The Hawthorn women have earned a place in the history books, winning their way through to the club’s first ever VFLW grand final.
The Hawks defeated Collingwood by 11 points in a tight contest at Stannards Stadium on Saturday morning.
After a narrow loss to the Pies in the home and away season, the Hawks returned with a vengeance, putting on a stellar performance to lead their opposition at every quarter.
The game opened in a fiery first term, with both teams relentlessly hunting the ball. Rosie Dillon broke through traffic to boot the first major, while the Hawks’ defence kept the Pies goalless in the opening term.
The second term saw Collingwood AFLW star Chloe Molloy in impressive form, kicking the first goal for the Pies to level the scores.
The Hawks got the game back on their terms, with goals from Sarah Perkins and Captain Emma Mackie extending the lead to 11 points at the main break.
Mackie continued her strong performance in the third quarter, as she added her second goal to her tally despite Collingwood’s fierce defensive pressure.
WATCH: Captain Mackie celebrates the win
The Hawks were in sync, with standout players Kim Ebb providing plenty of run down the wing, and Pepa Randall a dominant force in the backline.
The Pies opened the final quarter strongly, with Sophie Alexander kicking her first goal to reduce the margin. Not long after, a Hawthorn reply saw goal number three from Mackie.
The stakes were high and both teams put everything on the line as they sought to secure a Grand Final appearance.
Molloy’s continuous efforts paid off as she kicked her second goal with under ten minutes to go.
The Hawks’ defensive efforts were able to deny the Pies of any more opportunities, as the final siren sparked brown and gold celebrations with the result 3.3(21) to 5.2(32).
The Hawks enjoy a week off as they wait to find out their Grand Final opposition, which will be decided in next week’s Preliminary Final between Collingwood and Geelong.
The 2018 VFLW Grand Final will be at 12pm on Sunday the 23rd of September at Etihad Stadium.
HAWTHORN 1.1 3.1 4.1 5.2 (32)
COLLINGWOOD 0.1 1.2 1.2 3.3 (21)
GOALS
Hawthorn: Mackie (3), Dillon, Perkins
Collingwood: Molloy (2), Alexander
BEST
Hawthorn: Dillon, Mackie, Ebb, Luke, Randall, Beeson
Collingwood: Lambert, Molloy, Bonnici, Alexander, Hynes, Hales
Images courtesy of Kadek Thatcher Photography
