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Thanks a lot for following along this evening. It was a hugely impressive performance from Hawthorn that has whet the appetite for their clash with Geelong next Friday night. We’ll be back from the second semi-final between Brisbane and Gold Coast, but in the meantime here is the report from Adelaide Oval.
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Jack Gunston has seen it all with three premierships in his bag. But he’s one win from competing for a shot at another one after booting five goals in the semi-final win over Adelaide. The 33-year-old key forward is talking to Channel Seven.
I’ve got goosebumps again, haven’t had them for a while. Walking off with the crowd going nuts and the Hawthorn faithful that travelled over. It’s awesome. Good vibe, I love it.
We had the belief. We knew we had the talent. It’s a matter of putting it all together. Last year it’s good we were able to play some finals. We didn’t get the result we wanted at this ground about 12 months ago. It’s good experience and the boys have learnt a lot from it. It’s good to be back.
Jack Gunston boots five goals as Hawthorn book their preliminary final spot with a 34-point victory over Adelaide. Photograph: Matt Turner/AAPShare
Hawthorn is within one win of a place in the grand final while Adelaide are left to lick their wounds after becoming the first minor premiers to be bundled out in straight sets for 42 years. The Hawks booted the opening three goals within four minutes of the first bounce while Jai Newcombe set the tone with the first four centre clearances of the game. The Crows fought back to level terms through the first term but were largely outplayed from there.
The evergreen Jack Gunston booted five goals, while Nick Watson lit a spark with a couple of early goals and Sam Butler added two to seal the win. Newcombe finished with 28 disposals and eight clearances as Josh Ward (31) and James Worpel (22) helped the Hawks win the onball battle. But it was their ball movement and efficiency in the forward half that will give the Hawks hope of testing the Cats in a preliminary final next Friday night.
The Crows were out to respond to their disappointing showing against the Magpies in the qualifying final but are now the first minor premiers to be beaten by an eighth-place side in the finals. They lacked punch through the midfield and when running out of defence in both finals, and while they might take positives from reaching finals for the first time since 2017 their season has petered out in the worst possible way.
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Updated at 08.34 EDT
Full-time: Adelaide 10.7.67 lose to Hawthorn 14.17.101
Hawthorn are through to a preliminary final against Geelong after a commanding 34-point victory over Adelaide. It is the Hawks’ second finals triumph on the road after their win against the Giants, and now they head to the MCG next Friday night to take on one of their fiercest foes.
Hawthorn players celebrate their AFL semi-final victory over Adelaide. Photograph: James Wiltshire/AFL Photos/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 08.49 EDT
Q4: 1 min remaining: Adelaide 10.7.67 – Hawthorn 14.17.101
The Crows keep peppering the forward 50 and Jake Soligo finally finds a way through the Hawks defence.
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Q4: 3 mins remaining: Adelaide 9.7.61 – Hawthorn 14.17.101
The players might be going through the motions now with the Hawks already through to a preliminary final. But there is no slowing down Jai Newcombe who is still attacking each contest as though it is the first.
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Q4: 5 mins remaining: Adelaide 9.7.61 – Hawthorn 14.17.101
Josh Rachele finds something out of nothing to add his second. The Crows will hope to see much more of him next season as they aim to bounce back from becoming the first minor premiers for 42 years to be bundled out in straight sets.
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Q4: 5 mins remaining: Adelaide 8.7.55 – Hawthorn 14.17.101
The ruthless Hawks are setting up their full-field defence to prevent the Crows even an inside 50 let alone consolation goals.
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Q4: 7 mins remaining: Adelaide 8.7.55 – Hawthorn 14.17.101
Josh Weddle charges forward with ball in hand and no one able to get near him. But the Hawks’ game-changer mis-fires with a banana and shoots past the near side of the goal post.
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Q4: 9 mins remaining: Adelaide 8.7.55 – Hawthorn 14.16.100
Jai Newcombe was the firestarter for the Hawks’ blistering start as the midfielder won the first four centre clearances of the game. Now the finals specialist kicks off the celebrations with his first goal of the night.
