Draw in Melbourne leaves Hawthorn and Collingwood with different finals paths
Hawthorn and Collingwood left the MCG on Saturday night with the same scoreline and very different moods. The historic 92-92 draw has tightened the AFL
Hawthorn and Collingwood left the MCG on Saturday night with the same scoreline and very different moods. The historic 92-92 draw has tightened the AFL finals race, even as both clubs found reasons to call it a win.
It was the second draw between the same sides in the same season, the first time that has happened in VFL/AFL history. And it arrived in a match that had the feel of a final long before the siren.
Hawks still control their fate
Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell said he felt like a “glorified fan” as Dylan Moore lined up for the last kick of the night. Moore’s shot from 40 metres drifted short, leaving the sides locked together and Mitchell stranded on the boundary with no control over the result.
The Hawks picked up two precious points. That keeps them in control of their own destiny, though they still have work to do. They must beat West Coast next week to stay in the top four. Even then, the challenge ahead is steep.
There is a possible upside to the draw. Sliding to fourth could spare Hawthorn a preliminary final in the west, with a qualifying final against Fremantle in Perth now looking likely. That would also preserve the safety net of a second chance.
But the warning signs were there. In a night where the Hawks fell short almost everywhere except the scoreboard, they will need a sharper three weeks if they are to trouble Fremantle, Sydney or any of the other leading contenders.
Collingwood banks a small gain
Collingwood, too, had something to celebrate. Coach Craig McRae spoke of “small wins” after a game in which the Magpies twice watched the outcome hang on the boot of the same player.
Moore had already kicked the goal after the siren that forced a draw between the clubs in round eight. On Saturday, his late miss closed the night in another tie, and another slice of history.
For the Magpies, the point keeps them alive in the finals conversation. For the Hawks, it keeps the ladder picture in their own hands. Strange night. Big stakes. And the sort of finish that can reshape a run into September with one kick — or one miss.
