President Andrew Newbold told of how he was tempted to jump the fence and defend the Hawks players against "feral Freo fans".

At Hawthorn's post-game dinner at Crown, Clarkson spoke about his assistant coach Brett Ratten, whose 16-year-old son Cooper died in a car accident earlier this year.

Clarkson said when the Hawks lost to Port Adelaide soon after the death, it was because they were grieving for the Ratten family's loss.

"When things go wrong, which they do in all our lives at different stages, these guys feel it," he said.

"I know why they didn't show up to play that day, because these guys felt it really strongly."

"I don't like losing games of football and neither does our footy club. If they're losing for those reasons we'll cop it on the chin."

Newbold spoke of his affection for the players, saying when a Fremantle fan loudly abused Luke Hodge and Sam Mitchell in the Hawks' preliminary final win in Perth, he felt like intervening.

"It was as if the bloke was abusing one of my children," he said.

"When those feral Freo fans leant over the fence threatening to punch Isaac Smith, I wanted to go down and have a blue myself."

Clarkson referred too to a light-hearted moment during the lead-up to the grand final, when his daughter Steph, who was doing work experience with a radio station, had asked him on-air who he loved more - her or Hodge.

He said if Hodge kept getting the team to grand finals he would love him for one week at this time each year, but that he should correct the record, he loved Steph best.

Hodge described the game as a "battle," against the opposition and the unseasonably warm weather.

"There were a couple of areas in the second quarter, early in the third where we struggled a little bit, but the guys dug deep," he said.

Hawthorn won the game by 46 points, but it felt like a bigger win than that, after the brilliance of Cyril Rioli got the team off to a great start.

The wildly popular player won the Norm Smith Medal for the best player on the ground and got the biggest cheer when presented on the night.

Clarkson and Newbold thanked the club's sponsors and staff, Clarkson particularly showing gratitude to the administrators who he said made it one of the most stable clubs in the competition.

Newbold opened his speech with something that was obvious to all in attendance.

"Winning isn't everything, but god it feels good."

He finished his speech with a promise to never take Hawthorn members for granted and a nod to the star of the day.

"I just love Cyril," he said.

But as Clarkson said, the players could not wait to eat and have a drink and the speeches were kept short.

Then Hawthorn could let their hair down again.

d.