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Q4: 11 mins remaining: Adelaide 8.7.55 – Hawthorn 13.16.94
The Hawks are all over the Crows now as they line up to boot the sealer. Sam Butler might just have done the honours with a snap from the deep forward pocket.
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Q4: 13 mins remaining: Adelaide 8.7.55 – Hawthorn 12.16.88
Josh Weddle has an opportunity to finish off the Crows. The winger earns a free kick for being grabbed too high with a timely bend of the knee, but his shot crashes into the goalpost.
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Q4: 15 mins remaining: Adelaide 8.7.55 – Hawthorn 12.15.87
Josh Rachele with an all-too familiar kick off the ground dribbles the ball through the goals to give Adelaide a sniff. It will all have to go their way from here, but it has to start somewhere. The Hawks win the centre clearance and their is panic in the Crows defence. Nick Watson could all but seal the win but he spray a simple snap.
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Q4: 17 mins remaining: Adelaide 7.7.49 – Hawthorn 12.14.86
Josh Weddle launches from outside 50m to but hooks his kick. Even with the ball back in their hands from a kick-in, the Crows are unable to get past halfway.
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Q4: 19 mins remaining: Adelaide 7.7.49 – Hawthorn 12.13.85
Not the start the Crows – or the neutrals wanted – as Jack Gunston boots his fifth. What have the Crows got left?
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The minor premiers are yet to win a quarter in this finals series but need to turn this around by 30 points to keep their season going.
30 points. 30(odd) minutes. Here we go …
Hawthorn celebrate a goal against Adelaide. Photograph: James Elsby/AFL Photos/Getty ImagesShare
3QT: Adelaide 7.7.49 – Hawthorn 11.13.79
Hawthorn have broken the semi-final open but both sides are now scoring more freely. There is 30 minutes of football to come and the Crows needed to make a fast start to it if they are to come from the clouds.
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Q3: 1 min remaining: Adelaide 7.7.49 – Hawthorn 11.13.79
The Crows cough up the ball in their forward pocket and Dylan Moore unselfishly handpasses out to an onrushing Sam Butler to extend the Hawks lead. Jack Gunston takes a sixth mark inside 50 but this time it is far and wide and he misses from a tight angle. With perhaps their best play of the night, the Crows set off to respond straight away and go coast-to-coast. Riley Thilthorpe finishes off the work with a left-foot snap.
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Q3: 3 mins remaining: Adelaide 6.7.43 – Hawthorn 10.12.72
A little brainfade on the goalline from the Hawks defence allows the ball to bounce backwards and stay in play. Luke Pedlar takes full advantage to keep the Crows hanging on.
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Q3: 5 mins remaining: Adelaide 5.7.37 – Hawthorn 10.11.71
The Hawks ball movement is on another level tonight. A Crows turnover in the corridor allows the visitors to turn around and find Jack Gunston. The veteran isn’t missing many this year and he boots his fourth for the night and 69th for the year.
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Q3: 7 mins remaining: Adelaide 5.7.37 – Hawthorn 9.11.65
The Crows are rolling the dice more now. And rightly so. A string of handballs across half-back and through the centre square opens up space. But the kick is straight to Josh Battle. The Hawks are playing two moves ahead.
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Q3: 9 mins remaining: Adelaide 5.7.37 – Hawthorn 9.10.64
The Crows will be happy to have the ball in Darcy Fogarty’s hands, even at a touch over 50m from goal. The key forward sets sail with a long bomb and the Crows have a much-needed goal. Jordan Dawson wins the centre clearance but can’t find a target to put the pressure back on the Hawks as the defence clears.
