Hawthorn: 2015 AFL Premiers

ALASTAIR Clarkson's Hawthorn team has irrefutably stamped itself as one of the greatest sides in VFL/AFL history, clinching its third consecutive premiership with a commanding 46-point win over West Coast in the hottest Grand Final on record.

After the Eagles kicked the opening goal of Saturday's game at the MCG, the Hawks took a stranglehold on the contest with nine straight goals to set up a 16.11 (107) to 8.13 (61) triumph on a windy day when the temperature rose to 31.3 degrees to surpass the previous Grand Final record of 30.7 in 1987.

The victory made Clarkson's 2013-15 Hawks just the fifth club to win three flags in a row, joining Carlton (1906-08), Collingwood (1927-30), Melbourne (1939-41 and 1955-57) and the Brisbane Lions (2001-03).

Clarkson is also now the Hawks' most successful coach, with Saturday's win his fourth premiership triumph (2008, 2013-15) and taking him past the three flags won by John Kennedy snr (1971, 1976, 1978) and Allan Jeans (1983, 1986, 1989).

Just three weeks after West Coast humbled them in the qualifying final, the Hawks turned the tables, rediscovering their trademark mix of 'unsociable' pressure and clinical ball movement that had deserted them at Domain Stadium three weeks ago.

The Hawks set their win up with a commanding first half when they regularly got over the back of Adam Simpson's vaunted 'web' defence to find open targets inside their forward 50.

They also forced West Coast into uncharacteristic mistakes with their relentless defensive intensity, while they were as accurate in front of goal as the Eagles were wasteful.

Cyril Rioli was the star, providing much of the spark on Hawthorn' s forward line, particularly in the first half. He finished two goals, four goal assists and 12 marks and was an extremely popular winner of the Norm Smith Medal.

Lucky 13 - Hawthorn's VFL/AFL premierships
Year    Grand Final    Norm Smith Medal
1961     Hawthorn 13.16 (94) d Footscray 7.9 (51)     Not awarded
1971     Hawthorn 12.10 (82) d St Kilda 11.9 (75)     Kelvin Moore* (Haw)
1976     Hawthorn 13.22 (100) d North Melbourne 10.10 (70)     John Hendrie* (Haw)
1978     Hawthorn 18.13 (121) d North Melbourne 15.13 (103)     Robert DePierdomenico* (Haw)
1983     Hawthorn 20.20 (140) d Essendon 8.9 (57)     Colin Robertson (Haw)
1986     Hawthorn 16.14 (110) d Carlton 9.14 (68)     Gary Ayres (Haw)
1988     Hawthorn 22.20 (152) d Melbourne 6.20 (56)     Gary Ayres (Haw)
1989     Hawthorn 21.18 (144) d Geelong 21.12 (138)     Gary Ablett (Geel)
1991     Hawthorn 20.19 (139) d West Coast 13.8 (86)     Paul Dear (Haw)
2008     Hawthorn 18.7 (115) d Geelong 11.23 (89)     Luke Hodge (Haw)
2013     Hawthorn 11.11 (77) d Fremantle 8.14 (62)     Brian Lake (Haw)
2014     Hawthorn 21.11 (137) d Sydney Swans 11.8 (74)     Luke Hodge (Haw)
2015     Hawthorn 16.11 (107) d West Coast 8.13 (61)     Cyril Rioli (Haw)
*Between 1965-78, 'Grand Final best on ground' was awarded before becoming the Norm Smith Medal in 1979

Jack Gunston made a seamless return from the ankle injury that had sidelined him since the qualifying final, kicking a game high four goals, while Sam Mitchell controlled the game in the midfield, winning an equal game-high 34 possessions that were delivered with his usual precision. The former Hawks skipper also had six clearances, four tackles and two goal assists.

Hard-running wingman Isaac Smith also hurt the Eagles on the scoreboard with three goals, while two-time Norm Smith medallist Luke Hodge (30 possessions) enjoyed another good Grand Final day, the highlight a banana off one step from the boundary line early in the second quarter.

James Frawley continued his strong form since his disappointing performance against the Eagles three weeks ago, keeping Coleman medallist Josh Kennedy goalless, while Brian Lake (11 marks) regularly short-circuited attacks with intercept marks and stopped Josh Hill from goaling early in the last quarter with a desperate smother.

After trailing by 44 points at the 14-minute mark of the second term, West Coast briefly threatened to get back into the game when they kicked the next three goals.

The first two came through Josh Hill and, after the half-time siren, Elliot Yeo.

Yeo's composed set shot from 40m cut the Hawks' lead to 31 points at the main break, and when Jack Darling kicked the opening goal of the second half West Coast was back within 24 points and you sensed, more importantly, back in the game.

But it quickly went south for the Eagles, best illustrated by Darling's dropped mark and subsequent fumble when a simple set shot was in the offing.

