[clarification needed] St Kilda's Robert Harvey won the Brownlow Medal earlier in the week for having been deemed by the field umpires as being the best player in the AFL for the 1997 season, a feat he would repeat the following year.

Western Bulldogs player Chris Grant polled the highest number of votes, but as he had been suspended for a one-match ban—in Round 7 against Hawthorn for striking—he was deemed ineligible for the award.

On a sombre note, it was revealed during the pre-match coverage that St Kilda star Nicky Winmar's father Neal had died from heart disease at the age of 50 the day before the grand final.

It was an intense and exciting Grand Final, with Adelaide starting well and leading by 2 points at quarter time (with unlikely goalkicker Shane Ellen, who was playing at full-forward to replace the injured Tony Modra, kicking the Crows first goal—a move which was later regarded as a masterstroke by coach Malcolm Blight).

In an effort reminiscent of Phil Manassa in the 1977 VFL Grand final replay, Jones ran almost the full length of the ground and kicked the goal on his non-preferred left foot from just inside the 50-metre arc.

Inspired by Jones's heroics, the Saints began the second term strongly and took control for the only time in the game when Barry Hall broke away from Peter Caven to kick three goals in four minutes.

The Saints continued to fight to stay in the game, but Jarman's final goal for the quarter, an elegant snap off a quarter-step around his body on a tight angle from 35 metres, split the middle to make certain that the premiership was headed to South Australia.

The Norm Smith Medal was presented by Fitzroy legend Kevin Murray to Andrew McLeod, who, at 21 years old, was the youngest player since Wayne Harmes to win the award.

[4] Making full use of his pace, agility and ball-winning skills, McLeod kept his side in the game when the Saints looked to pull away, and then continued to pump the ball into attack as the Crows eventually took control in the second half.

Shane Ellen, typically a defensive player for the Crows, provided a cameo at full-forward in place of Modra and finished with five goals, while Darren Jarman booted a grand final record of five in the last quarter, taking him to six for the match and sealing the game.