Live: Thrilling Hawks on the verge of blowing Dogs away in pulsating elimination final

A rotten turnover by Liam Jones in the middle of the ground just ripped the heart out of the Bulldogs there. Suddenly the Hawks had a four-on-two streaming inside 50 and the easiest goal of the night.

Just under seven minutes to play, party time at the ‘G for the Hawks.

Yes, the guy I said was subbed off about half an hour ago. I’ve been bamboozled by a dodgy graphic, because Vandermeer has just kicked a goal and I saw it with my own eyes.

Back to 29 points, eight minutes to play. What’s that “goals vs minutes” rule again?

I mean, who else?

Jack Ginnivan had an excellent second quarter but has been largely quiet apart from that, but that was Ginni at his best. A pure rove and crumb, a clever snap and a cheeky celebration – the cracked tinnie a reference to his choice of dinner venue last night.

Book your flights to Adelaide, Hawks fans!

Luke Bruest is on for Gunston, one veteran forward replacing another.

Fifteen minutes left to play, 28-point margin. Dogs having a dip, but little mistakes costing them chances.

The first one came off Naughton’s hands as he flew for a mark that cost Bontempelli a second goal.

The second was an incredible diving touch from D’Ambrosio to prevent a Weightman goal. The Bulldogs a couple of sets of fingertips away from precious goals.

Right, there’s the first one. Bontempelli splits the middle from 50 out inside 90 seconds of the last quarter to make it a 30-point game.

It’s not much, but it’s a start. And it’s come from Bontempelli which might make it extra significant, given the skipper has had a quiet game so far.

Are we set for a Hawthorn party at the MCG? Or is there some life left in the Bulldogs yet?

Season over for one of these teams in half an hour, and it’s not looking like that team will be Hawthorn.

Another blistering quarter of Hawthorn footy, and that might just about be curtains for the Bulldogs’ 2024 season.

These Hawks are too quick, too intense, too precise. They have run the Dogs into the ground, battered them into submission and systematically picked them apart with ball in hand. The Dogs couldn’t throw a single punch in that quarter.

Not only are the Hawks on the verge of victory tonight, they might be convincing some doubters that they could do something truly, truly special this year. Who can stop them right now?

A quarter to play. Can the Bulldogs offer up any sort of fight?

In the dying seconds of the third quarter, The Wizard might have just landed the knockout blow.

A hacked kick forward looked like it would fall into space, but Watson was incredibly quick in covering the ground to take the mark on his chest. His goalkicking has been dialled in tonight, and that might be the back-breaker for the Bulldogs.

Luke Beveridge has made the move to bring Gallagher off and bring Jack Macrae on.

Macrae just has to get out there and get his hands on the ball. The Dogs are being smashed in the possession count and there’s no route back if it stays like that.

The Dogs have briefly stopped the bleeding but they’re still hanging on for dear life.

If the Hawks get the next goal, I struggle to see a way back for the Bulldogs.

It goes without saying the Bulldogs badly needed that one. Hawthorn’s run of six straight goals ends with a Naughton set shot, from an intercepting mark in his attacking 50.

The first step in what would have to be a monumental comeback.

Jack Ginnivan streaked inside 50 and could have had a running shot on goal, but instead chipped a clever pass to his mate Nick who did the rest from 25 out.

I reckon the Dogs are just about cooked here. They look so slow, so timid, so unsure of themselves compared to these rampaging Hawks. It’s a 32-point game with 10 minutes to play in the third.

What a play by Calsher Dear! He somehow dragged in a one-handed contested grab tight on the boundary (maybe over the boundary?) and then went back and drilled a drop punt from up against the fence, 35 metres out.

He has been a revelation tonight. The Hawks can smell it now, the Dogs are on the ropes.

The Hawks can smell blood here! They are moving the ball with such ease right now, in contrast to the Dogs who can’t get anything going at all.

They spread the ground and sent it long, where Watson crumbed tight to the boundary line and kept the ball alive. Two handballs later, Macdonald was running into an open goal. Alarm bells ringing for the Bulldogs now.

First Nick Watson, then Calsher Dear. The Bulldogs have dodged a couple of bullets but they’re only just hanging on here.

The Hawthorn heat is next level.

The premiership quarter. The Bulldogs need a fast start to quell this Hawthorn momentum.

It was an arm wrestle for much of that quarter, but in the last 10 or 15 minutes the Hawks started to take control in the contest and at the stoppages. The run of goals made it a five-goal-to-one term for the Hawks, and they look good value for their lead so far.

The key forwards for the Dogs haven’t had an impact yet, which is either a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you look at it. You’d think Naughton, JUH and Darcy will start having an impact at some point, but if they continue to stay quiet things are looking rosy for Hawthorn.

It’s a tactical battle for sure, but the physicality in the contest and hard running from both teams has been incredible. It’s a great game of footy, and looks like going down to the wire.