ADELAIDE OVAL -- Hawthorn has produced a masterclass to eliminate the Crows to the tune of 34 points and advance to a preliminary final date with Geelong next Friday night.
Here are three things we learned from the game:
The Hawks are coming for you, Geelong
Hawthorn didn't just beat Adelaide on Friday night, they absolutely punished the minor premiers, handing them the embarrassment of a straight-sets exit and officially announcing themselves as a genuine flag contender, if they weren't one already.
But let's not waste any time here, because now comes the ultimate test -- another preliminary final date against their fiercest modern rival, Geelong. On paper, recent history hasn't been kind to the Hawks who have beaten the Cats just once since 2019 and have lost their past four against them, including this year's Easter Monday clash. But rivalries do funny things.
The Hawks' defence, clearly as good as any in the competition, was the cornerstone of their turnover game and looked impenetrable at the Adelaide Oval. Their midfield, led by now-proven finals performer Jai Newcombe who was highly influential with 28 disposals, eight clearances, and 10 score involvements, and their mix of exciting youth and sharp-shooting veterans in the forward 50 makes them deadly.
Throw in there the AFL's ultimate swingman Josh Weddle who covered so much territory both back and forward and impacted contests all over the ground.
The Cats deserve favouritism, they were bulletproof against Brisbane last week, but Hawthorn's demolition tonight proves they at the very least have belief. Mix that with all their weapons, and the thrilling history between these two sides, and it's safe to say we're about to have another classic chapter written.
Look at it any way you want, Adelaide's season was still a success
Make no mistake, this straight-sets exit, the first for a minor premier since 1983, will sting. It should, and will, hurt a lot. But let's have some perspective as we reflect on an otherwise terrific season by the Crows no matter how it ended.
They returned to September for the first time since 2017 after a bottom four finish in 2024, they finished on top of the ladder with 17 home-and-away wins, and re-established themselves as a force of the competition.
This year, they've boasted one of the best forward lines, led by All-Australian Riley Thilthorpe, the No. 3 defence by total points conceded with interceptors such as Mark Keane and Josh Worrell (another 33 disposals, 12 intercepts, and 10 marks for him tonight) integral to the club's rise, and an honest midfield despite clearly lacking the depth of the competition's best.
Last week, and this week's, fade-out losses don't erase what was done. Especially not when you consider how close this season was, the eighth-placed Hawks still winning 15 matches, for example. Put simply, the gap between first and eighth isn't what it has been in the past.
So don't be fooled, Adelaide was never that much better than the rest. And that's why this loss will look worse than perhaps it really is.
And don't for a second think I'm giving them an out. Tonight they finished -21 inside 50s, -6 clearances (smashed in the middle early), -21 contested possessions, -11 marks inside 50s, and were utterly punished off clumsy turnovers and poor ball use in the front half. They just weren't good enough.
But the challenge for the Crows now is to build on what they've done, feel the pain, learn from it, and make damn sure this isn't a one-year wonder of a season after playing three of the bottom six teams twice. In the end, the core of this group is only just entering its prime. Adelaide should be right back in the mix in 2026.
Jack Gunston is one of the stories of the season
Age is just a number.
If you thought Jack Gunston's All-Australian blazer was a sentimental 'yeah let's give it to him because we didn't expect this', or 'career achievement' award, think again. At 33, the veteran forward has looked as polished as he ever has, and tonight was all the same. Gunston was the Hawks' most reliable avenue to goal, finishing with five majors -- his most ever in a final -- and punishing Adelaide every time he got a look inside 50, with 10 score involvements from his 16 disposals.
His incredible IQ, positioning, quality leading patterns, and composure with ball in hand continue to stand out in a side otherwise defined by youthful energy in the forward 50, the perfect complement.
If you expected Gunston, who has also now ticked over 70 goals for the season, to have this kind of impact in 2025, you're lying. But he keeps on delivering on the biggest of stages, and it's an absolute joy to watch.