In a game of wild ebbs and flows, it was the Hawks finding something in the last quarter, after it appeared as though the Giants might have had their number.
The Hawks kicked 42-points clear at one stage, before the Giants slammed on seven-straight goals to batter them. Hawthorn appeared on the ropes – their ball winners stopped to a walk and the defence that had dominated the Giants’ forwards suddenly looked vulnerable.
GWS were riding that tsunami, and it appeared as though they may ride it all the way to a huge comeback win.
A lesser team would have thrown in the towel at that point.
A lesser team would have stared the end of their season in the eye, and accepted their fate.
After all, they’d never won at this venue before, and the Giants appeared to have a wet sail. All signs pointed to the Hawks being overrun.
Tom Green, Finn Callaghan, and the newly-inserted Josh Kelly, were running wild through the middle in the third quarter, combining for 36 disposals, whilst Jesse Hogan remembered how to attack the footy.
All that was required was to finish the Hawks off.
But those Hawks refused to lay down.
The midfield lifted again, as they matched the intensity of the Giants and pulled ahead, once again.
In the end, the Hawks moved into the second week of finals, as the Giants exited.
Was this lost at selection for GWS? Can the Hawks topple Adelaide next week? Is there a place in the GWS midfield for Stephen Coniglio? And how have the Hawks constructed a backline built to handle the best the big forwards can throw at them?
Let’s jump into The Mongrel’s Big Questions from the Elimination Final.
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