2007 AFL Grand Final — Geelong Smash Port Adelaide By 119

The 2007 AFL Grand Final saw Geelong massacre Port Adelaide 24.19 (163) to 6.8 (44) at the MCG — a record 119-point margin that remains the largest winning margin in any VFL/AFL Grand Final. Played on 29 September 2007 in front of 97,302 fans, the Cats’ premiership ended a 44-year drought (since 1963) and announced one of the great modern dynasties. Steve Johnson won the Norm Smith; Mark Thompson collected his first Jock McHale; and Port Adelaide’s 2004-flag-winning halo evaporated in front of a baying crowd.

The Build-Up: 44 Years and Counting

Geelong hadn’t won a flag since 1963. The 1989 (legendary loss to Hawthorn), 1992, 1994, and 1995 (loss to Carlton) Grand Final losses had built the longest drought in the league. The 2007 home-and-away season changed everything — the Cats finished top with 18 wins, the McClelland Trophy locked up by August.

Port Adelaide had reached the Grand Final via a strong finals run after their breakthrough 2004 premiership. Mark Williams’s coaching tenure was on a high; the Power were considered worthy contenders. The pre-game line was Geelong by 18.

The Match: A Cats Coronation

What followed was a one-sided horror show for Port Adelaide. Geelong kicked 7.4 to Port’s 1.1 in the first quarter and never let up. The Cats’ midfield (Bartel, Ling, Selwood, Ablett Jr) ran rings around Port’s veterans. Steve Johnson kicked 3 brilliant goals; Tom Hawkins (then a 19-year-old debutant) kicked one. Cameron Mooney was unstoppable in the forward line.

By half-time the Cats led by 60 points. The third quarter — Geelong’s “premiership quarter” — extended the margin further. The fourth quarter was a procession.

Final score: Geelong 24.19 (163) defeated Port Adelaide 6.8 (44) — a 119-point margin, the largest in any VFL/AFL Grand Final history.

The Norm Smith Medal: Steve Johnson

The 2007 Norm Smith went to Steve Johnson of Geelong. Johnson’s 23 disposals, 3 goals (all from class), and creativity around the contest earned the recognition. “Stevie J” was the kind of player who could win matches with one act of brilliance — the Norm Smith was earned through a full game of them.

The Premiership Coach: Mark Thompson (First)

“Bomber” Thompson collected his first Jock McHale Medal. He’d add a second in 2009. Thompson’s tenure at Geelong (2000–2010) was one of the most consequential modern coaching builds — he constructed the list that Chris Scott would inherit and ride to a 2011 flag.

Famous Moments

• Steve Johnson’s three classy goals — Norm Smith winning.
• Tom Hawkins’s debut Grand Final goal — at age 19, the future Coleman Medallist.
• Cameron Mooney’s contested marking — unstoppable as a forward.
• Jimmy Bartel’s 27 disposals — silver-medal Norm Smith.
• Joel Selwood’s debut Grand Final at age 19.
• Brad Ottens’s ruck dominance.
• The 119-point winning margin — all-time record.
• Port Adelaide’s 6 goals total — barest of contributions.
• Mark Thompson’s Cup lift — 44-year drought ended.
• The Geelong supporters’ celebrations — including ageing Cats fans who’d waited since 1963.

Trivia for the Pub

• Date: 29 September 2007, MCG.
• Final: Geelong 24.19 (163) defeated Port Adelaide 6.8 (44).
• Margin: 119 points — all-time VFL/AFL Grand Final record.
• Crowd: 97,302.
• Norm Smith: Steve Johnson.
• Jock McHale: Mark Thompson (first).
• Geelong’s 7th VFL/AFL premiership; first since 1963.
• Port Adelaide’s first Grand Final loss (2004 had been their breakthrough win).
• Tom Hawkins debuted at age 19, kicking 1 goal.
• Joel Selwood was also 19; he’d later captain three Cats premierships.

The Rumours and Aftermath

The 119-point margin remains the all-time VFL/AFL Grand Final record. The previous record had been Hawthorn’s 83-point thrashing of Essendon in 1983; the 2007 result obliterated it. No subsequent Grand Final has come close — the next-largest modern margin is Geelong’s 81 over Sydney in 2022.

For Port Adelaide, the 2007 loss began a long decline. The 2004 premiership halo wore off; the Power wouldn’t return to a Grand Final until well into the 2020s.

For Geelong, 2007 launched the 2007–2011 dynasty. Three flags in five years (2007, 2009, 2011), the Norm Smith Medals shared across Bartel, Chapman, Ablett (Jr) and Johnson, and the building of one of the most-celebrated lists in modern AFL.

The Verdict

The 2007 AFL Grand Final was a coronation, a record, and an emotional release for 44 years of Geelong waiting. Steve Johnson’s Norm Smith, Tom Hawkins’s debut, the 119-point margin — every element combined for one of the most-celebrated single Grand Final performances ever recorded. Long live the 2007 Cats.