Australian Football

Match Report

Hawthorn will play in a third consecutive Grand Final after it fell across the line against Port Adelaide in a dramatic finish to Saturday's Second Preliminary Final at the MCG on Saturday. The Hawks were cruising comfortable towards the last Saturday in September, leading by 29 points with less than 10 minutes to play, but a late Power surge almost saw Port pip Hawthorn at the post. Ultimately, though, the Hawks held on to win by three points. It was Hawthorn's fourth consecutive Preliminary Final to be decided by less than a goal. The Hawks lost to Collingwood by three points in 2011, and defeated Adelaide and Geelong by five points in 2012 and 2013.

Port was left to rue a first quarter of dominance but missed opportunity. The Power did all the attacking in the first eight minutes of the match but could only convert that into a goal from Travis Boak and three behinds. The Hawks, meanwhile, made the most of their first two chances at scoring, with goals to Jarryd Roughead and Will Langford. Jared Polec and Brad Ebert then added further behinds for Port, and Hawthorn led 2.0 to 1.5 after 14 minutes.

Hawthorn then took its turn to miss a couple of shots, with behinds to Jonathon Ceglar and skipper Luke Hodge, before Angus Monfries kicked truly to give the Power back the lead. Another behind from Hawk Langford was followed by three more from Port, before Robbie Gray kicked the Power's third goal at the 28-minute mark. Polec rounded out the quarter with yet another minor score, and the wasteful Power led 3.9 to 2.3 at the first break. 

Matt White made it 3.10 at the beginning of the second term before the almost inevitable happened and Hawthorn started kicking goals. Jack Gunston scored the first of the quarter at the seven-minute mark and Taylor Duryea followed up with another four minutes later. Matt Suckling then gave the Hawks the lead with a goal at the 13-minute mark and the Hawks would go on to kick three more for the term, two of those to Roughead. Port responded with one each to Jay Schulz and Jake Neade but it was the Hawks by 11 points at the long break.

Robbie Gray brought the margin back to less than a goal with the first goal after half time but Hawthorn kicked five of the remaining seven goals of the third quarter - three of those to Roughead to lead by 23 points at the last change of ends. Gray repeated the dose, also kicking the first major of the last term, but when Isaac Smith and Gunston snared the next two, Hawthorn was out to a 29-point lead and had one foot in the Grand Final.

A sudden transformation then overtook the match. Port, renowned in 2014 for its barnstorming finishes, threw caution to the wind and began to run and carry the ball without fear. In response, the shellshocked Hawks virtually stopped to a walk. Monfries kicked the late charge off for the Power with a goal at the 19-minute mark and then Chad Wingard marked and goaled from the boundary two minutes later to make the difference 16 points. Jared Polec got in the act with a major at the 25-minute mark and when Monfries marked and goaled two minutes later, the difference was just four points with 2:40 still on the clock. Andrew Moore had a long shot from the boundary to give Port the lead but it fell short and was knocked through for a behind, making the difference three points. 

The last minute was as dramatic as one could ever hope to see in football. It was highlighted by a magnificent smother from Hawk skipper Hodge, a very unlucky free kick against Port's Tom Jonas and a potential free kick that could have been paid against Hawk Brian Lake on Port's 50-metre line but wasn't. Ultimately there was no further score and the siren sounded with Port in attack but Hawthorn three points ahead and into its third Grand Final in a row.

Roughead was outstanding with his six goals, while Hodge (10 marks, 27 disposals) and Will Langford (29 possessions) were heroic in the win. For the vanquished, Travis Boak (33 touches and seven tackles), Robbie Gray (25 possessions, three goals) and Brad Ebert (25 disposals, seven marks) could all hold their heads high.

The Hawks will meet Sydney in next week's "big dance", making it 18 Grand Finals in 54 seasons since their first in 1961. A win will give Hawthorn its 12th premiership. Port will be left to rue missed opportunities in front of goal - the Power had 29 scoring shots to Hawthorn's 22 - but have taken another significant step in just its second season with Ken Hinkley at the helm.

GOALS
Hawthorn: Roughead 6; Gunston, Smith 2; Hale, Langford, Suckling, Duryea, Hodge
Port Adelaide: Monfries 4; Gray 3; Neade, Wingard, Westhoff, Boak, Schulz, Polec

BEST - THE SUNDAY AGE
Hawthorn: Roughead, Langford, Hodge, Mitchell, Lewis, Hill, Suckling
Port Adelaide: Gray, Boak, Ebert, Monfries, Pittard, Polec

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Hawthorn: Roughead, Hodge, Mitchell, Langford, Smith, Hill, Stratton
Port Adelaide: Boak, Ebert, Gray, Hombsch, Jonas, Monfries

INJURIES
Hawthorn: Lewis (corked thigh)
Port Adelaide: Hombsch (concussion)

SUBSTITUTES
Hawthorn: Jordan Lewis (corked thigh) replaced by Jonathan Simpkin at three-quarter time
Port Adelaide: Jackson Trengove replaced by Andrew Moore three-quarter time

UMPIRES: Rosebury, Stevic, Schmitt

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Seven Network

COMMENTATORS: Brian Taylor, Luke Darcy, Matthew Richardson, Cameron Ling