IT WAS all lost in the first quarter.
Hawthorn coach Daniel Webster has signalled the 31-point head start that his side offered Carlton in Saturday evening's do-or-die semi-final as the death knell for its attempted redemption from 2024's straight-sets finals exit.
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Instead of bouncing back, and claiming its first finals win, Hawthorn went down by 46 points, exiting a second finals series in the same manner.
"(Carlton) were electric in the first quarter, but we were so far from it and that's the most disappointing thing. When it's a big final and they got (on) a roll and we were unable to stop it," Webster said.
"We battled the game well after that, did some good things, but yeah, all the damage was done there."
Webster was vocal with his group at quarter-time, having failed to score for the term and they had entered their attacking 50 just three times.
"I'd prefer not to (give a spray), but the facts and realities are, the first quarter was nowhere near standard and that's not what we expect if you put on the Hawthorn jumper. So players need to know that then and there, and I think to their credit, they responded really well. Just needed it from the first bounce," Webster said.
Following last year's semi-final loss, in which the Hawks gave up the biggest three-quarter time lead at the time to fall to Port Adelaide, there was an accepted sense of hope around what the side could be capable of in 2025, but it simply hasn't eventuated.
Much of that is due to injury and limited player availability, and it has meant the Hawks' best footy hasn't been on show.
"Yes, we had 21 fit players in terms of that, so there's no excuse on that end … It's just a challenge getting up and even able to train the right way because then you've got to manage training loads more. So it does become quite a challenge in that sense, and so it kind of felt that we really limped to the line this year, and I think that showed today," Webster said.
Star players Jasmine Fleming (groin) and Aine McDonagh (knee) played through injury concerns on Saturday, with the former spending the bulk of the game in attack rather than her home in the midfield. Vice-captain Eliza West – who has been one of the few Hawks to move through the season unscathed – was also ruled out early in the second half with concussion.
For victorious coach Mathew Buck, he is trying to tread the fine line between letting players enjoy their footy and play in the freewheeling manner that has suited them so well this year, and keeping a lid on expectations.
"What (the players) are really great at is balancing that fun with the hard work that they bring during the week as well. So it's do the work and have the fun, and we're starting to see if you're relaxed and you enjoy that, you can play really great footy as well. So at the moment we're leaning into it really hard," Buck said.
The Blues whacked Hawthorn from the opening bounce and it was a result of the players understanding the intensity required to compete in finals.
"We've spoken a little bit around finals and the intensity shift that you need to make, and it's really important that that comes from us and we wanted to ensure that was the case," Buck said.
"Now, (I) probably didn't expect to roll out and for that to be the scoreline at the end of quarter-time, but we had some non-negotiables around the way we attack contest, but it's probably been true of our whole year to be honest, which has given us these kind of opportunities. So to see it come through on the big stage was really great."
Carlton will now prepare for its second away trip to Brighton Homes Arena to face Brisbane – a team it defeated back in round three at the same venue.
It will do so with a clean bill of health once again, getting through the semi-final victory unscathed.
