablett's boundary line shot had gone through. If a free kick had been paid. If Dermott Brereton had been forced off the ground. The margin between glory and heartbreak is razor-thin.
The 1989 Grand Final is a case study in resilience, courage, and the cruel mathematics of sport. Geelong did almost everything right. They played their game, they matched the physicality, they produced moments of individual brilliance that still leave you breathless. And they still lost.
But here's the thing about heartbreak: it doesn't last forever.
The 1989 Grand Final is part of the Geelong Cats' DNA. It's the scar that reminds you how much it hurts to lose. It's the memory that makes every premiership feel like a miracle. When you watch the Cats win a flag in 2007, 2009, 2011, or 2022, you're watching the ghosts of 1989 finally being laid to rest.
For the players who lived it, 1989 is a wound that never fully heals. For the fans who watched it, it's a story that gets told and retold, growing more mythic with each passing year. And for the club itself, it's a reminder that success is never guaranteed, that the road to a premiership is paved with pain, and that sometimes the losses define you just as much as the wins.
The Cats lost the 1989 Grand Final. But they also won something that day: the knowledge that they belonged on the biggest stage. And that knowledge carried them through two decades of heartbreak until they finally, gloriously, broke through.
So next time you're watching a Geelong game and the pressure is on, remember 1989. Remember the courage. Remember the fight. Remember the six-point margin that still stings.
And then remember that the Cats didn't let it break them.
They let it make them.
Want to dive deeper into Geelong's championship history? Check out our comprehensive guide to every premiership era, or read about the 2007 premiership that finally ended the drought.
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