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Hawthorn 2.0 7.6 11.8 17.14 (116)
Geelong 9.3 10.5 14.9 18.10 (118)
 
Goals: Hawthorn - Gunston 4, Breust 2, Burgoyne 2, Puopolo 2, Rioli 2, Hale, Lewis, Roughead, Sewell, Whitecross
Geelong - Hawkins 6, Chapman 4, Duncan 2, Johnson 2, Christensen, Mackie, Walker, Podsiadly

Best: Hawthorn - Mitchell, Rioli, Stratton, Gunston, Breust, Burgoyne, Hale, Sewell
Geelong - Hawkins, Johnson, Selwood, Kelly, Stephenson, Chapman, Lonergan, Taylor

Crowd: 65,287 at the MCG

So close yet so far - Hawthorn’s incredible fight back on Friday night fell two points short as Geelong found a way to win another nail biter against the Hawks.

In a blistering opening term, the Cats built what, in most cases would have been a match winning lead in the first term - kicking nine first quarter goals to two to take a 45-point lead into the first change.

Everything the Cats touched turned to gold in the first quarter as they completely outplayed Hawthorn. The Cats were harder at the footy and the man and, the pressure Geelong put on the Hawks forced some uncharacteristic errors.

Geelong were able to find loose players with ease, as their quick and precise ball movement meant the Hawks couldn’t get close enough to employ their trademark pressure. The Cats had 62 uncontested possessions in the first term, with the Hawks able to lay just five tackles - an alarmingly low number for Coach Alastair Clarkson given the Hawks are the number one tackling side in the competition.

The Cats had 48 effective kicks at 80 per cent efficiency, a massive 19 inside 50s and took seven marks within scoring range. Those numbers compared with Hawthorn’s 23 effective kicks, 54 per cent kicking efficiency, nine inside 50s and zero marks inside their forward 50. It was little wonder why the Cats held a 45-point lead at quarter time.

As soon as the ball was bounced to start the second term, however, Hawthorn’s intensity was up, and more importantly, the Hawks got their hands on the footy. Geelong booted the first goal of the second term to take a 51-point lead, but from there, it was all Hawthorn.

Alastair Clarkson decided to go man-on-man, backing his players in to win vital contests. That tactical change proved pivotal as the Cats were no longer afforded space and the Hawks were able to force turnovers through incessant pressure.

Grant Birchall, Sam Mitchell, Cyril Rioli and Jarryd Roughead’s impact in the middle sparked the Hawks revival. There was pressure, there was precise ball movement, there was attack and there was the unrelenting desire to win the football that Hawks fans had grown accustomed over the last two months.

The Hawks laid a phenomenal 28 tackles in the second term, had 12 clearances to six, 36 effective kicks to 23, and took five marks inside forward 50 to two. The crowd too had an impact, roaring every chase, tackle and goal to help spur on the Hawks.

Incredibly, with two quick goals thanks to the brilliance of Cyril Rioli, the Hawks trailed by just 17 points at half time.

A see-sawing third quarter saw both sides boot four goals, as the Cats refused to allow the Hawks to get within three goals. The class of Geelong and the class of Hawthorn had the teams butting heads, with both refusing to yield.

As Geelong turned for home with a 19-point margin in their pocket, no one could have predicted the drama that was about to unfold.

It was a slick Jarryd Roughead handpass that set up a Shaun Burgoyne goal then Matt Suckling and Isaac Smith daring to take on the Cats through the middle that brought the Hawks within seven points. The Cats responded, but when Brendan Whitecross tied the scores and Brad Sewell put the Hawks in front, it was hard to see the Hawks falling short.

In the end, despite Hawthorn’s best efforts, it was the dominance of Tom Hawkins up forward for Geelong and the ability of the Cats to stay composed and stick to their game plan that was the difference. The Cats took 16 marks inside their 50, compared to Hawthorn’s nine - including the fateful Tom Hawkins mark with seconds remaining.

The Hawks finished the game with 60 ineffective kicks to Geelong’s 44 - when you play a team like Geelong, you can’t afford to waste the football. Consequently, Hawthorn’s kicking efficiency was down, going at 64.6 per cent compared to Geelong’s 71.1 per cent.

Those numbers reveal that the Cats almost beat the Hawks at their own game, pressuring their opponents, forcing a turnover then using the ball precisely with short, quick kicks to find a target one-on-one inside 50.

What Alastair Clarkson said: “We were pleased with the resilience of our group that we fought back and got ourselves back into the contest.

“From that position, we probably should have won the game but just lacked a little bit of composure in the last part of the game.

“We live and learn the hard way unfortunately.”

What Luke Hodge said: “To give a team like Geelong a 50-odd point head start - the fight from the boys to come back (was good), but to give a team like that a head start was disappointing.