The Hawks whipped the ball out of their defensive 50 and Ryan Schoenmakers kicked truly at the other end, snuffing out any sense they might wilt in the unseasonable spring heat. Hawthorn kicked five of the next six goals to go into three-quarter time with an unassailable 50-point lead.

The final quarter was little more than a victory march for the Hawks, and the Eagles restored some respectability to the scoreline with the final three goals of the game.

The Eagles were attempting to become the first team to win the Grand Final after missing the previous year's finals since Geelong in 2007, and just the fourth team to do so since the competition went national in 1987 – the others being Essendon in 1993 and Adelaide in 1997.

Their endeavour could not be faulted but their ball use was well below their normal standards, especially in front of goal. For example, after holding their own in general play in the first quarter, they went into the break down by 19 points, thanks to their 1.5 return and the Hawks' 5.0.

Andrew Gaff (34 possessions) ran tirelessly in the midfield, Luke Shuey (26 possessions) tried hard but let himself down at times with his disposals and Sam Butler stood up in defence under the Hawks' constant barrages.

Ben McEvoy and Nic Naitanui face off in a ruck contest. Picture: AFL Media

Only Jock McHale's legendary Collingwood 'machine' teams now stand above Clarkson's Hawks with their League-record four consecutive premierships from 1927-30.

And just four coaches have won more flags than Clarkson – McHale (eight), Norm Smith (six), Jack Worrall and Frank 'Checker' Hughes (both five).

Seventeen Hawks played in all three of the 2013-15 flags – Luke Hodge, Sam Mitchell, Jarryd Roughead, Cyril Rioli, Jordan Lewis, Grant Birchall, Shaun Burgoyne, Josh Gibson, Brian Lake, Ben Stratton, Isaac Smith, Luke Breust, Paul Puopolo, David Hale, Liam Shiels, Jack Gunston and Bradley Hill.

Hodge, Mitchell, Roughead, Rioli, Lewis and Birchall have played in all four flags in the Clarkson era, while Burgoyne is also now a four-time premiership player, having played in Port's 2004 Grand Final win.



HAWTHORN           5.0  9.3  14.5  16.11 (107)
WEST COAST         1.5  3.8 5.9  8.13 (61)

GOALS
Hawthorn: Gunston 4, Smith 3, Rioli 2, Hodge, Roughead, Birchall, Schoenmakers, Hill, McEvoy, Suckling
West Coast: McGovern 2, Darling, Hill, Hutchings, LeCras, Shuey, Yeo

BEST
Hawthorn: Rioli, Mitchell, Smith, Hodge, Gunston, Burgoyne, Frawley
West Coast: Gaff, Shuey, Butler, Hutchings, Priddis

INJURIES
Hawthorn: Nil
West Coast: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
Hawthorn: David Hale replaced by Matt Suckling in the third quarter
West Coast: Callum Sinclair replaced by Matt Rosa in the third quarter

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Dalgleish, Rosebury, Stevic

Official crowd: 98,633 at MCG

Hawthorn: 2014 AFL Premiers

 

HAWTHORN has made a mockery of its pre-Grand Final underdog status to smash the Sydney Swans by 63 points at the MCG on Saturday and claim its 12th premiership.

After the Swans kicked two of the game's opening three goals, Hawthorn completely dominated the game, their 21.11 (137) to 11.8 (74) victory clinching back-to-back flags for just the second time in the club's history.

 

It was the Hawks' wise old heads who led the way, with skipper Luke Hodge, former skipper Sam Mitchell and vice-captain Jordan Lewis ensuring Hawthorn avenged its 2012 Grand Final loss to the Swans.

Click here for full match coverage

Although it was hard to split the three stars, Hodge edged his two long-term teammates for the Norm Smith Medal for the best player on the ground. Hodge polled 10 votes to win his second Norm Smith Medal, having also won in 2008, with Lewis and Mitchell each polling nine votes.

The Hawk skipper had 35 possessions and, as usual, did it all for the Hawks, cutting off Swans attacks at half-back, winning clearances in the midfield and drifting forward to kick two goals.

Lewis finished with a game-high 37 possessions and Mitchell had 33 as the Hawks' midfield dominated a Swans' on-ball division widely acknowledged as the best in the competition.

Hawthorn spearhead Jarryd Roughead kicked a game-high five goals to follow up his bag of six against Port Adelaide last Saturday, and, perhaps more satisfyingly, claimed bragging rights over good mate and former Hawk Lance Franklin. 

Franklin did his part for his new club with four goals, but was powerless to stop his former team's weight of dominance around the ground. 

Ten things we learned from the Grand Final

The Hawks' gamble on recalling Cyril Rioli for his first senior game since suffering a serious hamstring injury in round 15 paid off. The star forward had just nine possessions, but constantly harassed the Swans' defenders until he was substituted from the game early in the final term.

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson said after the game he had never envisaged his team winning so easily against the Swans.

