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The Rundown

A ticket to the preliminary final beckoned, as the Hawks faced the up and coming Dogs in a perfectly set semi-final at the MCG.

Hawthorn was in control of the battle at quarter-time and led by as many as 23 points half way through the second term. In contrast, the Dogs were wasteful in front of goal early. They blundered their way to 1.5 in the first quarter, with Dogs forward Tory Dickson (1.3) missing multiple early chances. There seemed signs that the young Dogs were overwhelmed by the significance of the moment.

But the Bulldogs reigned in the margin, to trail by a solitary point at the main break.

Costly Hawthorn misses to Jack Gunston, Isaac Smith and Liam Shiels to start the second half were followed by an unstoppable Dogs charge.

That charge would ultimately extend to the final siren as the Bulldogs rode the wave of momentum that they had created. The Hawks were left shattered, as their attempt at a fourth consecutive flag was cut heartbreakingly short.

Read: Round 23 Match Preview Hawthorn v Dogs

The Star

Marcus Bontempelli didn’t have the biggest numbers of everyone on the ground but his influence was undoubtedly the greatest. Involved in so many of the pivotal moments throughout the game, Bontempelli consistently displayed a poised and mature demeanour beyond his age, as he worked his way to collect 27 touches, eight clearances and two goals.

The Moment

The moment that summed up the night came early in the last quarter, when Bradley Hill ran into a dead-end, having been swamped by the immense Bulldogs pressure. He coughed a handball to his skipper Luke Hodge, but he too was confronted with the same issue. Marcus Bontempelli pounced, intercepting Hodge’s disposal and pinpointing a kick inside 50 to a waiting Tory Dickson.

Just as Bontempelli had had an earlier win against Hodge in a marking contest, these moments reflected how the game played out and how the Hawks were overcome by the Bulldog exuberance and fanatical pressure.

The Coach

“No good this losing caper, is it? We’re not used to it, this time of year. It’s a good habit to have, winning in September. Unfortunately we weren’t good enough tonight. Bulldogs played a fantastic brand of footy”.- Alastair Clarkson

HAWTHORN                 3.4    7.5     8.9     12.12 (84)
WESTERN BULLDOGS  1.5   6.10   12.11   16.11 (107)

GOALS
Hawthorn: Shiels 2, Hodge 2, Sicily, Gunston, Puopolo, Rioli, Hill, Breust, Fitzpatrick, Burgoyne,
Western Bulldogs: Stringer 3, Picken 3, Smith 2, Bontempelli 2, Wood, McLean, Dunkley, Roughead, Dickson, Daniel 

BEST 
Hawthorn: Shiels, Hodge, Mitchell, Smith, Duryea
Western Bulldogs: Bontempelli, Macrae, Picken, Smith, Dunkley, Dahlhaus 

INJURIES 
Hawthorn: TBC
Western Bulldogs: TBC 

Reports: Nil 

Umpires: Chris Donlon, Matt Stevic, Mathew Nicholls

Official crowd: 87, 823 at the MCG