The Brisbane Lions secured a place in the AFL grand final with a nine-point victory over Hawthorn in a dramatic preliminary final that ended amid controversy at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
A crowd of 97,835 watched a contest packed with momentum swings, 39 goals and a frantic finish. Brisbane will now face minor premiers Fremantle next Saturday, with the Lions one win away from emulating Leigh Matthews’ three-peat team of 2001 to 2003.
Hawthorn appeared to have seized control when Mitch Lewis took a towering mark and converted with just over three minutes remaining. Instead, the goal became another painful chapter in a match the Hawks ultimately lost in the closing seconds.
Brisbane regained the lead after a series of contentious decisions. Hugh McCluggage was awarded a free kick following a frantic passage of play and calmly kicked the decisive goal, leaving Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell visibly distressed.
Earlier, Lewis had been penalised for insufficient intent to keep the ball in play when the ball appeared to spill over the boundary. In the centre square, Dayne Zorko then received a free kick for high contact before Jarman Impey was penalised for holding the ball.
Hawthorn players Tom Barrass, James Sicily and Jack Ginnivan confronted umpire Hayden Meyer after the final siren, while supporters in the stands chanted their displeasure.
Brisbane coach Chris Fagan defended the decisions, particularly the free kick against Impey.
“I would expect one of my players to be paid a free kick against if that was what he did,” Fagan said. “I know I don’t know what the whole world thinks, but that’s the way they interpret it. You’ve got to be making a genuine attempt to get rid of the ball, and he didn’t.”
Hawthorn’s late fightback falls short
Mitchell said the match had not been lost solely in the final moments. Hawthorn had surrendered eight goals to three from the centre, allowing Brisbane to turn a game the Hawks had controlled into a 28-point deficit before the final term.
The Hawks responded with a powerful late surge. Josh Ward, the seventh selection in the 2021 draft, produced a series of bursts from the middle as Hawthorn fought its way back into contention.
Nick Watson was another standout for Hawthorn, kicking six goals in the biggest match of his career. His performance could not prevent the club from falling at the preliminary-final stage for the second consecutive year.
At the final centre stoppage, Jai Newcombe appeared ready to win possession, only for the ball to bounce awkwardly on its end and away from him. Brisbane swept forward, adding to the sense of devastation in the Hawthorn rooms.
Mitchell said his players were in “mourning” and would need time to deal with the defeat.
“If you want to strive for great things, you will open yourself up for all sorts of emotion – the greatest of joy and the deepest of pain,” he said.
“I’m a long way from acceptance right now, so I’ll sit in anger for a bit longer. I’m sure all the players will too.”
The Hawks had improved from eighth place on the ladder to fourth this season, narrowing last year’s five-goal preliminary-final defeat to a nine-point loss. Mitchell said the club would continue to develop, with Ben King and Zach Merrett due to arrive, but acknowledged the immediate pain of another missed opportunity.
“This feeling is the pits,” he said.
Fagan, meanwhile, admitted the contest had taken its toll as Brisbane moved to within one victory of the premiership.
“That was an emotional roller coaster, that game,” he said. “I mean, talk about entertainment. Whatever you paid for your ticket tonight, it was worth it. Wherever you sat, it had everything.”
