In Saturday's cut-throat elimination final against the GWS Giants, the Hawks face a daunting challenge at Engie Stadium, where they haven't tasted victory in eight attempts.
Their season hinges on breaking this hoodoo while proving they can match it with top eight opposition in enemy territory.
The Giants will lean heavily on their influential half-back line, with Lachie Whitfield and Lachie Ash serving as the architects of GWS's attacking forays.
These two playmakers use their creativity and vision to dissect opposition defenses in transition, making them crucial barometers for the Giants' success.
However, Hawthorn's hopes of advancing to week two of the finals will be helped by half-forward Jack Ginnivan, whose remarkable renaissance has transformed both his own fortunes and those of his team.
After being dropped earlier this season due to poor form, the 22-year-old has engineered one of the most impressive comeback stories of 2025.
Since his round seven axing, he has recaptured the form that helped Hawthorn break their nine-year finals drought in 2024, emerging as a pivotal figure in the Hawks' impressive 15-8 home and away record.
His ability to read the play and orchestrate scoring opportunities through his teammates has become a cornerstone of Hawthorn's attacking structure.
The numbers tell the story of his transformation. According to Champion Data, Ginnivan has climbed to become the sixth-best general forward in the competition, averaging 19 disposals, 3.8 marks and 1.1 goals per game across his 22 appearances this season.
More tellingly, since returning from his early-season exile, he ranks in the top 20 for both ball-winning and ball use, contributing an average of 6.2 score involvements per game in his past 17 appearances.
His willingness to venture up the ground and initiate scoring chains has added a new dimension to Hawthorn's forward craft.
This is where Ginnivan's big-game pedigree becomes invaluable.
As both an ANZAC Medal winner and premiership player when he was at Collingwood earlier in his career, he has proven his mettle on football's grandest stages.
In sudden-death finals football, where careers can be defined by moments of brilliance or despair, players of Ginnivan's temperament become worth their weight in gold.
For the Hawks faithful packed into Engie Stadium today, the equation is simple: if Ginnivan can maintain his scintillating form line, Hawthorn's premiership aspirations remain alive.
Should they overcome the Giants, Adelaide awaits in week two of the finals series.
But first, the Hawks must conquer their venue demons and prove that their resurgent half-forward can deliver when the stakes have never been higher for the Hawthorn Football Club.
