Meeting in front of a record crowd for a home and away clash with the Saints, Hawthorn made just the one change, bringing in spearhead Lance Franklin for Carl Peterson.
While St Kilda were well positioned in third spot on the ladder, the Hawks were looking to cement a spot in the top eight, sitting seventh with nine wins.
QT: Key Saint Justin Koschitzke got off to a flyer, kicking the game’s opening two goals after finding himself in space, before Hawks Jarryd Roughead and Michael Osbourne each managed a goal from close range to level the scores.
Koschitzke’s stellar start continued as he secured a third goal after marking strongly, while counterpart Franklin also hit the scoreboard with a long bomb from 55 metres out.
Nabbing an intercept mark inside 50 with only seconds remaining on the clock, Cyril Rioli sent the Hawks into quarter time with a slim one-point lead after going back and kicking truly.
HT: Clinton Young got the Hawks going again after just 90 seconds, before goals to skipper Nick Riewoldt and former Hawks defender Zac Dawson stole the Saints the lead.
A second Buddy Franklin goal wasn’t enough to give the Hawks the half time ascendency however, with goalsneak Stephen Milne ensuring the Saints would this time hold the one-point advantage in what was proving a tight tussle.
3QT: A pair of majors via Franklin and Brendan Whitecross looked an ominous sign the Hawks might break away from the Saints as they suddenly found themselves 10 points up.
However, it was St Kilda who hit the front with four of the next five goals – including three to Adam Schneider – before a goal late in the final minutes of the quarter to Jarryd Roughead levelled scores and set up an intense final term.
FT: Hawthorn immediately grabbed the lead, with Michael Osbourne crumbing a loose ball and running into an open goal, before a 50-metre penalty handed Franklin his fifth which looked to have put the Hawks in the box seat, 14 points up.
But two Milne goals in three minutes had the Saints back within a point as the game went right down to the wire.
A strong mark inside 50 saw Roughead pinch what appeared to be the crucial goal, giving the Hawks a seven-point lead and some breathing space in the final minutes.
With just 20 seconds remaining and their lead sitting at six points, the Hawks simply had to survive one last stoppage in the Saints forward 50 and the win would be theirs.
But, grabbing the ball out of the ruck, Ben McEvoy dribbled through a heartbreaking goal, tying scores with 12 seconds left on the clock.
While star Shaun Burgoyne (29 disposals, six clearances) was able to win the next centre clearance for the Hawks, time would ultimately run out, leaving both sides to split the four points in just the second-ever draw between the two clubs.
ST KILDA 4.0 7.0 11.1 14.3 (87)
HAWTHORN 4.1 6.5 10.7 13.9 (87)
GOALS
St Kilda: Koschitzke 3, Milne 3, Schneider 3, Riewoldt 2, Steven, Dawson, McEvoy
Hawthorn: Franklin 5, Roughead 3, Osbourne 2, Rioli, Young, Whitecross
Official crowd: 49,373 at Docklands