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Q3: 11 mins remaining: Adelaide 4.7.31 – Hawthorn 9.10.64
Right place, right time. Mabior Chol throws the ball on his boot from a boundary throw-in deep in the Hawks forward pocket. There is just enough on it to reach Connor Macdonald 10m away as the crafty forward has the time and space to send a banana through from the top of the goalsquare. The Hawks gave up seven in a row from about this point of the game against the Giants, but they have all the momentum this week.
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Q3: 13 mins remaining: Adelaide 4.6.30 – Hawthorn 8.10.58
Fast and clean ball movement from the Hawks delivers the ball to a leading Connor Macdonald 40m out. It was one of the better plays of the night but the young goalsneak fails to finish it off. Lloyd Meek scrambles a shot wide and then Nick Watson sets sail from 40m out on the run. Three chances, three let offs for the Crows. But the Hawks are pushing hard.
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Q3: 15 mins remaining: Adelaide 4.6.30 – Hawthorn 8.7.55
The Crows almost clear from the middle but Ben Keays falls on the ball and is pinged for dragging it in. A tad harsh. But fair. Clean ball movement finds Jack Gunston charging out of the goalsquare. The 33-year-old has three.
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Updated at 07.19 EDT
Q3: 17 mins remaining: Adelaide 4.6.30 – Hawthorn 7.7.49
The Crows’ backs are up against the wall but rather than going into their shells they need to take risks. Take the game on. Don’t die wondering. Wayne Milera is been arguably their best this evening and the half-back picks out Riley Thilthorpe inside the forward 50. A first sign of a change of tactic. The key forward slots the set shot for the Crows first goal since 21 minutes into the opening term.
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Q3: 19 mins remaining: Adelaide 3.6.24 – Hawthorn 7.7.49
Adelaide win their third centre clearance of the game but ruck Reilly O’Brien shanks the kick. The Hawks go coast-to-coast where Jack Gunston marks on the lead and boots his second goal.
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Josh Rachele comes into the contest in his first game since round 17 and with the Crows desperate for a spark. Mitch Hinge has been subbed out due to an ankle injury.
The third term is about to get under way with Adelaide needing to release the shackles as they try to chase down Hawthorn and avoid a straight-sets finals exit on home turf.
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Rory Laird (16 disposals) and Wayne Milera (14) have found plenty of the ball for the Crows as they aim to find cleaner end-to-end transitions to test the Hawks’ defence. Blake Hardwick and James Sicily (both 12) have been doing much the same for the Hawks, only to better effect, with their chains from defence to attack.
Blake Hardwick handpasses the ball for Hawthorn against Adelaide. Photograph: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos/Getty ImagesShare
HT: Adelaide 3.6.24 – Hawthorn 6.7.43
Adelaide were right back in the contest as the game turned into more of an arm wrestle. Yet Hawthorn have the last three goals, including the only two of the second term, to hold a handy lead at the main break. The Crows are doing plenty right without finding the goals, while the Hawks have been more efficient once inside their forward 50.
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Q2: 1 min remaining: Adelaide 3.6.24 – Hawthorn 6.6.42
Dylan Moore makes the Crows pay a high price for their wasted opportunities. Pressure on Mark Keane across half-back gives up the ball and Jai Newcombe with quick hands finds Moore streaming past. That hurts, for the Crows.
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Updated at 06.51 EDT
Q2: 3 mins remaining: Adelaide 3.6.24 – Hawthorn 5.6.36
Taylor Walker marks on the lead in almost the same spot where he just missed. This time he lines up a left-foot snap despite being more than 50m from goal, but there is too much of a hook and the ball goes through the same area for a behind.
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Q2: 5 mins remaining: Adelaide 3.5.23 – Hawthorn 5.6.36
Jack Ginnivan searches for a way through a couple of Crows defenders within sight of goal but is brought down in a bone-crunching tackle. Adelaide transition the ball swiftly – something they haven’t done enough tonight – and it ends up with Taylor Walker alone in space on the 50m arc. Walker lines up, drops the ball in his textbook style, but doesn’t get the hook he is after in an anti-climax just as the Crows fans were already into their celebration.
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