HAWTHORN has sent retiring champion Luke Hodge out on a winning note, ending the Western Bulldogs season and Robert Murphy's career with a nine-point win at Etihad Stadium on Friday night.
In an emotional night that also saw heart-and-soul Bulldog Matthew Boyd retire, the 2016 premiers were unable to fire one last shot in a disappointing season as the Hawks held on to win 15.9 (99) to 13.12 (90).
With little on the line the match became a celebration of three great careers, and Hodge, Murphy and Boyd were carried from the stadium side by side through a guard of honour as tears flowed.
But when the emotion washes over, the Bulldogs will be left asking how their premiership defence went so wrong as they become the first team since the Hawks in 2009 to miss the finals the year after their flag.
Their shortcomings in 2017 were encapsulated on Friday night, with the Hawks winning the tackle count 73-46 and playing with more purpose, despite the Bulldogs being the only team with finals on the line.
Hawthorn captain Jarryd Roughead was the star, booting five goals, while Tom Mitchell finished his record-breaking season with 32 possessions in a dominant midfield that won the clearances 46-23.
Five talking points: Hawthorn v Western Bulldogs
While they celebrated the past, the future was also on show for the Hawks as Jaeger O'Meara produced a performance the club will hope can be a springboard into a healthy and productive 2018.
He finished with 25 possessions and five clearances in his 50th game, laying a massive 11 tackles and playing in his first win since round 19, 2014.
The other positive for the victors was the form of hard-running youngster Harry Morrison, who racked up 21 possessions in an impressive debut.
Isaac Smith on the run makes it look easy peasy. #AFLHawksDogs pic.twitter.com/j6MBNd0bkf
— AFL (@AFL) August 25, 2017
But for Hawthorn the night was all about one of the club's all time greats, and Hodge proved he was finishing with fuel in the tank.
He played his customary general role at half-back, barking instructions to the end and putting himself where he was needed most.
As the Bulldogs surged in the final minutes he interjected with a crucial spoil, and was able to finish the match with the crowd of 48,090 chanting his name.
The final twist: Where will your club finish in 2017?
"I've had a ball and the way we finished off was great," Hodge said after the match in an interview with 2001 'superdraft' contemporaries Chris Judd and Luke Ball.
Coach Alastair Clarkson paid tribute to the retiring class, which included injured premiership defender Josh Gibson who walked a lap of Etihad Stadium at half-time to farewell Hawthorn fans.
"It's a pity there had to be a winner and a loser out of those two sides," Clarkson said.
"We're pleased for 'Hodgey' and 'Gibbo' that we were able to get the win to make it a nice finish to his career.
"But it was a really fitting finale, the gathering of both clubs' supporters staying after the game to see those three guys chaired off the ground.
"There's some special moments in footy and that was one of them."
While the night built to a memorable finish, it started with a whimper as both teams eased their way into an uncontested match that lacked any intensity.
Despite the slim possibility they could qualify for finals with a win, the Bulldogs were not lifting for the occasion and laid just 10 tackles in the opening term as the Hawks built a seven-point lead.
Coach Luke Beveridge appeared to be in experiment mode, lining up for centre bounces without wingmen and starting two loose players in defence.
A superb finish from the Hawks' skipper. #AFLHawksDogs pic.twitter.com/MCo7JdOdp2
— AFL (@AFL) August 25, 2017
A jumper punch from Blake Hardwick on Bulldogs star Marcus Bontempelli set off a scuffle halfway through the second term, breathing some life into the clash, but it wasn't enough to sustain the disappointing Dogs.
They finished the match with 10 more forward entries (50-40) but were unable to capitalise, watching on as the ball repeatedly bounced back out of their forward line.
Boyd was the best of the retiring class, finishing with 33 possessions, 12 marks and a goal in his last game.
The Bulldogs were also well served by Jack Macrae (33 and six inside 50s) and Liam Picken (three goals), with Toby McLean (26 and six tackles) also working hard all night.
But, like their season, they just couldn't get their game going for sustained periods and never looked convincing, finishing the season with more questions than answers.
"We probably made the easy look hard at times, didn't we?" Beveridge said after the match.
"We just haven't got anyone down there to take a mark, whereas they got us on some of our blatant turnovers and I think that's the game right there.
"It's another example of what we don't want, absolutely."
A classy ending. #AFLHawksDogs pic.twitter.com/Nx7IHJm8CH
— AFL (@AFL) August 25, 2017
MEDICAL ROOM
Hawthorn: The Hawks finished the season without any injuries.
Western Bulldogs: Ruckman Jordan Roughead was forced from the ground with a cut head during the second quarter and sent to the rooms, but he was able to return and play out the match.
