In a Tweet

What a game! Sicily kicks a clutch goal in the last minute of the game and we sneak home over the Dogs by just 3 points!

The Rundown

It was a thrilling game of football at Etihad Stadium in Round 3, with the Hawks coming from behind in the dying stages to snatch a three-point win over a spirited Western Bulldogs outfit.

The Hawks made all the running in the first half and held a one-goal lead at half time, but a withering six-goal burst from the Dogs in the third term meant the Hawks had plenty of work to do in the final quarter.

In true Hawthorn fashion, they lifted themselves off the canvas to deliver a massive seven-goal-to-three final quarter to take the narrow win.

Cyril Rioli and James Sicily kicked six goals between them, while Sam Mitchell (29 disposals) and Isaac Smith (24 disposals) found plenty of the footy.

This game was the first of three-consecutive games the Hawks would win by three points.

The Star

He may not have got the ball in his hands very often, but when Cyril Rioli did, he made it count. He finished with 11 disposals, six tackles and three goals for the day.

The Moment

With less than two minutes to go in the game, Shaun Burgoyne streamed away from half back and kicked long inside 50. James Sicily plucked the mark, unaware that behind him, Bulldogs skipper Bob Murphy had seriously injured his knee. After waiting for Murphy to be taken from the ground, the youngster held his nerve to deliver a clutch kick for goal get the Hawks over the line.

The Coach

“These players are a very resilient group and they just found a way – they lifted their intensity in the last quarter.” – Alastair Clarkson

WESTERN BULLDOGS   0.2  4.5   10.8   13.12  (90)
HAWTHORN                  2.4   5.5     7.7   14.9   (93)

GOALS
Western Bulldogs: McLean 2, Biggs 2, Dahlhaus 2, Roughead, Bontempelli, Daniel, Suckling, Wallis, Boyd, Stringer
Hawthorn: Rioli 3, Sicily 3, Gunston 2, McEvoy 2, Bruest 2, Schoenmakers, Ceglar

BEST 
Western Bulldogs: Daniel, Dahlhaus, Murphy, Adams, Boyd
Hawthorn: Birchall, Stratton, Smith, Hartung, Mitchell, Rioli, Burgoyne, Sicily

INJURIES 
Western Bulldogs: Easton Wood (hamstring tightness) replaced in the side by Joel Hamling, Bob Murphy (knee)
Hawthorn: Nil

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Donlon, Chamberlain, Wallace

Official crowd: 46,808 at Etihad Stadium