Watch Alastair Clarkson and Brad Sewell's press conference above.

HAWTHORN coach Alastair Clarkson was full of praise for the game-saving efforts of Ben Stratton and Cyril Rioli during the closing stages of his team's five-point preliminary final win over Adelaide at the MCG.

"Big games require some pretty special moments sometimes," a relieved Clarkson said after the game. "And they were pivotal."

With the Hawks leading by just four points late in the last quarter, Stratton laid a tremendous tackle on Patrick Dangerfield, which prevented the Crows star from having a shot at goal.

Earlier, after Hawthorn had slipped one point behind with five minutes remaining, Rioli had gone forward, taken a great pack, then regained the lead for the Hawks with an accurate set shot.

That was among a number of brilliant contributions from Rioli during the gripping final term.

"You just come to expect that from players who have been doing those things for the whole year. It was really pleasing ... those two guys in particular," Clarkson said.

"But our whole team handed the last couple of minutes of the game pretty well.

"We need guys stepping up at crucial times and both those boys did that at the crucial moment."

One player who lost his cool during the frantic finish was Ryan Schoenmakers.

The key defender, who had been well beaten by Crows forward Kurt Tippett, was involved in an altercation that had Clarkson tearing his hair out.

A free kick had been paid against Adelaide's Jason Porplyzia for coat-hangering David Hale, but Schoenmakers then flattened Porplyzia in retaliation and the free-kick was reversed.

Porplyzia then went back and slotted his shot at goal from 45m out, narrowing the margin the five points.

"You like your players looking after your teammates, and he was trying to do that," Clarkson said.

"I'm sure he's pleased we won. It would have been horrendous if we'd lost the game from an incident like that.

"Hale was obviously harshly dealt with after he went for that mark, so it was good for a teammate to fly the flag for him.

"But anyway ... we move on."

Another sense of frustration for Clarkson was Hawthorn's inaccuracy - the Hawks won the inside-50 count 64 to 38, but kicked poorly at goal.

Lance Franklin (3.5 and one out on the full), Rioli (2.3), Luke Breust (2.3) and Jarryd Roughead (0.2) were the chief offenders.

"We perhaps just didn't get the type of conversion we would've liked in the first quarter to put some genuine scoreboard pressure on Adelaide," Clarkson said.

"That just made it a real tight contest from the get-go.

"There's been plenty of times in games where poor kicking actually costs you, and we're lucky tonight that it didn't.

"We only just across the line, but we'll hopefully get that conversion right this week.

"We've only got one more crack at it, haven't we? So we need to get it right this week."

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