There is nothing quite like a Geelong and Hawthorn match.
While the modern rivalry has been a different beast altogether, the two teams have been putting on entertaining battles for as long as the mind can remember.
Both clubs have had stints of dominance over their storied history, but in the late 1980s and into the early 90s, it was Hawthorn who comfortably held the ascendancy.
From 1985 to 1990, Geelong fell to the Hawks in 11 consecutive contests including the famous 1989 Grand Final, with Hawthorn averaging a pretty remarkable 142 points per game across that span.
The two meetings between the teams in 1990 both went to Hawthorn by a combined margin of 173 points, so it was safe to say that the rivalry's momentum was pretty lopsided heading into 1991.
But with Gary Ablett Senior featuring in the reserves and in tough conditions at Princes Park, a champion Cat decided that enough was enough and put together a performance for the ages to turn the tide in favour of the blue and white Hoops.
Nothing separated Geelong and Hawthorn heading into their Round 12 clash in the 1991 season, both had won six of their first 10 games and were sitting sixth and seventh on the ladder through the early portion of the year.
There were a number of storylines on both sides, with the Cats looking to snap their extensive losing streak against the Hawks, while Gary Ablett Senior made his return from a brief retirement through the reserves.
For Hawthorn, it would prove to be the one and only game in 1991 for Robert DiPierdomenico and the final match of his career. Paul Dear also featured in the game, with the charity 'Dare to Hope' created in his honour to raise awareness and funds for pancreatic cancer, with this year's Easter Monday clash to also be the Dare to Hope game.
The stage was set with the iconic duo of Dennis Cometti and Bruce McAvaney behind the microphone, and neither side was able to break clear in a tough and uncompromising opening term.
Both teams kicked two goals in the first stanza and the Cats would narrowly extend their lead in the second, but only five points separated the sides at half time.
The tough conditions were making things difficult for nearly every player aside from Mark Bairstow, who had a ridiculous 12 inside 50 entries and three goals to his name by the main break.
Billy Brownless also had three goals in the opening half but Geelong struggled to kick clear, many wondering whether the streak against the Hawks would continue heading into a tense third quarter.
But inspired by Bairstow and Brownless, the Cats would be the team to put the foot down after half time in a decisive 10 minute period that broke the game wide open.
Barry Stoneham curled home a beauty from a forward stoppage deep into the third term and Michael Mansfield added another soon after, all of a sudden the Cats were 36 points clear at three quarter time.
The momentum would carry into the final term as Bairstow slotted his fifth goal of the day inside the opening minute, before Mansfield followed suit once again to give Geelong an unassailable lead.
Out of the ensuing centre stoppage, Bairstow streamed forward and slammed through his sixth major, pushing the lead beyond 50 points and capping off a remarkable day at Princes Park.
The Cats would ultimately take their foot off the pedal late, but they still finished with 12 goals to six in the second half and closed out a dominant 40 point victory to emphatically snap their losing streak against the Hawks.
On a day where only five players managed to collect 20 disposals or more, Bairstow finished with an incredible statline which included six goals, 36 disposals, 10 clearances and 14 inside 50s, one of the greatest individual performances ever seen.
Paul Couch was equally as dominant with 30 possessions, Andrew Bews picked off 10 intercepts across half back, while Dermott Brereton kicked eight of Hawthorn's 13 goals.
1991 Round 12 – Hawthorn v Geelong
HAWTHORN 2.2 7.9 8.14 13.18 (96)
GEELONG 2.5 8.8 14.14 20.16 (136)
GOALS: Bairstow 6, Brownless 4, Mansfield, Stoneham 2, Bourke, Hinkley, Merriman, Poole, Simpson, Wills 1
DISPOSALS: Bairstow 36, Couch 30, Hinkley, G.Hocking 19, Brownless 18, Merriman 17
BROWNLOW VOTES: Mark Bairstow (3), Tim Darcy (2), Paul Couch (1)
CROWD: 23,123 @ Princes Park
GEELONG STARTING 22
1. Steve Hocking
3. Mark Bairstow
7. Paul Couch
16. Bill Brownless
20. Andrew Rogers
21. Michael Mansfield
22. Mark Neeld
23. Michael Schulze
24. Trevor Poole
26. Barry Stoneham
27. Andrew Bews
28. Tim Darcy
29. Ken Hinkley
30. Damian Bourke
32. Garry Hocking
33. Darren Forssman
37. Sean Simpson
40. Paul Brown
43. Russell Merriman
45. Andrew Wills
