Hawthorn got what it needed from its final home-and-away game of the season.
A commanding 62-point victory over West Coast secured the Hawks a top-four finish and double chance, setting up a blockbuster qualifying final against minor premiers Fremantle in Perth.
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And after falling one step short of a Grand Final last season, Hawthorn defender Blake Hardwick has made no secret of where the Hawks want this September campaign to end.
“We’ve been going a step further each year, so this year is the year for us to take that step further again and get to a granny,” Hardwick told Foxsports.com.au post-game.
“But you can’t look too far forward really.”
Hawthorn will return to Perth in less than a fortnight knowing victory would earn it a week off and a home preliminary final, while defeat would leave the Hawks facing the long road through September.
Sunday night’s win at least ensured they will arrive with some momentum.
Hawthorn entered the final round without a victory in its previous two matches after a draw against Collingwood followed a 67-point defeat to Brisbane.
For Hardwick, rediscovering some form before September was significant.
“We haven’t really been playing our best, so it was nice to get some form going into finals and against a team like Freo you need to be in form,” Hardwick said.
The Hawks briefly had another prize within reach against West Coast, with the margin opening the possibility of leapfrogging Brisbane into third place on percentage.
“We got close with the percentage,” Hardwick said.
“It wasn’t something we concentrated on early in the game, but later on we tried to still attack the game and see how we could go.”
They ultimately fell short, meaning Fremantle awaits in a rematch carrying no shortage of intrigue.
