AFL-Hawthorn: Inside the Battle of '89 (2004)

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General		Extras
Category	Sports	Main Menu Audio & Animation
Rating
Year Of Production	2004
Running Time	77:49
RSDL / Flipper	No/No	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Ads Then Menu
Region Coding	1,2,3,4,5,6	Directed By	None Given
Studio Distributor	Aust. Football Video Visual Entertainment Group	Starring	Jason Dunstall Dermott Brereton Michael Tuck John Platten
Case	?
RPI	Box	Music	None Given

    The Australian Football League is well catered for when it comes to DVD titles. There have been numerous discs dedicated to the history or highlights of several of the individual clubs such as Essendon, Fremantle, and Collingwood, plus many compilation-style titles focussing on spectacular goals, marks, biffs and bumps. There are also full replays of classic games and grand finals available such The Comeback and the 2004 Grand Final win by Port Adelaide.

    This is another disc dedicated to the Hawthorn Football Club.

    The Hawks enjoyed a golden period during the 1980s when they were almost unstoppable and, while they may be suffering at present, there once was a time when they were handing out the punishment in brutal fashion. This disc features a classic game that any respectable Hawks fan must have in their collection. The 1989 VFL grand final against Geelong has been described by many as one of the best grand finals ever. The Hawks jumped the Cats early in the game and led by as much as 40 points in the first half. But a series of injuries to key players such as Platten, Dipierdomenico and the crunching of tough man Dermott Brereton in the first 15 seconds meant the Hawks entered the second half low on fit players and rapidly running out of legs. It was always going to be a battle of attrition and with Geelong storming back in the final quarter, on the back of a man they called God (Gary Ablett), the resulting six point margin would send this game into the history books as one of the best ever.

    While it is not replayed here in full, there are significant highlights shown in the 78 minute running time. In between game highlights we see interviews with the Hawthorn players and the coach Allan Jeans at a 10-year reunion dinner held in 1999. Their thoughts, together with the highlights make this a wonderful document of a wonderful game.
   
    This is good coverage of a golden era of a great team. Hawks fans should most certainly take a look at this to remember the time when their team was filled with outright stars and hard-as-nails players who never failed to give a hundred per cent and go in and get the ball, unlike the team of today which is filled with glamour-boy wannabes who would rather be on the cover of a magazine than under a pack getting their face rammed into the mud. Footy just isn't the same any more is it?

Video

    All up, this isn't a bad transfer with problems only attributed to the age of the source material.

    The video transfer for this disc follows the same standard as the others in the series and is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1. It is not 16x9 enhanced.

    As stated the footage is of variable quality, with the material all in colour, but of varying quality and clarity. There are no problems with shadow detail.

    The colours are variable, though well rendered, and there are no problems to contend with despite some of the material certainly looking its age.

    No MPEG artefacts are evident, and aside from some obvious analogue tape problems in the older footage, it is mostly clear of other imperfections.

    There are no subtitles.

    The disc is single layered so there is no layer change.

Video Ratings Summary

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Shadow Detail
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Audio

    Seeing as the program is comprised exclusively of television highlights, we consequently get television quality audio.

    There is only one audio track available, this being an English Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo soundtrack. Overall the quality of the soundtrack is quite good with limitations and problems only attributed to the source material.

    Dialogue is clear at all times, though there are a few problems with audio sync during some of the interview grabs. Some of the older footage is also burdened with a harsher quality and is occasionally distorted with noise and hiss.

    There is no surround or subwoofer use.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
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Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
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Main Menu Audio & Animation

    This disc is not available in Region 1.

    Hawthorn - Inside the Battle of '89 is another in the series of AFL highlights discs. For the Hawks fan that laments the current dismal state of their club, this disc offers a chance to see highlights of a time when the mighty brown and gold was virtually unstoppable with the famous 1989 grand final win.

    The video is average, but based on the source material is more than acceptable.

    The audio is functional and serves the vision well.

    There are no extras.

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Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall