FORMER Carlton rover Alex Marcou sports an almost constant grin when he talks about being part of the Blues' 1981 premiership team.

"It was jubilation; we knew we had it," Marcou says. "We were running around, looking at each other in the eyes, and going, 'Boys, we've got it'."

Marcou's recollections are an entertaining part of the second instalment in AFL Media's series of documentaries, The Final Story, that document the 1971, 1981, 1991 and 2001 Grand Finals.

The first of the series, which told the tale of Hawthorn's come-from-behind win over St Kilda in 1971, premiered on Channel Nine last weekend.

This weekend, it's the 1981 decider between the Blues and Collingwood that features.

For Carlton's players and coach David Parkin, recalling the match makes them smile and laugh.

For the men who represented the Magpies, however, talking about the contest is a painful experience.

Collingwood was playing in its fifth Grand Final since Tom Hafey took over as coach in 1977, and the Magpies were desperate to finally break their premiership drought, which stretched back to 1958.

"They were carrying the weight of expectation, and it became a terrible handicap to carry," Parkin says.

Injuries to star players Peter Moore and Ricky Barham also haunted Collingwood, which had beaten the Blues in the second semi-final.

"I was trying to get over a grade-one hamstring strain in two weeks," Moore says.

"I trained on the Thursday night before the Grand Final, and really couldn't run, but Tommy talked to me and he really wanted me to play.

"In retrospect, I shouldn't have played. It was a poor decision."

The Magpies lost Graeme 'Gubby' Allan to a broken jaw early in the game, adding to their dramas. Still, Hafey's men courageously snatched a 21-point lead midway through the third quarter. "I thought we had them," Tony Shaw says.

As in their four previous Grand Finals under Hafey, the Magpies could not haul themselves over the line.

Carlton defender Bruce Doull won the Norm Smith Medal as the Blues won by 20 points.

In the aftermath, Hafey's relationship with his players broke down, and the Magpies sacked him halfway through the 1982 season.

The Blues, in contrast, went on and won another premiership, defeating Richmond in the 1982 Grand Final.

"They were probably the most talented team I coached," Parkin says.

The Final Story—30 Years On will be screened by Channel Nine on Sunday, September 11. See local guides for details.

This story first appeared in the AFL Record