"We've planned for a long time for this. I know that the game materialised in a manner that said everything worked perfectly for us today [but] not in our wildest dreams did we anticipate it was going to be a 10-goal victory for our side this year," Clarkson said.

 

"In actual fact, no one saw it coming in terms of that margin, and many didn't see it coming even in that result because we were the underdogs."

Nick Malceski, who is widely expected to leave the Swans in the free agency period that starts on Friday, was one of the Swans' better performers with 26 possessions.

Josh Kennedy (29 possessions) played a lone hand for the Swans in the midfield as their on-ball division lowered its colours for one of the few times this year.

McVeigh 'disgusted' by defeat

Swans coach John Longmire said he was disappointed his team hadn't given itself a chance of winning.

"We didn't apply the sort of pressure that we hoped to apply early, and we couldn't get it back," Longmire said.

"We didn't play the sort of football we wanted to. We didn't pressure the opposition when they had the ball, we couldn't get our hands on it.

"When we got our hands on it, we coughed it up and the opposition got it.

"We missed tackles and we were on the back foot from the first bounce.

"We were not able to wrest the momentum back at any stage. It was such a disappointing effort."

The Swans headed into Saturday's game as strong favourites after their dominant preliminary final win over North Melbourne and the Hawks' desperate three-point win over Port Adelaide.

However, the Hawks saved their 2014 best for last, stunning the Swans with suffocating pressure that forced the minor premier into a uncharacteristic slew of errors by hand and foot.

At kick-ins, the unlucky Swan with the ball in his hands often looked like a deer in the headlights and just as often coughed the ball straight up to the Hawks.

The Hawks, meanwhile, found time and space to slice the Swans apart with their unrivalled foot skills. And when they were not doing that, the likes of Bradley Hill and Liam Shiels were running the Swans ragged in open space.

In defence, last year's Norm Smith medallist Brian Lake was outstanding on Swans spearhead Kurt Tippett and Josh Gibson racked up 32 possessions.

The Hawks have now won three premierships since 2008, equalling Geelong's tally over the past decade. 

The Cats' 2007, 2009 and 2011 flags looked to have stamped them as the dominant team of the post-Brisbane Lions premiership era (2001-2003), but the Hawks (2008, 2012-13) now have a legitimate claim to sharing that title.

Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson is now equal with John Kennedy snr and Allan Jeans as the most successful Hawthorn premiership coach, with the trio each boasting three flags.

Since entering the VFL/AFL competition in 1925, the Hawks had previously won back-to-back flags just once, in 1988-89. 

The Swans started Saturday's game well enough and led by six points at the 13-minute mark of the first quarter.

But the Hawks took total control from there, slamming on the final four goals of the term to go into quarter-time 20 points in front.

The Hawks' dominance was reflected in the first-quarter tackle count (22-7), inside 50s (19-7) and uncontested possessions (69-48).

The Swans kicked the first goal of the second term through former Hawk Ben McGlynn to cut their deficit to 14 points.

But this proved a false dawn for Swans supporters as the Hawks piled on the next five goals, with Hodge's goal at the 16-minute mark of the second term putting Hawthorn up by 47 points.

The Swans then kicked consecutive goals for the first time in the game, through Adam Goodes and Franklin, to cut the Hawks' lead to 35 points at the 25-minute mark.

But when Roughead goaled less than three minutes later the Swans went into half-time 42 points down and had to engineer a comeback like Carlton's in the 1970 Grand Final to win.

But where the Blues were able to come back from 44 points down at the main break to beat Collingwood in 1970, the Hawks never allowed the Swans the faintest sniff of victory in the second half.

Grand thrashings: Biggest margins in VFL/AFL Grand Finals

Margin	Score	Year
119	Geelong 24.19 (163) d Port Adelaide 8.6 (44)	2007
96	Hawthorn 22.20 (152) d Melbourne 6.20 (56)	1988
83	Hawthorn 20.20 (140) d Essendon 8.9 (57)	1983
81	Richmond 23.21 (159) d Collingwood 9.24 (78)	1980
80	West Coast 20.23 (143) d Geelong 8.15 (63)	1994
78	Essendon 26.14 (170) d Hawthorn 14.8 (92)	1985
73	Essendon 18.17 (125) d Carlton 6.16 (52)	1949
73	Melbourne 17.19 (121) d Collingwood 6.12 (48)	1956
63	Essendon 22.18 (150) d Melbourne 13.9 (87)	1946
63	Hawthorn 21.11 (137) d Sydney Swans 11.8 (74)	2014

Will Langford celebrates with his teammates as Josh Kennedy contemplates defeat. Picture: AFL Media

SYDNEY SWANS                 2.3   5.3       8.5      11.8 (74)

HAWTHORN                         5.5   11.9     16.11   21.11 (137)

 

GOALS

Sydney Swans: Franklin 4, Goodes 2, Jack 2, Kennedy, McGlynn, Tippett

Hawthorn: Roughead 5, Breust 3, Langford 3, Gunston 2, Hodge 2, Burgoyne 2, Hale, Hill, Puopolo, Suckling 

