MELBOURNE // The Hawthorn Hawks took advantage of a poor kicking performance by the defending champions Geelong to upset the Cats 18.7 (115) to 11.23 (89) in the Grand Final yesterday. It was Hawthorn's first Australian Football League title since 1991. Before a crowd of 100,012 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground - the biggest attendance at a Grand Final since 1986 - and in armer than usual temperatures, the Cats, who lost just one of 22 regular season matches, held a 33-32 lead at the end of the first quarter. But Geelong had a poor second quarter, kicking just one goal, worth six points, and nine one-point behinds. Hawthorn kicked three goals and a behind and led 8.3 (51) to 6.12 (48) at half-time.
The Hawks outscored the Cats six goals to three in the third period and four goals to two in the fourth. Mark Williams kicked three goals for the winners, while Stuart Dew, Cyril Rioli and Lance Franklin had two each. Franklin, the league's top goalkicker, had an off-day. * AP