As a decade concludes there is always a new candidate for the greatest team of all time.
As is the case, the latest team is always the forerunner for the title of being the best.
But while we recall the achievements of the latest team, we forget the accomplishments of the teams from yesteryear.
In the AFL there is always the argument of who is the best team of all time.
But after 120 years of VFL/AFL football how can we possibly have a clear winner in the discussion of the greatest team in history?
How can anyone compare to the modern Richmond team to 'The Machine' that was the Collingwood team that won four flags between 1927-1930 when modern footballers are fully professional athletes who spend their lives focussed on fitness and have facilities that are second to none?
An easier way to determine football's greatest teams is by splitting the VFL and AFL era’s.
This two-part series will look at the teams that dominated the VFL era (1896-1989) and then the AFL era (1990–present). This series will not determine who is the best team in each era, instead, it will reflect on the feats of the teams and provide the reader insight into what these teams achieved in their heyday.
5. Hawthorn 1983-1989
The Hawks were the visual definition of the 1980s. Off-the-field, Hawthorn players were partygoers, with a great sense of fashion (or so they thought back in the day). On-field, the Hawks played with exuberant style and flair that guided them to seven consecutive Grand Finals, in the decade that shaped the course of Australian football history.
The 1983 premiership was one for the older generation in the Hawthorn side. Leigh Matthews and Peter Knights were ever-present and added to their premiership medallions, which already included the 1971, 76 and 78 triumphs.
After falling short to Essendon in 1984 and 85, the transition to the new generation began. The likes of Dermot Brereton, Garry Ayres, John Plattern and Jason Dunstall became stars in the Hawthorn team.
Hawthorn would go on to win premierships in 1986, 88 and 89, while Robert DiPierdomenico and John Plattern would win Brownlow medals and Jason Dunstall kicked 134 and 138 goals in consecutive years to be crowned the Coleman medallist.
During the seven-year stretch, the Hawks won 120 of a possible 154 home-and-away games. They also won three night Grand Finals in a decade when the pre-season competition was relevant. Allan Jeans was coach for most of the decade, but illness prevented him from coaching in 1988 and responsibilities fell to Alan Joyce.
The clear indication of how prolific the Hawks were in the 1980s can be seen the modern state of the club.
Today, the Hawks have over 80,000 members, state-of-the art facilities at Waverly and recent premiership success that has them just behind Carlton, Essendon and Collingwood for most premierships.
Had the Hawks not had the success they did in the 80's it is safe to say that children of that decade would not have supported the team and the Hawks would have potentially merged with Melbourne in 1996.