BEST

Sydney Swans: Franklin, Malceski, Kennedy, Shaw, Goodes

Hawthorn: Hodge, Lewis, Mitchell, Roughead, Hill, Lake, Langford, Burgoyne

 

INJURIES

Sydney Swans: Jetta (concussion)

Hawthorn: Nil

 

SUBSTITUTES 

Sydney Swans: Jake Lloyd replaced by Craig Bird in the third quarter

Hawthorn: Cyril Rioli replaced by Taylor Duryea in the fourth quarter

 

Reports: Nil

 

Umpires: Stevic, Nicholls, Meredith

 

Official crowd: 99,454 at the MCG

 

 

 

Dayle Garlett: the new bad boy of the AFL?

HAWTHORN says it will provide the off-field support to give controversial recruit Dayle Garlett the chance to shine, but won't allow him to take any shortcuts.

The reigning premier took the biggest punt of the AFL national draft when it chose the wayward but sublimely-skilled Swan Districts player with pick 38.

Hawks' recruiting manager Graham Wright now hopes the selection will prove to be a bargain, given Garlett's undoubted talent that has often been overshadowed by erratic off-field behaviour.

"He has certainly been able to put a lot of controls around his life and from our perspective we have noticed that, and seen it," Wright said.

"We have had a lot of contact with him the last 12 months or so, even in the last two-and-a-half years back when he was eligible to be one of the 17-year-olds with GWS.

"We have followed him all the way through and we are very comfortable with the pick.

"For us, at 38, we felt it was the right pick at the right time and we were keen to give him an opportunity. Now it is what he does with that opportunity."

Dayle Garlett starred for Swan Districts after being overlooked in last year’s draft. Picture: Theo Fakos Source: News Corp Australia

Wright said the 20-year-old would join Hawthorn with "a clean slate", following his AFL reprieve after he was overlooked last season.

"I think Dayle should come in with a clean slate, like every player, and should be given every opportunity," Wright said.

"We will afford him that and I know our players will as well. We have got great structures around the club."

Garlett missed a meeting with Port Adelaide in the lead-up to this year's draft, but Wright denied he had missed one with Hawthorn.

He admitted there was a risk associated with the selection, but said the Hawks had been buoyed by Garlett's more settled off-field situation.

Garlett watched the draft unfold with his girlfriend from his manager Tim Galic's office in Perth - with the Hawks contacting him soon after.

"Everyone is in agreeance that he is a super talented player, but he has got to get in and work really hard," Wright said.

"He will be expected to do everything that every player does. There will be no shortcuts for him."

Dayle Garlett takes off in the 20m sprint at the draft combine. Picture: Colleen Petch Source: News Corp Australia

Garlett kicked 45 goals from 19 games with Swan Districts this season and finished in the top 10 of the Sandover Medal.

The Hawks were also delighted - and a little surprised - to be able to secure midfielder Billy Hartung with their first selection at pick 24 after he had been touted to go earlier.

It had considered James Sicily with pick 38 used on Garlett, but was pleased he was still available at pick 56.

"We were rapt with Billy Hartung with pick 24. (He) has such a big engine, he is quick and he uses the ball well," Wright said.

"We think he will complement our group well. We rated James (Sicily) highly. He is an exciting football talent, is very strong overhead and plays that high half forward role."

Wright said the Hawks were pleased to secure some midfield talent who will hopefully take over when the club's dominant, but now ageing, midfield undergoes more change over the coming years.

Hawthorn: 2013 AFL Premiers

HAWTHORN has won its 11th premiership, defeating Fremantle by 15 points in Saturday's tough and scrappy Grand Final at the MCG.

On a cool, wet and windy afternoon, the Hawks started with the sort of manic intensity for which the Dockers are renowned, and they led by 23 points at half-time after restricting their opponents to just one goal.

Freo surged back into the contest in the third quarter, closing to within three points, but Hawthorn held firm, winning 11.11 (77) to 8.14 (62).

Five-minute final: Hawks v Dockers

"It's really rewarding," victorious coach Alastair Clarkson said after the match. "It shows that we're a really strong footy club."

Hawthorn sealed its triumph by kicking the first three goals of the last quarter and opening a 31-point lead, which was enough to hold out a Dockers side that never gave up.

Click here for all the best match pics

"When you're playing quality sides, you've just got to take your chances when they come," Clarkson added.

"We stressed that to the players at three-quarter time, to try and take your chances early in the last quarter and put some scoreboard pressure on the Fremantle side."

"A couple of those early goals (in the last quarter) were really important for us to have that buffer."

'Recycled' Hawks rewarded

Fremantle will rue a horror day in front of the big sticks, wasting several easy chances throughout the game.

Gun midfielder Nat Fyfe was off target early, putting two gettable shots out on the full in the first quarter.

