HAWTHORN’S bid for its 10th AFL premiership is alive after a thrilling come-from-behindthree-point elimination final win over
In what was a breathtaking finish to ahard-fought match the Hawks sealed the win in the final 10 seconds with LanceFranklin booting the winning goal – his seventh – after marking 50m out.
The Crows had led for nearly the entiregame, and had forfeited their lead midway through the final stanza after theHawks valiantly refused to give in.
Ultimately, it was a brave second term byHawthorn that kept it in the game after
They will now meet the loser of Sunday'sGeelong-Kangaroos clash in a semi-final next weekend.
Playing in their first final since 2001, itwas a hugely heroic effort by the Hawks, considering their finals campaign wasall but written off last weekend when they missed the chance to secure a topfour position following a 72-point loss to the Swans.
Shane Crawford was simply stunning for theHawks and led from the front with 33 disposals and a timely goal, and SamMitchell (29) and Brad Sewell (26) fought hard all afternoon while JarrydRoughead booted three goals to compliment
One of the most poignant moments of theafternoon came when outgoing captains Richie Vandenberg and Mark Ricciuto shookhands in the centre square for the coin toss. As the experienced pair engagedprior to the first bounce, they did so with the knowledge only one of themwould win an opportunity to play another game.
That right went to Vandenberg, who hadtearfully announced his retirement the day before the match. In comparison, Ricciutoquietly left the arena in a farewell unbefitting of such a great player.
Vandenberg wasn't going to die wondering inhis final game and dutifully accepted the challenge of curtailing AndrewMcLeod, while Ricciuto started deep and attracted the attention of CampbellBrown.
The young Hawthorn side had almost as manyfirst-time finalists as
As a result, there were many nervous Hawksduring the early stages of the game, which was reflected by the number ofshanked kicks and spilt marks in the opening term.
The Crows were composed and were out to athree-goal lead before 10 minutes were up, and although two goals to Rougheadsteadied the side, the margin was back out to 19 points at the first changewith
Injuries hit the Hawks in the second, andthey lost Luke Hodge (knee) and Chance Bateman (hamstring) within five minutesof each other. Although both returned to the field, their effectiveness was initiallylimited.
The Hawks strong football late in thesecond term got them within two goals after trailing by as much as 31 points.So convincing was their surge – orchestrated by three goals to Franklin – theCrows resorted to playing tempo football for the remaining three minutes.
Hawthorn trailed by two even goals at thelong break, and although the Crows emerged from the rooms so prematurely the LittleLeague was still in progress, the Hawks were on the scoreboard first.
As proceedings tightened up, goals becamehard to come by and even more valuable once obtained. The Hawks did well tostay within range of the Crows, as the intensity reached an uncanny level.
The players returned to their positions forthe deciding term with the Crows 14 points in front, as both sides got readyfor what would be the final quarter of football for one club in 2007.
At the 14-minute mark, the Hawks had bootedthree goals to one and the margin was two points. Seconds later,
While the lead swapped hands twice more, itwas the Hawks that held it when it mattered most.
HAWTHORN:4.3, 8.7, 10.10, 15.15 (105)
Goals:Hawthorn: Franklin 7, Roughead 3, Lewis, Brown, Bateman,Crawford, Young.
Best:Hawthorn: Crawford, Franklin, Roughead, Sewell,Hodge, Brown, Ladson, Birchall, Guerra.
Injuries:Hawthorn: McGlynn (adductor) out, replaced inselected side by Osborne, Hodge (knee), Bateman (hamstring)
Umpires: Kennedy, Allen,Chamberlain
Official crowd: 36,534 atTelstra Dome
