HAWTHORN has sent an ominous warning that its quest for a third consecutive premiership is far from over with a vintage 74-point win over Adelaide in the second semi-final at the MCG on Friday night.
Some questioned whether the Hawks' recent golden era under Alastair Clarkson was finished after their comprehensive 32-point defeat by West Coast in last Friday night's qualifying final at Domain Stadium.
But despite coming off the Perth trip, Jack Gunston's absence through injury and the advancing years of many of its premiership stars, Hawthorn put the Crows to the sword with an electrifying eight-goal first quarter and never gave them a sniff thereafter, extending their lead at every break to cruise to a 21.9 (135) to 8.13 (61) victory.
The Hawks will now play Fremantle at Domain Stadium in next Friday night's first preliminary final, when they will bid to qualify for their fourth consecutive Grand Final.
It was perhaps unfair that Adelaide's season ended with such a whimper given the courage the club showed to reach the second week of the finals after the tragic death of its coach Phil Walsh on the eve of round 14.
The Crows must now also face the likelihood that star midfielder Patrick Dangerfield has played his last game for the club.
Dangerfield was one of the Crows' best performers against the Hawks, finishing with 29 possessions, 10 clearances and a freakish banana goal from the boundary in the first quarter, but it is widely expected he will seek to join Geelong in next month's free agency period.
Hawthorn was razor-sharp from the opening bounce, slicing through the Crows' defences with breathtaking run through the middle and its trademark precision short-passing. It also pressured the Crows into error after error with suffocating all-ground pressure.
Captain Luke Hodge responded emphatically to criticism of his leadership against the Eagles with 29 possessions and four goals, while Luke Breust, goalless in his previous three matches, starred in the Hawks' opening-quarter blitz with three goals and finished with a game-high six majors.
The Hawks were not short of good players, with Josh Gibson (27 possessions) a creative sweeper in defence and Sam Mitchell (a game-high 33 possessions) his usual prolific and precise self through the midfield, while James Frawley bounced back from a poor first final for Hawthorn to keep Adelaide captain Taylor Walker to one goal and little of his usual influence.
Eddie Betts was the Crows' hero in their elimination final win against the Western Bulldogs with five goals, but Ben Stratton completely blanketed the star small forward, holding him goalless.
Isaac Smith (21 possessions and two goals) also ran with his usual freedom after looking restricted by a knee injury against the Eagles.
Despite the Crows' meek exit from the finals, they won't lose any of the fans they gained this year.
No one would have criticised them if they had let their season slip after Walsh's death, especially when in their first game back a round later they fell out of the top eight for the first time in 2015 after losing an emotional encounter against West Coast by 56 points at Domain Stadium.
But Adelaide regrouped under interim coach Scott Camporeale to win six of its last eight home and away games to make the finals, and then defeated the Bulldogs by seven points in a thrilling elimination final.
In addition to Dangerfield, Rory Laird (30 possessions) battled his heart out all night in defence, as did Scott Thompson (28 possessions and eight clearances) through the midfield. Josh Jenkins kicked four goals, and Sam Jacobs had the better of his ruck duel against Ben McEvoy and David Hale.
The Hawks will be sweating on Gunston's fitness in the lead-up to next Friday night's game.
Gunston told Triple M radio on Friday night that he was no certainty to be available for the preliminary final, saying he would have to prove he had overcome the ankle injury he suffered against West Coast by Tuesday or Wednesday next week.
SCORES
HAWTHORN 8.4 11.6 16.7 21.9 (135)
ADELAIDE 2.2 4.3 6.7 8.13 (61)
GOALS
Hawthorn: Breust 6, Hodge 4, Smith 2, Roughead 2, Lewis 2, Suckling, Schoenmakers, Rioli, Hill, Puopolo
Adelaide: Jenkins 4, Lynch 2, Dangerfield, Walker
BEST
Hawthorn: Hodge, Breust, Frawley, Mitchell, Stratton, Birchall, Gibson, Burgoyne
Adelaide: Dangerfield, Talia, Laird, Jenkins, Lynch, Jacobs, Thompson
INJURIES
Hawthorn: Lake (abdomen)
Adelaide: Laird (ankle)
SUBSTITUTES
Hawthorn: David Hale replaced by Billy Hartung at three-quarter time
Adelaide: David Mackay replaced by Jarryd Lyons in the third quarter
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Rosebury, Chamberlain, Jeffery
Official crowd: 70,879 at the MCG