Small forward Hayden Ballantyne and skipper Matthew Pavlich then had chances to narrow the margin to two goals late in the final term, but both missed.

"I think the start will haunt us for a while, but it's a great lesson for our club," Freo coach Ross Lyon said.

"It's about the basics under pressure. Missed shots, at the end of the day, separate quality."

Hawthorn defender Brian Lake won the Norm Smith Medal after producing a masterful performance.

Forward Jack Gunston and backmen Luke Hodge and Grant Birchall were among the other heroes for the victors, who avenged their defeat at the hands of the Sydney Swans in last year's decider.

Every Hawthorn player rated

Gunston kicked three of Hawthorn's five goals in the first half and finished with four.

Lake did a superb job in restricting Pavlich to two third-quarter goals and one in the last.

In addition, Lake took a number of intercept marks, while Hodge and Birchall were rock solid across half-back.

Jordan Lewis had a huge second half in which he won a stack of the ball and curbed the influence of Fyfe, who was among the best players on the ground in the early stages.

Every Freo player rated

Along with Fyfe, midfielder David Mundy, defender Michael Johnson and tagger Ryan Crowley flew the flag for Fremantle, which was competing in its first Grand Final since joining the AFL in 1995.

As expected, Crowley picked up Sam Mitchell, and he managed to restrict the star Hawk to just six possessions in the first half and 12 for the game.

The victory secured Hawthorn its first premiership since 2008, and the team that beat the Dockers included nine members of the '08 side – Jarryd Roughead, Lewis, Mitchell, Brad Sewell, Birchall, Hodge, Brent Guerra, Lance Franklin and Cyril Rioli.

Midfielder Shaun Burgoyne, who played in Port Adelaide's 2004 flag, has also become a two-time premiership player.

Brian Lake looks for an option upfield while Chris Mayne tries to close him down. Picture: AFL Media

The win was sweet relief for Clarkson, whose coaching record at the club now reads: nine seasons, six finals series and two flags.

Bailey's sweet reward

It was similarly sweet for Lake, a veteran of 218 games, who played in three losing preliminary finals during his long stint with the Western Bulldogs.

"I have to thank Hawthorn for having the courage to pick me up," a beaming Lake said.

A win and then farewell for Buddy?

However, the result was another bitter pill for Lyon, who notched his third Grand Final defeat, having previously led St Kilda to a loss in the 2009 decider and a draw then a loss in 2010.

It was also another big blow for Freo defender Zac Dawson, who was at the Saints with Lyon during that period and was playing in his fourth Grand Final.

Similarly, Pavlich was hoping to win his first flag in his 291st game, but he will have to wait another year.

Despite all that, Lyon remained positive, and praised his players for their "their work ethic and their growth".

"There's a lot to like," he added. "We sit here really frustrated and disappointed that we weren't good enough to take an opportunity."

Fremantle's Nat Fyfe takes a strong mark in between a pair of Hawks on Saturday. Picture: AFL Media

HAWTHORN   2.3   5.5    8.8   11.11   (77)                  

FREMANTLE    0.3   1.6   6.10   8.14  (62)          

 

GOALS

Hawthorn: Gunston 4, Roughead 2, Franklin, Rioli, Smith, Breust, Hill

Fremantle: Pavlich 3, Walters 2, Mzungu, Mayne, Pearce

 

BEST 

Hawthorn: Lake, Gunston, Lewis, Rioli, Hodge, Birchall

Fremantle: Mundy, Fyfe, Crowley, Johnson, Barlow

 

INJURIES 

Hawthorn: Nil

Fremantle: Nil

 

SUBSTITUTES

Hawthorn: Jonathan Simpkin replaced Max Bailey at three-quarter-time

Fremantle: Lachie Neale replaced Zac Clarke in the fourth quarter

 

Reports: Nil

 

Umpires: Rosebury, Nicholls, Meredith

 

Official crowd: 100,007 at the MCG

2013 AFL Grand Final: Hawthorn vs. Fremantle

"What curse?'' The man who subjected his club to five years of torment consigned the Kennett curse to history on Saturday morning.

Jeff Kennett, the former Hawthorn president and Victorian premier, cut a tortured figure at the MCG on Friday night as the Hawks overcame a 20-point deficit at three-quarter-time to beat the Cats by five.

For all the protestations that this plague on the house of Hawthorn was a figment of the media's imagination, Alastair Clarkson and Luke Hodge and their team could have done without it.

Kennett fatefully told the ABC's Offsiders show after Hawthorn's 2008 grand final triumph over the Cats: ''What they don't have, I think, is the quality of some of our players; they don't have the psychological drive we have. We've beaten Geelong when it matters.''

The Cats made a pact never to lose to Hawthorn again. Incidentally, the man who made the pact public, Paul Chapman, still has not lost to the Hawks as he missed the preliminary final.

