See also: 1963 VFL finals series
Hawthorn were minor premiers as a result of their superior percentage, as both clubs had finished the home and away season with 13 wins and a draw.
Geelong was contesting its eighth VFL Grand final and chasing its sixth premiership, having previously contested in 1953 and last won in 1952. The Hawks were contesting their second VFL Grand final, having beaten Footscray to win their maiden premiership in 1961. For the Cats, this was the third consecutive game they were playing against Hawthorn, having met at Glenferrie Oval in the final round of the home-and-away season, then in the Second Semi-final two weeks later.
After the Cats' important win at Glenferrie, coach Bob Davis, when asked by a reporter what he thought of Hawthorn, called them "the roughest, dirtiest side that [he] had ever seen" and that "Any time they want to play football, we'll give them a hiding". Davis later admitted he didn't care what he said at the time, and Hawthorn coach John Kennedy Sr. took offence at Davis' comments about dirty play, stating that while his team certainly played a vigorous brand of football, he never asked players to deliberately "fix up" opposition players.[1]