HAWTHORN is on the verge of a premiership three-peat and football immortality after dispatching of a brave Fremantle by 27 points in Friday night's preliminary final at Domain Stadium.
The Hawks' 15.4 (94) to 10.7 (67) win means they will contest their fourth straight Grand Final next Saturday, against the winner of Saturday night's West Coast-North Melbourne prelim.
They are now in a position become just the fifth club in history to claim three consecutive flags, after winning through to the decider despite two trips to Perth in as many weeks.
There was plenty of drama in the hotly contested final, played in front of a parochial and amplified West Australian crowd.
Divisive umpiring calls, persistent bouts of wrestling, two potentially dangerous fan incidents where Isaac Smith and later Luke Breust got up close and personal with Fremantle fans, and a one-legged but brave Nat Fyfe were all subplots of the entertaining bout.
However the Hawks weren't headed after they hit the front at the 18-minute mark of the first quarter and at one stage were 28 points clear, but the Dockers made several spirited charges after kicking the game's first two goals.
They moved within 11 points early in the fourth but were burnt by missed opportunities from Michael Barlow and Michael Walters, before Tom Sheridan made a horrendous error at half-back.
Sheridan dropped an uncontested mark on the devensive 50 only for Cyril Rioli to crumb the ball and kick his second of three goals.
It moved the Hawks 15 points clear and kicked off a run of four majors that sealed the game.
Hawks midfielders Sam Mitchell and Luke Hodge were the main influences behind the victory, while Josh Gibson, Taylor Duryea and Ben Stratton were key in defence.
Hodge had his right hamstring treated in the fourth quarter after coming off second best in a marking contest.
The Hawks' captain played out the game and told Channel 7 afterwards he would be fine for next week.
After a week where Freo decided against recalling Ryan Crowley for his first game in a year, his usual opponent in Mitchell racked up 35 possessions.
For the Dockers, Lee Spurr did all he could in defence while David Mundy and Lachie Neale were consistent contributors in the midfield, but the story of their side was the performance of Fyfe.
The Brownlow Medal favourite suffered a nasty knock to his injured lower left leg in the first contest he was involved in after starting the game on the bench.
He was heavily rotated but had just two touches for the quarter, and ran with a heavy limp before being iced at the first change.
However, champions aren't kept down for long and by the main break, he had ignited for 13 disposals and five clearances.
After the main break, he did some nice things but didn't have a consistent impact before finishing with 24 disposals and nine clearances.
Freo captain Matthew Pavlich finished on the bench after suffering a corked leg after a relatively quiet one-goal performance against James Frawley, in what could be his last at AFL level.
And for coach Ross Lyon, the chance to clinch his elusive premiership will have to wait at least another 12 months.
FREMANTLE 2.1 4.4 8.4 10.7 (67)
HAWTHORN 5.2 7.2 11.3 15.4 (94)
GOALS
Fremantle: Walters 3, Griffin 2, Hill, Pavlich, Ballantyne, Barlow, Mayne
Hawthorn: Rioli 3, Schoenmakers 2, Suckling 2, Roughead 2, Smith, Hale, Breust, Hill, McEvoy, Duryea
BEST
Fremantle: Spurr, Ibbotson, Mundy, Walters, Griffin, Fyfe
Hawthorn: Mitchell, Hodge, Gibson, Duryea, Rioli, Stratton, Suckling
INJURIES
Fremantle: Matthew Pavlich (corked leg)
Hawthorn: Taylor Duryea (shoulder), Luke Hodge (leg)
SUBSTITUTES
Fremantle: Nick Suban replaced Matt Taberner at three-quarter time
Hawthorn: Billy Hartung replaced David Hale in the fourth quarter
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Dalgleish, Stevic, Rosebury