With the hoodoo buried, thanks to a rampant performance from Sam Mitchell and late goals from Bradley Hill, Jack Gunston and Shaun Burgoyne, Kennett could finally declare the curse ''done and dusted''.

''It was probably a silly comment at the time that developed legs,'' Kennett said on ABC Radio on Saturday. ''I think I said at the time that we're always there in games when it mattered, and the ones we lost along the way were only foreplay. Last night was a serious game. The comments I made after our success in '08 have developed a life of their own.''

He was unrepentant. ''It's added colour to the game and added colour to the competition. It's now, in terms of its intent gone, and it will be absent from future clashes between these two wonderful clubs and that is highly appropriate.''

Hodge has never believed in a curse - ''We believe Geelong have been too good for us in the past'' - but expressed a simple wish for grand final week. ''I think everyone is hoping Jeff does keep quiet.''

Hawthorn president Andrew Newbold said he had always had belief in his players.

Newbold took over the presidency two years ago from Kennett, but after the win, when asked if he planned to speak to Kennett, Newbold smiled and replied: ''I never acknowledged the curse. That's you blokes [media], so you'd better call him, not me.''

Newbold admitted he felt flat at three-quarter-time, when Geelong had a game-high lead of 20 points, but the last quarter capped off an all-time great AFL final.

''How gutsy the boys were, that was right up there,'' he said. ''You win games sometimes when you play pretty football - we didn't play pretty football today. But it was outstanding just in terms of our endeavour and basically just not giving up.

''Eventually Geelong succumbed and we put our noses in front.

''Today's not the scalp - next week's the scalp,'' Newbold said. ''As a club, obviously, [there's] a lot of emotion winning a close game like that. But it's quickly refocusing on the job that has to be done next week. There's no use getting too excited this week.''

Hawthorn players have every right to be nervous after Fremantle produced one of the best halves of pressure football to beat Sydney by 25 points in Saturday night's preliminary final at Patersons Stadium.

The Dockers booted five unanswered goals in the second quarter to set up the 14.15 (99) to 11.8 (74) win, with the triumph booking their place in next Saturday's AFL grand final against Hawthorn.

The only concerns for Fremantle are the fitness of defenders Luke McPharlin (adductor) and Michael Johnson (calf).

Sydney has built its reputation on their ability to thrive in the tight, uncompromising clinches of finals football 

But it looked a shadow of the unit that won last year's flag, with Fremantle's unrelenting pressure proving the difference in the first half.

The second term was particularly brutal as Sydney struggled to even gain possession of the ball.

When the Swans did get their rare chances, they turned the ball over more often than not.

If it wasn't actual pressure forcing turnovers, it was inferred pressure.

Such was Fremantle's dominance, it took Sydney 28 minutes to have its first disposal inside its forward-50m for the term.

Even that came to nothing, with Jesse White spraying his 48m set shot.

By contrast, the Dockers booted 5.1 for the quarter as they dominated every facet of the game.

The first term was a similar tale - except for Fremantle's finishing.

The Dockers booted a wayward 2.6 from set shots as Matthew Pavlich, Michael Walters, Chris Mayne and Hayden Ballantyne all missed shots they would normally nail.

The 43,249 sellout crowd roared its approval as Fremantle headed into the half-time break with a commanding 39-point lead.

Sydney launched a mini fightback early in the third term, booting three of the first five goals as Fremantle displayed some nerves for the first time in the match.

That was best illustrated by forward Mayne, who was all alone in the goalsquare when he dropped a simple chest mark and fumbled the ball over the line.

But substitute Lachie Neale eased any fears of a choke when he sold the dummy to a Swans defender before drilling a running goal from 40m.

And when Nat Fyfe nailed a goal a minute later, it was game over as Fremantle went into three-quarter time with a 43-point lead.

"It's what we play for to get to this position," Fremantle skipper Pavlich said.

"It's something special. It's something to soak up right now. We'll enjoy the victory for five minutes.

"It's taken a lot of hard work to get to this point."

The Swans added some respectability to the scoreboard with a six-goal final quarter, but that was all in junk time when the game was over.

Sydney's star-studded midfield was supposed to be their strength.

But it was Fremantle's on-ballers who shone, with David Mundy and Fyfe starring.

Michael Walters did the damage up forward with three goals, while Pavlich was influential early.

All-Australian Swans midfielder Kieren Jack was held to just 11 possessions by master tagger Ryan Crowley, who tallied 22 disposals himself and also kicked a goal.

Sydney had few winners on the park.

In the end, their heavy injury toll caught up with them.

With no Adam Goodes, Sam Reid, Kurt Tippett, Rhyce Shaw and Tom Mitchell to call upon, the Swans had no answers to Fremantle's onslaught.

Fremantle's 19-year history has been littered with disappointment and failure.

But Ross Lyon has inspired a cultural shift since taking over as coach two years ago.

In yesteryear, success was craved.

Now it's expected.

