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Hawthorn have set up a dream AFL grand final against their former favourite son Lance Franklin after hanging on for a three-point win over a gallant Port Adelaide in a dramatic preliminary final at the MCG.
And the man who did as much as anyone to ensure the Hawks a spot in a third straight decider was Franklin’s great mate and long-time key forward partner Jarryd Roughead, who booted six goals in the 15.7 (97) to 13.16 (94) victory.
Less than 24 hours after Sydney moved into the decider with a 71-point demolition job on North Melbourne, the Hawks were made to work much harder by a Port side who had stormed into the penultimate week of the playoffs with back-to-back finals wins over Richmond and Fremantle.
Hawthorn looked home when they led by 29 points midway through the final quarter, only for the Power to boot the last four goals of the game and set up a grandstand finish.
The Hawks will now shoot for their 12th premiership next Saturday in a repeat of the 2012 decider which the Swans won by 10 points.
Port Adelaide dominated the early going before a crowd of 74,856 on Saturday and only inaccuracy in front of goal prevented them from leading by more than 12 points at the first change.
Full-forward Jay Schulz – normally one of the most reliable sharp-shooters in the competition – was the chief offender with three misses from as many shots.
The Hawks got back on terms with a couple of slices of good fortune.
Jack Gunston’s first kick of the match was a free kick paid 70 metres off the ball, which he duly converted for a goal.
Tough nut Taylor Duryea was then the beneficiary of a generous 50m penalty after Jared Polec knocked the ball from his hands.
Duryea’s goal from close range got the Hawks back within a point.
Schulz and livewire Jake Neade responded at the other end for Port, only for Hawthorn to wrest back an 11-point halftime lead with two late goals from Roughead and a characteristic flying left-footed effort from Isaac Smith.
Roughead was the dominant figure on the ground with three goals in the third term, including a potential game-breaker in the final minute.
But under coach Ken Hinkley and fitness boss Darren Burgess, the Power have earned a deserved reputation as the best final-quarter team in the competition, meaning the Hawks’ three-quarter time lead of 23 points was well short of a match-winning one.
And so it proved, with Angus Monfries (two), Chad Wingard and Polec kicking the last four goals of the match as the Power came up just short of what would have been an unforgettable triumph.
Hawthorn must now decide whether to find a spot in their grand final team for brilliant forward Cyril Rioli, who has finally overcome a hamstring injury suffered in round 15 and is scheduled to play in the VFL on Sunday.
But one person who will definitely be there will be Sydney’s Franklin, gunning to become the first player in 89 years to win back-to-back VFL/AFL premierships with different clubs.
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