Then,camped under a ball waiting to mark,"Dipper"was smashed by a charging Ablett. More broken ribs. And a slowly deflating lung that would see the Brownlow medallist rushed to hospital before he'd even had time to accept his premiership medal.

But among the carnage,Hawthorn played some sensational football as the Cats became too caught up in the physical battle. The Hawks slammed on eight goals in that frantic opening term to open up a 40-point lead by quarter-time

Geelong,though,had Ablett. He'd already kicked 18 goals in the Cats'previous three finals. This would be his masterpiece. In the second quarter alone,he marked one handed and threaded a checkside goal from the boundary line. Then,soaring above a pack at a ball-in,he snatched the ball and in one movement snapped another unbelievable major.

It was still 36 points the difference at the final change despite Ablett's six goals. But a brutal game had left too many Hawks barely standing,skipper Michael Tuck and Gary Ayres two more casualties,Hawthorn with no fit interchange players left.

Geelong would give it one last shot. After trading more goals,Ablett's eighth goal,a superb left-foot snap after fending off Chris Langford,then a snap from Shane Hamilton,got the margin back to just 11 points. Again the Hawks replied through Dean Anderson.

Still the Cats kept coming. There were four minutes left when Ablett marked and converted,incredibly,his ninth goal in a Norm Smith Medal-winning performance.

With just 59 seconds left and 12 points the difference,Geelong's David Cameron marked 45 metres out. His goal was the 42nd of this amazing game. The ball returned to the middle with 29 seconds left on the clock.

Out on their feet,the Hawks forced a ball-up,DiPierdomenico,somehow still breathing,forcing a second. And as a score of weary bodies picked themselves up from that stoppage,the siren rang.

History for Hawthorn. And for Ablett,whose nine goals equalled a grand final record set by Gordon Coventry in 1928. It was the second-highest aggregate score for a grand final. And one of the most brutal. It had everything. Hence its permanent place in the hearts and memories of the football world.

Geelong coach Malcolm Blight would sum it up nicely inThe Final Story.

"That fact that the'89 grand final is held in such esteem by most people that love the game of football … it was a joy to be involved,for all the good and bad of it. It's just that every time we talk about it now,we still can't win the bloody thing."