HAWTHORN'S finals hopes lie on a knife-edge after West Coast held on in a see-sawing final quarter to win a scrappy clash by eight points at Subiaco Oval on Saturday.

Neither West Coast nor Hawthorn had won a final quarter this season, and the Eagles only won this one by a point after taking a shaky seven-point lead into the last change.

However, early goals to Mark LeCras, Dean Cox and Josh Kennedy were enough to ensure Jarryd Roughead’s three late goals had no critical impact, the Eagles winning 15.12 (102) to 14.10 (94). 

It wasn’t a pretty game, with Hawthorn making sure there were large numbers at every stoppage to counter West Coast’s clear advantage in the ruck.

Alastair Clarkson’s concerns were well-founded, too, with Dean Cox (35 hit-outs and 16 possessions) and Nic Naitanui (23 hit-outs and seven clearances) playing key roles in the win.

Kennedy, however, was the clear difference, the Eagles forward kicking a career-best six goals, five of those before half time. Mark LeCras played up the ground at times, but still managed four goals, two of those in the tight finale.

Jordan Lewis (31 possessions and eight clearances) replaced Lance Franklin in Hawthorn’s selected side and did his best in midfield, while Luke Hodge was mostly deployed as a loose backman to nullify West Coast’s early inside-50 dominance. 

With captain Sam Mitchell (hamstring) and star forward Franklin (ankle) unavailable, Hawthorn banked on youthful inclusions Beau Muston, Jarryd Morton, Matt Suckling and Carl Peterson to lift the side. However, Peterson was only one to have an impact.

The Hawks face Richmond at the MCG next week.

West Coast       3.1   8.5   10.8    15.12 (102)
Hawthorn          3.1   5.4     9.7    14.10   (94)

GOALS
West Coast:  Kennedy 6, LeCras 4, Lynch 2, McKinley 2, Cox
Hawthorn: Roughead 6, Birchall 2, Whitecross 2, Young, Peterson, Muston, Morton
 
BEST
West Coast: Kennedy, Naitanui, McGinnity, Cox, LeCras, Priddis
Hawthorn: Lewis, Birchall, Guerra, Hodge, Peterson, Roughead

INJURIES
West Coast: S Selwood (hamstring) replaced in selected side by Dalziell
Hawthorn: Franklin (ankle) replaced in selected side by Lewis

Reports: C Bateman (Hawthorn) high contact on B Sheppard (2nd quarter)

Umpires: Vozzo, Grun, Pannell

Official crowd: 35,864 at Subiaco

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs