Cats still team to beat: Clarkson
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Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson holds the AFL premiership cup as he and his team address fans in Melbourne's Federation Square. (AAP: Simon Moss)
Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson says Geelong will still be the side to beat next season, despite the Hawks' upset win in yesterday's AFL grand final.
The Cats dominated the game for large periods but were unable to convert that pressure on the scoreboard, as they went down by 26 points in front of a capacity crowd of 100,012 fans in Melbourne.
Hawks vice-captain Luke Hodge won the Norm Smith Medal while veteran Shane Crawford won his first premiership after making his debut in 1993.
Clarkson says while it was a great win, his side still has much to learn from the Cats.
"We got the points today but it could have easily been a very different result," he said.
"I wouldn't suggest for one minute that that [win] elevates us above Geelong because we still respect them enormously.
"They are a more experienced group than us and we think that we've still got to chase them a little bit in terms of improving our performance a bit in the couple of years ahead."
Cats coach Mark Thompson said he expected his side to remain one of the competition's top teams, denying that it is the end of an era for last season's premiers.
"We were red-hot favourites to win. Maybe if the game was played next week we would probably do it better and beat the Hawks, but on this day they've got the points and the premiership and they thoroughly deserve it," he said.
"But it doesn't mean that we're going to panic and be ruthless and sack people and just forget about what we've done. We're still a very, very good club."
Crawford's future
Hawks veteran Crawford will decide in the coming weeks whether he will play on in 2009, with Clarkson saying the decision is up to the 34-year-old.
The four-time All-Australian and Brownlow medallist has struggled with a knee injury this season and was rested leading into the finals.
"[It's] probably up to Crawf and the club to work out over the next three or four weeks," Clarkson said.
"[There's] no hurry to make that decision - if he does decide to retire, there couldn't be a better way for him to go out on."
Crawford said he would not consider his future until after the celebrations are finished.
"If it feels like this every year it'd be awesome, but they're so hard to get," Crawford said.
"I'm sure the guys realise that we've just got to enjoy the moment while we can and refocus in a few months on where we want to go for next year."
Team-mate Stuart Dew added a second flag to the one he won with Port Adelaide four years ago.
The 29-year-old kicked two goals and set up another for Mark Williams in a crucial five-minute period late in the third quarter.
Clarkson said Dew had proved himself to be an outstanding player in the AFL.
"He probably was the game-turner in a sense, just that five-minute cameo up forward," he said.
"I wish I could take the credit for that move but I didn't even know it had happened, I think Damian Hardwick or Ross Smith should take the credit for that in the coaches box.
"But what he did in the third quarter it doesn't surprise me one bit and he's played in two flags now the lad, which is a great credit to him."
Hawks' celebrations
Hawthorn's celebrations continued well into the night with the team showing off the premiership cup to a sea of brown and gold at Melbourne's Federation Square.
The players then attended a grand final dinner at Crown Casino.
Thousands more supporters are expected to assemble at Glenferrie Oval today.
Meanwhile police said they were happy with the behaviour of crowds at yesterday's game.
Four people were arrested for drunkenness and violence, three people were caught scalping tickets while 36 spectators were evicted from the ground.
Police breath-tested about 3,000 drivers last night, with just two blowing above the legal limit.