Hawthorn had to fight hard to get over Geelong by five points in Friday night's preliminary final.

But they're going to have to produce something even better if they are to win their first flag since 2008.

Hawthorn Hawks: 2013 AFL Minor Premiers

Forget Buddy's big decision. This weekend is all about the Buddy bump after Hawthorn superstar Lance Franklin put his AFL finals campaign in jeopardy during Friday night's 12-point win over Sydney at ANZ Stadium.

The 17.10 (112) to 16.4 (100) victory ensured the Hawks will finish atop the ladder and host the Swans in a qualifying final next Friday night at the MCG.

Jarryd Roughead kicked four goals to put one hand on the Coleman medal and Sam Mitchell was at his indomitable best, but in terms of next month nothing mattered more than a single undisciplined act from Franklin.

There's every chance the talented 26-year-old will be suspended for at least one match after being reported for making contact with Nick Malceski's head in the second quarter.

A 2012 rule change means the key forward has no carry over points despite being suspended seven times, but his bump was late and came after Malceski kicked the ball.

Several Swans rushed to remonstrate with Franklin, who is believed to be weighing up a $10-12 million Greater Western Sydney offer and has put contract talks on hold until the end of the season.

Malceski left the field groggy and was substituted out of the game in the final quarter.

The Swans' medical report will help shape the verdict of the match review panel, who face a tough ask in determining if the bump was negligent or reckless.

Regardless, Franklin's actions were unnecessary and came over two years after he vowed to wipe the bump from his repertoire.

'I've just got to take it out of my game. I'm missing games because of that,' Franklin said of his 2011 one-match suspension for a high bump on Gold Coast's Maverick Weller.

Franklin kicked two goals on Friday night, with Roughead starring in the visitors' come-from-behind win.
Roughead now has 68 goals for the season, with second-placed Travis Cloke now seven behind on the AFL's goal-kicking table.

Sydney led for most of the night after Jesse White kicked the game's opening goal, and were up by 26 points in the second quarter.

Fittingly, it was Roughead who finally gave the Hawks the lead in the third minute of the final term when he popped through his third goal.

The reigning premiers, who will enter September with one win from their past four starts, fought hard in the final term but never recovered from the Hawks' final-quarter blitz of five goals in 13 minutes.

The undermanned Swans, minus nine of their premiership 22 from last year's grand final between the two sides, were further weakened by the late withdrawal of star recruit Kurt Tippett due to a tight hamstring.

2012 AFL Finals Series: Hawthorn vs. Adelaide

The depleted Adelaide Crows are unsure who to play on Hawthorn star Lance Franklin in the preliminary final

• Nick Smart 
• From:Herald Sun 
• September 15, 2012 12:47PM

COME AT ME- LANCE FRANKLIN IS PROVIDING ADELAIDE WITH A SERIOUS DILEMMA AHEAD OF THE PRELIMINARY FINAL.HERALD SUN

INJURY-HIT Adelaide will consider throwing a young defender with only two games to his name this year on Hawthorn superstar Lance Franklin in the preliminary final.

ADELAIDE MAY LOOK TO DEFENDER LUKE THOMPSON TO STOP HAWTHORN SUPERSTAR LANCE FRANKLIN. GETTY IMAGES

"(Andy) Otten (192cm) is another player who could certainly come back and play on a tall.
The Crows have been rocked by injury, although forward Jared Petrenko is still considered a chance to play despite his tears at the final siren on Friday night after hurting his shoulder.

Daniel Talia is gone and Sam Shaw has done his hamstring, which has left very little in the pantry with Ben Rutten not believed to have the pace to go with Franklin.

Adelaide assistant coach Dean Bailey yesterday threw up Luke Thompson, who stands 194cm and played just his second senior game for the year on Friday night.

"We have lost young Shaw, the options are you have Truck (Rutten) down there and Luke Thompson - a young defender who in his second game I thought played well," Bailey told SEN Radio.

"Because we've lost Talia, who is probably our No.1 key defender, we are going to have to mix and match a bit."

The former Melbourne coach said cutting the supply to Franklin will be the best way of stopping Franklin.

"You don't want to leave your backs one on one when you're playing on someone like Buddy," he said.

"You've got to have help somewhere else to come from.

"But we don't want too many blokes behind the ball so we're kicking it back to them, so there is a delicate time of when you can the extra player back."

The good news for Adelaide is Petrenko may be a shock selection against the Hawks, a day after believing his season was over after injuring his shoulder in the final minutes against Fremantle.

"I'm not sure whether it popped out and then popped straight back in," Bailey said.

"After the game he was obviously very disappointed.

"But post-game when he had it taped up and iced up, he seemed to be a little bit more understanding of it.

"So I don't know how bad it is today - those things will probably wait until Monday."

Bailey was hopeful the 22-year-old would get up for the preliminary final.

"Sometimes in those situations when you stretch the ligaments, you can tape it and play," he said.

