Review The best Hawthorn games of the decade (2010-2019)

[Dixie Flatline]

Hawthorn has been a part of some classic games over the last 10 years, including the 2013 preliminary final win over the Cats, 2014 preliminary final win over the Power, the dismantling of the Swans in 2014 grand final, and many more.

With the last couple weeks of 2019 ahead of us, now is your time to cast a vote on your best Hawthorn game of the last decade.

 

[KermitJagger]

The premierships take a back seat to the 2013 prelim final win for me.

It was such a huge moment for the club considering the recent history, and if we'd lost that game I do think it might have precluded us from 2014 and 2015 as well.

It was just huge.

 

[Jaeger]

Most important - 2013 prelim

Best win and performance - 2014 GF

 

[Argy]

Most important - 2013 prelim

Best win and performance - 2014 GF

Absolutely.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Dixie Flatline how could forget the 2010 game where Budwah kicked not 1 but 2 of the best goals you will ever see!?

One of the best nights of footy, that.

 

[TheFourPillars]

Dixie Flatline how could forget the 2010 game where Budwah kicked not 1 but 2 of the best goals you will ever see!?

One of the best nights of footy, that.

Was just going to mention this

 

[WWSD]

Most important - 2013 prelim

Best win and performance - 2014 GF

Sitting on Level 1 during that game I couldn’t even hear the final siren. The atmosphere was that loud.

 

[TylerDurden]

 

[WWSD]

1. 2013 Preliminary Final vs Geelong

2. 2014 Grand Final vs Sydney

3. 2015 Grand Final vs West Coast

4. 2015 Preliminary Final vs Fremantle

5. 2015 Semi Final vs Adelaide

6. 2013 Grand Final vs Fremantle

7. 2012 Round 10 vs North Melbourne

8. 2015 Round 16 vs Sydney

9. 2015 Round 1 vs Geelong

10. 2013 Round 3 vs Collingwood

 

[threesixpio]

The top two are the top two for a reason

Prelim though for me

 

[TheFourPillars]

2013 for the sheer raw emotion it brought out from the Hawthorn faithful

 

[A Cut Above]

2013 Prelim then daylight. Given the streak the Handbaggers were on against us at the time and the innumerable bullshit ways we'd thrown away games against them during it, it was absolutely VITAL we won that game for the sake of the playing group's mental wellbeing if nothing else.

I don't even like to imagine the consequences had we lost it, but thanks to Burgoyne among others instead the heartbreak was theirs. Delightfully, it was the second Premiership we cost Geelong this decade as they would surely have overcome a nervous Freo a week later.

 

[Dewnior]

Obviously the finals wins were the best but that Round 1 Easter Monday game in 2015 coming off the high of B2B was pure unadulterated bliss.

 

[offtherails9]

I attended these two from interstate, and both were pretty important to me as a young guy growing up. Sounds kinda dumb but you guys know how special it all was.

13 Prelim firstly, 3qtr time I had all sorts of negative thoughts in my head.. thinking is this it for this list.. what's next etc. Then the most magical qtr of footy I've seen. Burgers goal. Will never forget the sound of the crowd as Shiels got that clearance at the contest on the HBF, then with Bud and Cyril linking up. Utterly amazing scenes of 50k+ Hawks fans going crazy. The footage on TV is amazing and it doesn't nearly capture it.

The second I was at was the 15 Granny. Was a good granny to be at, finally got to see my team win a flag. Obviously not the best game and wasn't as good of a performance as 14 but still awesome to be able to relax for the last qtr.

The ones I wasn't at:

15 prelim - incredible fight. Freo kept coming, had the crowd behind them. Almost an underrated win in the grand scheme of things. We were really up against it at that stage after the WC loss in week 1. Suckers goal at the end of that qtr was sick.

14 GF - I don't need to say anything. Footballing perfection.

 

[madhawksfan]

2014 GF was the most enjoyable game from start to finish I’ve ever watched. 2013 PF was the best win given the circumstances.

 

[HairyO]

2013 Prelim really ended Geelong as a Finals contender.

2014 Prelim really ended Port as a football team.

2014 GF really was the execution of a team. The Swans were completely and utterly dismantled in every single position.

2015 was my first GF since 1984 so I will remember it well. Cyril wrecked West Coast from the centre forward. Frawley wrecked Kennedy every which way. And Lake's intercept on the goal line was as much fun as Shaw's in 2010 was game saving.

2013 GF was a mess of a game where nerves had both teams but Hawthorn rose and Freo faltered. With even average kicking Freo should have been right on us but just couldnt. And every time they started, we countered.

 

[Luv_our_club]

Essendon v Hawks in 2018 (2nd game) was a ripper. The one where Worps ran into goal to ice it in the last minute.

 

[Brishawk]

I chose the 2014 gf as a moment of pure joy and celebration.

if I had to choose one for importance during the home and away season it would be round 22 2014.We had just got over the line against the cats in the 2013 preliminary final and lost to them on water Monday. Lose again and the 2013 pf win looks like an aberration in the story of the curse. At half time we were down by 5 goals and struggling to score. In the second half we piled on 11 goals to win comfortably. This gave us the confidence to smash them in the qualifying final two weeks later and set us up for back to back flags.

