Original sentence: It was the third consecutive year in which the two clubs met each other in the premiership decider, and on this occasion it was Essendon which was victorious, claiming back-to-back flags
Edited sentence: At the conclusion of the game, Hawks great Leigh Matthews was chaired off the ground by his teammates.At the conclusion of the home and away season, Essendon had finished first on the VFL ladder with 19 wins and 3 losses.Hawthorn had finished third with 15 wins, 6 losses and a draw.In the finals series in the lead-up to the game, Hawthorn defeated Footscray in the Qualifying Final before meeting the Bombers in the Second Semi-Final, which Essendon convincingly won by 40 points.It was the third consecutive year in which the two clubs met each other in the premiership decider, with Hawthorn having won the 1983 VFL Grand Final and Essendon having won the 1984 VFL Grand Final.The Bombers advanced straight to the Grand Final on the back of their Second Semi-Final win.The Hawks then met Footscray again in the Preliminary final, which they won by 10 points to advance to the Grand Final.This was his 332nd and final game of his 16 year career