"He is a seriously tough competitor, so you never know - he might just find a way to turn up next week.

"Right at the end of the game was disappointing for him - that was the shock factor for him."

The Crows won their way through to the preliminary final despite a lower than expected crowd at AAMI Stadium on Friday night.

Over 44,000 attended the qualifying final the previous week, but they could manage only 31,000 against Fremantle.

Higher ticket prices have been cited as a reason, but the AFL said today they did not believe that was the reason.

Bailey was left scratching his head as well.

"I really don't know...(if it is because of) ticket prices, I'm unaware of that," he said.

Hawks are Adelaide's last hurrah

Rohan Connolly
Published: September 16, 2012 - 11:04AM

While they might have finished the regular season first and second on the ladder, the first two weeks of finals have managed from a perception point of view to make that gap seem a lot larger.SOME preliminary finals shape as clashes of titans, others more like a David and Goliath affair. It's fair to say Saturday's Hawthorn-Adelaide clash falls into the latter category.

Hawthorn is now a very warm flag favourite, at the peak of its powers and with close to a full list from which to choose as it tackles the two victories still required to deliver an 11th premiership.

The Crows, in contrast, have had trouble adapting to the greater intensity of September, particularly early, and having lost first Daniel Talia and now Jared Petrenko and Sam Shaw, have some serious personnel issues.

A comfortable win to the Hawks is already being widely anticipated. A win for Adelaide would be one of the bigger upsets preliminary final weekend has seen.

HISTORY LESSON

Adelaide doesn't play at the MCG often, and when it does, not so well. The Crows' win over Melbourne three weeks ago was its first on the ground in three years and in seven attempts. Hawthorn loves the 'G, having won 10 of its past dozen outings.

The recent history between these two doesn't provide much encouragement for the visitors, either. Though they've met only once this season, just on five months ago, back in round three, Hawthorn romped home by 56 points, by some margin Adelaide's heaviest defeat this season.

The Hawks racked up 21 goals that afternoon, shared among 13 goalkickers, had an outstanding defender in Josh Gibson, and got great contributions not only from their biggest names but the likes of Liam Shiels, Matt Suckling and Luke Breust.

Adelaide stayed competitive for a time, but in echoes of its loss to Sydney in the qualifying final, continued to burn what scoring chances came its way, Kurt Tippett a main offender, and Taylor Walker held goalless.

X FACTOR

No real surprise here. It's Hawthorn dynamo Cyril Rioli who has the greatest potential to shape, or more likely, break open the game.

The super-quick Hawk with amazing reflexes and vision is a tackling machine, who this season had nearly twice as many as just about any other forward in the competition. He's the key to his side's defensive pressure and capacity to lock the ball in its scoring zone.

And as he's proved time and time again, he's a player capable of changing the course of a game with either the chasing down of an opponent in space, or creating a goal for himself or a teammate out of seemingly nothing. Rioli will do a lot more with fewer numbers than any other player on Saturday.

TACTICS

Hawthorn's modus operandi is well-known. The Hawks not only win the ball more than just about anyone, but use it much better, their army of long and precise kicks lethal by foot and able to pick their way through the tightest press or zone.

Hawthorn ranks No. 1 in the AFL for effective kicks, and its ability to patiently pick out targets in the clear is underlined by its top ranking for uncontested possessions and uncontested marks.

But the Hawks have also got their hard game back with a vengeance this year, finishing the regular season in joint first with Adelaide for wins at the clearances. Their scoring capacity is also greater with less dependence upon key targets such as Lance Franklin and Jarryd Roughead, Jack Gunston an important addition to the mix besides Breust's development and the likes of Paul Puopolo.

Adelaide has been terrific in the contested ball, but has struggled at the pointy end of the season to convert that supply into meaningful attack, ranked 17th for uncontested possession. They rely on clean and efficient delivery to key forwards Walker and Tippett, and under more pressure and opponents who have been able to clog their forward 50, have tended to bomb the ball inside 50, making scoring a laborious exercise.

Hawthorn will be doing its utmost to slow Adelaide down, close its space and enable key defender Ryan Schoenmakers plenty of time and support from the likes of Gibson to make life as difficult as possible for the Crows' key targets.

And it's when the ball rebounds from the Adelaide defence that the fun and games might start, Franklin set for a real pay day if he can find room against a back line that, without Talia and Shaw, has Ben Rutten to hold the fort, but seemingly not a lot else.

PREDICTION

This has been a wonderful year for Adelaide and its first-year coach, Brenton Sanderson, whatever happens on Saturday, the Crows climbing from 14th to the top four. But this assignment looks a bridge too far. Hawthorn is a genuine heavyweight in near peak form, virtually at full strength and on its own patch.

It would take something truly remarkable for Adelaide to stop the Hawks' juggernaut now.

Hawthorn by 36 points.

This story was found at: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/hawks-are-adelaides-last-hurrah-20120915-25ze7.html