 

[beta_condition]

Round 7 2014 Hawthorn Vs Saints. Hawthorn won by 25 goals in pouring down rain would have been more other wise, pretty much the last time until the finals Hawthorn were at full strength and why anyone was kidding them self if they thought Hawthorn weren't clearly the best team that year. Full strength no team got close.

 

[Wizzmania]

Best I have ever seen the Hawks was in 2012 vs Collingwood, about round 17ish. Lewis played a stopping role on Shaw and kicked 5 and we ended up winning by about 50 from memory. I recall Suckling on a link and he then drilled it 60 metres to a running Lewis who slotted the goal from 40. Classic end to end stuff leaving the Pies totally flat footed. Don’t think that was the game of the classic Guerra torp to Stratts to Buddy best end to end goal ever, but I could be wrong. Pies has one winner on the day: Beams kicked 5 too.
Sadly we ran out of puff later that season, but that was the best execution I’ve seen from us, and we have enjoyed the best of the best on multiple occasions.
Go Hawks

 

[Endorphin Machine]

I don’t think I’ve ever been as emotional after a game as I was for the 13 prelim. My final siren reaction was so intense , so over the top , I can still remember looking at the eyes of one geelong supporter (amongst a whole bay of them) as I was ranting and he gave me this look of “ ok ok I get it , you won , take it easy”. After years of copping sms abuse after those Kennett curse games, I wasn’t going to let it slip. Sweetest win ever, consolidated by the gf win the next week.
The only thing that could ever beat it is a gf win against * .
And very close second was the 2014 gf . Just the most perfect day out , from the beautiful Melbourne weather to the team performance , complete commitment to the cause and desire to make up for the 12 loss. It was quite awesome to watch.

 

[Endorphin Machine]

Best I have ever seen the Hawks was in 2012 vs Collingwood, about round 17ish. Lewis played a stopping role on Shaw and kicked 5 and we ended up winning by about 50 from memory. I recall Suckling on a link and he then drilled it 60 metres to a running Lewis who slotted the goal from 40. Classic end to end stuff leaving the Pies totally flat footed. Don’t think that was the game of the classic Guerra torp to Stratts to Buddy best end to end goal ever, but I could be wrong. Pies has one winner on the day: Beams kicked 5 too.
Sadly we ran out of puff later that season, but that was the best execution I’ve seen from us, and we have enjoyed the best of the best on multiple occasions.
Go Hawks

I really believe we played our most breathtaking football in 2012 , it’s a shame that one game slipped away from us.

 

[wizzard400]

I was going to vote for the 2013 Prelim but I went with the 2014 Grand Final after some thought.

To this day I cannot think of another match where a team has comprehensively smashed the other both physically and mentally to such an extent, in a Grand Final no less. People forget, some so called 'experts' were saying that year that that Sydney team was one of the best of all time.

I think it's the most satisfying win of the decade for sure.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

I really believe we played our most breathtaking football in 2012 , it’s a shame that one game slipped away from us.

Not just the one game.

We were a car crash in the 2012 Prelim too, but stole it late.

 

[LindaCresLove]

I voted for the 2013 Prelim. for obovious reasons.
As I hate geelong so much.
it's a toss-up with the 2014 GF.

BUT:

Of the 10 contenders one was was omitted, my clear 3rd was a H+A game!

In my opnion the Rnd 3 2014 v Freo game was almost as good as the above 2, I rate it ahead of the other 8 listed.

As usual all the toss-bag scribes had claimed we got lucky in the 2013 GF, so this, the Grand Final Replay, was the opportunity to silence them once and for all.
And silence them we did!
Final Score 137 to 79.
Some of the most scintillating football we have ever seen. dominant decisive and with most ruthless skills.

One piece of play I will never forget was 2nd qtr: Lake contests. (Full back)
Shields slaps foward,
Spanger handballs to Shieds, ( half back)
Rioli gathers, passes to Poppy,
Poppy slaps back into the path of running Rioli (wing)
Rioli streaks thru half forward flank, members side,
Kicking long to a loose Breust (Fwd Pkt)
(If you watch a replay,) this is the point where Bruce exclaims !!
"He will caresses it down someones throat" ( one of my favourite Bruceisims )
Breust marks, dodges opponents, weaves, goals. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All thru this Ross Lyon's mighty men were looking like the "witches hats" he had trained them to be.

Outstanding performances from: Roughead, Langford, Hill (remember when he wore Brown n Gold), Silk, Smith. The whole flippin team.
Not forgetting it was the only game Matt Suckling won Brownlow votes! and the much maligned Chaney and Simkin made solid contributions.

So in conclusion:

Round 3 2014 should be up there with the best games of the decade.

Arguably not the "best", but thats what i hope too see every week I watch the Hawks play, the standard was set.