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A smashing game in the end, with Port making a late charge but falling devastatingly short – 97-94 the final score in Hawthorn’s favour, and the Hawks are through to the Grand Final to face Sydney in what will be a rematch of the 2012 Decider.
Jarryd Roughead was phenomenal for the Hawks, kicking six goals and was just about best on ground. The old heads Luke Hodge and Sam Mitchell were great too, while youngster Will Langford picked up 29 touches and kicked a goal.
For the Power Travis Boak led from the front, kicking the first goal of the game and collecting a match-high 33 disposals. Robbie Gray kicked three goals, Chad Wingard got involved late, and Angus Monfries was a big figure in their last-gasp attempt to snatch the win with four goals, two in the last term.
At the end of the day, it was a case of close but not close enough for the Power – they looked well placed to push one step further in 2015, but they are done this year.
Worth noting that the Hawks have now played four consecutive Preliminary Finals, and all four of them have been decided by less than a goal.
All eyes now on a Grand Final that will well and truly be the best two teams of the year in Hawthorn and Sydney.
Jordan Lewis part of the fallout – he took a knock to his knee in the second term and was subbed out late in the third term. He’s in some doubt for whether or not he’ll be fit for the Grand Final.
FINAL SCORE:
HAWTHORN 15.7 (97)
PORT ADELAIDE 13.16 (94)
There’s only room for one team to progress as the Hawthorn Hawks go to battle against the Port Adelaide Power at the MCG on Saturday afternoon in a sudden-death preliminary final. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 4:45pm (AEST).
After a thrilling second half comeback last week that saw them knock-out Fremantle in straight sets, Power are through to their first preliminary final since 2007.
Hawthorn on the other hand are contesting their fourth consecutive preliminary final, and, if they win, it will mark three consecutive Grand Final appearances.
It’s very much a battle of the old and the new – the Hawks boast one of the most experienced sides in the competition, while the Power still consider themselves one of the youngest.
This has all the makings of an epic match. These teams boast the two most potent forward lines in the league, and they rank first and second for goals kicked per game this year.
Hawthorn may have lost superstar forward Lance Franklin in the off-season but their forward line is functioning as well as ever. Their famed three-pronged attack consists of Jarryd Roughead (64 goals, three per game) Jack Gunston (54 goals, 2.6 per game) and Luke Breust (54 goals, 2.3 per game).
It’s a forward line that boasts two All-Australians and is only the only one in the league to have three players who’ve kicked 50+ goals in the season.
While the Hawks are great with the smalls and talls, it’s the mid-sized forwards who dominate for Port Adelaide.
Jay Schulz (65 goals, 2.7 per game) is the spearhead of the attack, but it’s the likes of Robbie Gray (39 goals, 1.6 per game) and Chad Wingard (42 goals, 1.8 per game) that can turn a match, as they did last week.
Finishing ability is nothing if you can’t get the ball forward however, and that’s where the game will be won or lost. In addition to being the top two for goals kicked per game, these two teams are also the top two for clearances per game, and are first and third for inside 50s per game.
In this area there is an almost negligible difference – the Hawks average 0.2 clearances more per game than Port Adelaide do, and Port average one inside 50 more than Hawthorn per game.
Both forward lines are more than capable of kicking a winning total so it will become a matter of who can drive the ball forward. With both clubs so even statistically, it may come down to who can cope best with the pressure on the day.
The Hawks have substantially more finals experience under their belt and this gives them an edge. They’ve also had a week’s rest, and are playing at home.
The Power are up against it in this respect – they’re playing their second consecutive game on the road, and had an exhausting encounter against Fremantle last week. However, they’ve had two great wins in the past fortnight, which will give them great momentum.
Port Adelaide have made no changes to their side from the one that defeat Fremantle last week. Hawthorn have made only one change, and it is a heartbreaker – veteran Brad Sewell has been dropped for ‘team balance’, making way for Matt Suckling.
Sewell will join Cyril Rioli and Ben McEvoy in the Box Hill Hawks VFL grand final, where the three will be desperate to impress, given the chance their side will be going to the AFL Grand Final next weekend.
Prediction
Make no mistake, Port Adelaide are in this one right up to their necks.
They have a team bursting with talent and immense self-belief, and I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see them get up and cause a major upset.
That said, I’ll tip the Hawks on this one – they have the experience and the talent to get the job done, plus they are at home and have an extra week’s rest. I think it’ll go close either way.
Hawthorn by 12 points.