Hawthorn edge out the Swans in front of bumper SCG crowd

Who can stop Hawthorn from making it four premierships in a row?

Hawthorn’s Cyril Rioli celebrates kicking the matchwinner on the siren against the Swans at the SCG last night. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Who can stop the Hawks from making it four premierships in a row? That’s the question being asked after Hawthorn squeezed home over Sydney by five points in an epic encounter at the SCG last night.

In front of a boisterous crowd of 42,314 (the third-biggest in the Swans’ history at the SCG) which included the newly elected Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, the premiership favourites confirmed their mastery of the close finish.

A goal from outside 50m from Cyril Rioli with just over a minute left on the clock sealed the deal and brought heartbreak for the Swans, who have lost games within the final 90 seconds three times this year.

Rioli’s matchwinner extended the Hawks’ record to 5-0 this season in matches decided by less than 10 points. “I didn’t think I had it in me (to kick the distance), I just had to find something extra,” Rioli said after the game.

The Swans will rue two 50m penalties that changed the course of the game. Both came at crucial times and both were for encroaching within the protected area around the mark.

The first was paid against last week’s hero Kieren Jack late in the third quarter, and it broke a four-goal unbroken run from the home team when Jono O’Rourke converted just on the three-quarter time siren. The second came against Dan Hannebery early in the last quarter after he gifted a goal to Jonathon Ceglar which put Hawthorn in front by a point.

The Swans didn’t give up there, however, and a second goal to Tom Papley gave them a five-point break in the closing minutes before a second last-quarter goal from Shaun Burgoyne and Rioli’s gamebreaker closed the deal.

Hawthorn’s historic four-peat looks a good thing after they virtually guaranteed a top-two finish, with games to come against Carlton, Melbourne, North Melbourne, West Coast (Domain Stadium) and Collingwood.

With Lance Franklin held goalless by James Frawley, it looked like Gary Rohan might be the hero with four goals. His two in succession in the third term helped the Swans wrestle back the ascendancy before Jack’s costly 50.

Sam Mitchell was at his unstoppable best, picking up 37 possessions, including 10 contested.

The former Hawks skipper was a man on a mission after his namesake Tom Mitchell held him to just 15 disposals in the Swans’ round-nine win over Hawthorn at the MCG. He had enormous support from Burgoyne who was pivotal when the match was on the line in the last term. He and Jordan Lewis both finished with 26 hard-won possessions.

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson said the Hawks were fortunate to clinch a contest in which the lead changed nine times and neither side managed to strike the killer blow.

“We were lucky the siren went while we were in front,” Clarkson said. “A couple of minutes later or a couple of minutes earlier and the result is different.

“We’re under no illusions; we didn’t play our greatest footy tonight but nor did we allow Sydney to play theirs — and that’s why it’s such a tight contest.”

Sydney could slip to seventh spot depending on results.

“We did a lot right for a long time in the game,” coach John Longmire said. “Burgoyne and Rioli kicked two from 50m, they’re champions and they played the big moments well.”