HAWTHORN 5.3 9.5 12.6 15.9 (99)
WESTERN BULLDOGS 4.2 7.4 10.7 13.12 (90)
GOALS
Hawthorn: Roughead 5, Smith 3, Puopolo 3, Burgoyne, Sicily, Schoenmakers, O'Brien
Western Bulldogs: Picken 3, Hunter 2, Dale 2, Campbell, Murphy, Boyd, Dahlhaus, Liberatore, McLean
BEST
Hawthorn: Roughead, McEvoy, Sicily, Smith, Puopolo, Mitchell, O'Meara
Western Bulldogs: Macrae, McLean, Boyd, Picken, Suckling, Hunter
INJURIES
Hawthorn: Nil
Western Bulldogs: Nil
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Fisher, Dalgleish, Stevic
Official crowd: 48,090 at Etihad Stadium
The storied careers of Luke Hodge, Bob Murphy and Matthew Boyd end in a 9point win to the Hawks. The Dogs were not without their chances, booting two fewer goals from 10 more inside 50s.
The siren has sounded to end Q4.
BEHINDBulldogs (Patrick Lipinski)
Bulldogs InterchangeJason Johannisen off due to an injury.
Bulldogs InterchangeLachie Hunter off due to an injury.
The Dogs have attempted just 76 tackles, their equalfewest tackle attempts in a game this season and 28 fewer than their season average.
GOALBulldogs (Toby McLean)
BEHINDBulldogs (Liam Picken)
BEHINDBulldogs (Lachie Hunter)
GOALHawks (Tim O'Brien)
Tim O'Brien grabs his team's 17th mark inside 50. The Hawks have taken 11 marks inside 50 per game this season, the fourthfewest of any team.
GOALBulldogs (Tom Liberatore)
BEHINDBulldogs (Bailey Williams)
The Dogs have now conceded 51 points from clearances, the most they have conceded from this source in a game this season.
BEHINDHawks (Luke Breust)
Paul Puopolo has applied two tackles inside 50 with both resulting in a goal.
GOALHawks (Paul Puopolo)
GOALBulldogs (Bailey Dale)
BEHINDHawks (Billy Hartung)
Jarryd Roughead grabs his seventh mark inside 50 and boots his fifth goal, both seasonhighs.
GOALHawks (Jarryd Roughead)
Just one of the Dogs' 10 kicks this quarter has been effective.
BEHINDBulldogs (Liam Picken)
BEHINDHawks (Jarryd Roughead)
Q4 is now underway.
Toby McLean recorded a quarterhigh 13 disposals, including 11 in his team's forward half, and was involved in five scores for his team, also a quarter-high.
The Bulldogs recorded 35 more forward half disposals as well as five more inside 50s in the third term but won it by just two points.
The siren has sounded to end Q3.
GOALBulldogs (Luke Dahlhaus)
The Dogs have scored both their goals this quarter from defensive 50 chains, and they have launched 31 per cent of their score from this zone for game, 14 per cent higher than their season average.
GOALBulldogs (Bailey Dale)
The Dogs have scored two fewer goals this quarter from two more inside 50s.
BEHINDBulldogs (Rushed)
BEHINDHawks (Rushed)
Hawthorn has won the only seven clearances this term and booted two goals from this source.
GOALHawks (Ryan Schoenmakers)
GOALBulldogs (Matthew Boyd)
Isaac Smith has recorded an equal gamehigh 10 kicks at 100 per cent efficiency as well as booting three goals.
GOALHawks (Isaac Smith)
BEHINDBulldogs (Toby McLean)
Bulldogs InterchangeLuke Dahlhaus off due to an injury.
BEHINDBulldogs (Rushed)
Another goal from a clearance to the Hawks. Seven of their 10 goals are from this source.
GOALHawks (Jarryd Roughead)
James Sicily just grabbed his first intercept mark for the game and 38th for the season, ranked No.1 at the club and 10 more than any other Hawk.
Q3 is now underway.
The Dogs have conceded 37 points from clearances, the most they have conceded from this source to halftime in any game since Round 12, 2014.
The Hawks dominated possession in the second term. They recorded 48 more disposals, including 29 more effective kicks. Harry Morrison and James Sicily led all players with 10 disposals each.
The siren has sounded to end Q2.
Hawthorn continues to win the ball at the source. It has won six more clearances this quarter and booted three goals to one from this source.
GOALHawks (Isaac Smith)
GOALHawks (James Sicily)
Another score from a forward 50 intercept to the Dogs. The Dogs have now scored 14 points from this source. Adelaide leads the AFL with 13 points per game from this source.
GOALBulldogs (Liam Picken)
Bulldogs InterchangeJordan Roughead off due to an injury.
