Hawthorn secures a third consecutive premiership in a historic 2015 AFL season
In short: The 2015 AFL season was a year of significant shifts and records. While Hawthorn cemented their dynasty with a dominant Grand Final victory, the season also saw unprecedented shifts in the ladder, new individual records, and a schedule adjusted to accommodate the Cricket World Cup.
The 2015 season, the 119th in the league's history, was defined by Hawthorn's continued dominance. The club secured its 13th premiership and third consecutive title by defeating West Coast by 46 points in the Grand Final on 3 October. This victory followed a season that saw several historic milestones, including Fremantle securing their first minor premiership and finishing first on the ladder, followed by West Coast in second. This marked the first time two teams from a single state outside of Victoria occupied the top two positions.
Individual performances reached new heights during the campaign. West Coast's Matt Priddis achieved a record 472 handpasses during one season, beating Gary Ablett, Jr.'s 2009 mark of 445. Meanwhile, Todd Goldstein of North Melbourne established a new benchmark for hit-outs, recording 1,058 and breaking Gary Dempsey's 1982 record of 952. Fremantle's Nat Fyfe also had a standout year, winning both the Brownlow Medal with 31 votes and his second consecutive Leigh Matthews Trophy.
The season was not without disruption. The campaign was disrupted when Adelaide senior coach Phil Walsh died mid-season after a domestic incident, causing their next game to be cancelled. Additionally, the scheduling of the season was impacted by the Cricket World Cup, which concluded on 29 March. This caused the Grand Final to be held on the first Saturday in October, rather than the customary last Saturday in September. To improve attendance and timing, several Saturday night matches on the east coast were moved forward by 20 minutes to a 7:20 pm start.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: 2015 AFL season
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