A poster from Jack Gunston with 17 seconds left on the clock gave the Hawks a one-point win in an Easter classic at the MCG between two brilliant rivals.
The veteran managed to throw his boot at the ball in a mad scramble in the goalsquare with scores level after Mitch Lewis had tied the scores with a goal with 51 seconds remaining.
The Cats looked to have the game won after stretching to a 13-point lead midway through the final quarter in a seesawing match where 11 points was the biggest margin until that moment.
Geelong then led by a goal after Shannon Neale kicked his fourth goal with less than two minutes remaining, but the Hawks would not be denied.
They managed to run the ball down to Lewis who marked and showed great nerve to kick straight after Mabior Chol appeared to blow their chances with two missed set shots late.
Jack Ginnivan might be a showman, but he was outstanding and had worked at both ends as hard as Smith throughout the match before he put Hawthorn in front on the three-quarter time siren with his second goal.
He had defended vigorously when required and looked dangerous inside 50, using his smarts to interrupt Geelong attacks on several occasions in a desperate second quarter when the Cats threatened to blow the game apart with seven goals.
But they could not break the rope Hawthorn had attached to their ankles with the lead never getting above 11 points until Mark Blicavs stretched the lead to 13 points with nine minutes remaining.
But Easter long weekends don’t just peter out nowadays. They need to be played out until the bitter end and so it was to be as Nick Watson scored his second stoppage goal for the match and then Mabior Chol drew them back within a point with seven minutes remaining.
There were 84,712 roaring at the top of their lungs with Hawthorn supporters feeling hard done by as the free kick count was 22-11 in the Cats’ favour.
Someone was going to be a hero, or not. Mabior Chol twice threatened to be that hero but missed very kickable set shots. The first was from directly in front and the second was a snap shot that went wide.
Blicavs then missed a perfect opportunity before Jeremy Cameron kicked a behind to make scores level.
It was then Neale and Lewis and then a Gunston behind and the match was somehow decided in one team’s favour as the Hawks broke a five match losing streak against Geelong to win their third match for the year.
Easter can now officially end.