Both teams have won three clearances this quarter and scored one goal from this source.
GOALBulldogs (Liam Picken)
BEHINDHawks (Rushed)
The Dogs have won four forward half intercepts this quarter and generated all three of their scores from these. The Dogs have won 25 forward half intercepts per game this season, the eighthmost of any team.
GOALBulldogs (Lachie Hunter)
Hawthorn has generated two scores from four defensive 50 chains this quarter after failing to generate one inside 50 from 10 defensive 50 chains in the opening term.
GOALHawks (Paul Puopolo)
BEHINDBulldogs (Rushed)
Tim O'Brien just grabbed his third intercept mark for the game, two more than any other Hawk. O'Brien has won six possessions with four of these coming from opposition disposals.
BEHINDHawks (Jarryd Roughead)
BEHINDBulldogs (Patrick Lipinski)
The Hawks win the first clearance of the second term and boot their fourth goal from this source for the game, two more than the Dogs.
GOALHawks (Paul Puopolo)
Q2 is now underway.
Hawthorn applied 10 more tackles than the Dogs in the opening term. The Hawks have lost the tackle count by one per game this season, the seventhworst differential in the competition.
The siren has sounded to end Q1.
Jaeger O'Meara just applied his seventh tackle, five more than any other player. The Hawks have recorded a tackle efficiency of 95 per cent (19 tackles from 20 attempts), 42 per cent higher than the Bulldogs.
BEHINDBulldogs (Luke Dahlhaus)
BEHINDHawks (Harry Morrison)
The Dogs have had no answer for Jarryd Roughead. He has grabbed three marks inside 50 and been involved in six of his team's seven scores, including booting three goals.
GOALHawks (Jarryd Roughead)
BEHINDHawks (Liam Shiels)
Bob Murphy has been involved in four of his team's five scores, including a gamehigh two score assists as well as booting one goal.
BEHINDBulldogs (Patrick Lipinski)
GOALBulldogs (Robert Murphy)
Jarryd Roughead has now been involved in four of his team's five scores, two more than any other Hawk.
GOALHawks (Jarryd Roughead)
The Dogs lead the centre clearance count 31 and they have scored the only two goals from this source. The Dogs have scored 11 points per game from this source this season, the eighth-most in the competition.
GOALBulldogs (Lachie Hunter)
Jarryd Roughead has been involved in a gamehigh three scores from his four disposals.
GOALHawks (Isaac Smith)
GOALBulldogs (Tom Campbell)
Jarryd Roughead intercepts Jason Johannisen's kickin and boots his team's second goal. Hawthorn has scored nine points per game from forward 50 intercepts this season.
GOALHawks (Jarryd Roughead)
BEHINDHawks (Rushed)
Shaun Burgoyne boots Hawthorn's first goal from the last of four consecutive effective kicks in its forward half. The Hawks have recorded a kicking efficiency of 61 per cent in its forward half this season, ranked No.1 in the competition.
GOALHawks (Shaun Burgoyne)
Liam Picken boots the opening goal of the game, assisted by Bob Murphy, sourced from an intercept won by Luke Dahlhaus in his team's forward 50. The Dogs have scored nine points per game from forward 50 intercepts this season.
GOALBulldogs (Liam Picken)
Q1 is now underway.
The Dogs have scored a goal from just 21 per cent of their forward 50 entries this season, the lowest percentage recorded by any side, and they have recorded a scoring accuracy of 52 per cent, also the lowest percentage.
Hawthorn has allowed its opposition to generate an inside 50 from 22 per cent of their defensive 50 chains this season, the fourth highest percentage conceded by any side, and it has conceded 95 scores from this zone, the fourthmost.
Don't forget to enter your tips for this match, you have until the bounce to make your selection.
Outs for Bulldogs: J.Stringer (Omitted), T.Cloke (Omitted), T.Dickson (Omitted)
Ins for Bulldogs: T.Campbell, M.Boyd, P.Lipinski
Outs for Hawks: R.Henderson (Omitted), R.Burton (Omitted)
Ins for Hawks: L.Shiels, H.Morrison
Welcome to Etihad Stadium for the Hawthorn v Western Bulldogs Round 23 clash.
Don't forget to enter your tips for this match, you have until the bounce to make your selection.
Ins for Bulldogs: T.Campbell, M.Boyd, P.Lipinski
Outs for Bulldogs: J.Stringer, T.Cloke, T.Dickson
Ins for Hawks: L.Shiels, H.Morrison
Outs for Hawks: R.Henderson, R.Burton
Welcome to Etihad Stadium for the Hawthorn v Western Bulldogs Round 23 clash.