HAWTHORN has scraped through to Saturday's Grand Final against the Sydney Swans with a desperate five-point win over Adelaide at the MCG on Saturday night.
Without their skipper Luke Hodge, who was a late withdrawal with what the club said was a bout of gastro, the flag favourites survived a massive scare, prevailing 13.19 (97) to 14.8 (92).
The Crows looked a chance to cause the boilover of the season when Graham Johncock put them one point up by slotting a brilliant running goal 20 minutes into the last quarter.
Adelaide had goaled a minute earlier when a free kick against Jason Porplyzia for coat-hangering David Hale was reversed after Ryan Schoenmakers flattened Porplyzia in retaliation.
Two late goals from Cyril Rioli and Lance Franklin then gave Hawthorn an 11-point lead, before Taylor Walker dragged the Crows within five points with 16 seconds remaining in the match.
But the Hawks won the final centre clearance to book their first Grand Final appearance since their 2008 victory over Geelong.
Midfielders Sam Mitchell (29 possessions) and Brad Sewell (28) led the way for the winners.
Franklin, who had an entertaining battle with Crows backman Ben Rutten, finished with 3.5, while Rioli and Luke Breust both finished with an equally wayward haul of 2.3.
HAWTHORN 2.6 5.10 11.14 13.19 (97)
ADELAIDE 4.1 7.3 10.4 14.8 (92)
GOALS
Hawthorn: Franklin 3, Breust 2, Gunston 2, Rioli 2, Young, Shiels, Burgoyne, Suckling
Adelaide: Tippett 4, Walker 4, Henderson, Sloane, Smith, van Berlo, Porplyzia, Johncock
BEST
Hawthorn: Sewell, Rioli, Mitchell, Breust, Lewis, Birchall, Franklin, Young
Adelaide: Tippett, Dangerfield, Thompson, Porplyzia, Sloane, Vince, Douglas
INJURIES
Hawthorn: Luke Hodge (illness) replaced in the selected team by Tom Murphy
Adelaide: TBC
SUBSTITUTES
Hawthorn: Paul Puopolo replaced by Shane Savage at three-quarter time
Adelaide: Jared Petrenko replaced by Graham Johncock in the third quarter
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Donlon, Nicholls, McInerney
Official crowd: 69, 146 at the MCG
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs
