Alastair Clarkson rejoices in Hawks' triumph Hawthorn coach, Alistair Clarkson, and Norm Smith Medalist, Brian Lake, speak to the media after winning the Grand Final. Redemption for Hawthorn in the Grand Final, the Hawks holding off a second-half fightback from Fremantle to win by 15 points. Alastair Clarkson celebrates with celebrated coach legend John Kennedy Source: News Limited HAWTHORN coach Alastair Clarkson believes the struggle his club went through to win a second premiership in his reign makes this an extremely special flag to win. Clarkson paid tribute to the entire Hawthorn Football Club, from its president Andrew Newbold to its sports medicine expert Andrew Russell, after its 15-point defeat of Fremantle at the MCG. We had to work really hard as a footy club. We won a flag in 2008 which probably the whole footy world and our footy club thought was a little bit quicker than we thought we were going to win it," he said. We were obviously delighted to win but it has taken a lot of hard work to win a second one. We have changed a lot of things at our footy club and it is really rewarding for our club, our board, our administration, our coaches and our players to sit here today saluting once again. It shows that we are a really strong footy club. When Hawthorn trumped the champion Geelong side to claim the 2008 premiership, it was widely predicted that a dynasty was born. But with Hawthorn trailing by 20 points at three-quarter time against its nemesis Geelong in last Friday night's preliminary final, it seemed probable that this potential would be unfulfilled. But Clarkson never lost faith in his side's courage and class with the football. "It is a hurdle against any opponent to come back from 20 points down at three-quarter time, especially in a prelim final," he said. We had to work really hard but (our fitness) team has done a superb job in keeping our players fresh and ready to go and our fourth quarters have been really strong right throughout the course of the year and again that held us in pretty good stead today. It held us in really good stead in the preliminary final last week against the Cats too. When you are playing quality sides, you just have to take your chances when they come and we stressed that to the players at three-quarter time, to try to take their chances when they come and put scoreboard pressure on the Fremantle side. He paid tribute to the perseverance of the Dockers, which closed in the third term but were unable to continue the momentum in the last term. "They are just a really good football side and you are never going to get the game on your terms for the whole four quarters when you are playing against quality opposition," he said. We found that last week with Geelong. We found it in the qualifying final with Sydney too. The first half was a real arm wrestle. We managed to prise it open in the second term. When you are playing quality sides, you can't have it on your terms the whole time. Fremantle are a great side. They are very, very well coached and we knew they were going to come at some point in time. Mundy and Fyfe were really strong in that third quarter and got the momentum back their way ... but we just kicked some important goals at important times.