Hawthorn fell short of pulling off an upset win in their 14-point loss to Adelaide on Friday night, which has now made their run to the finals precarious.
In front of a sold-out crowd of over 50,000, the Hawks went into the clash knowing that a win would keep alive their top four chances, while a loss would put them back into the logjam of teams still trying to cement a spot in the top eight for this year's finals series.
In a game of momentum swings and shifts, the Hawks flew out of the gate, kicking the first five goals of the game and silencing the Adelaide crowd, as they caught the in-form Crows team off guard with a first-quarter blitz.
The momentum gained quickly evaporated, as the Crows went on a run of goals, with their midfield gaining the ascendancy and the Hawks struggling to get the ball forward.
The second quarter fade-out saw the Hawks register just seven inside 50s for the quarter and were held scoreless, while the Crows went on their merry way, kicking six goals in a row, bringing the parochial Adelaide crowd to their feet.
With their season on the line, and with the momentum well and truly against them with the Crows kicking the first goal of the third quarter, the Hawks could have turned up their toes and given up.
Instead, Sam Mitchell's Hawks fought back courageously, taking the home town crowd out of the equation, kicking five goals for the third term and regaining the lead heading into the final change.
Just like they had done before when leading against fellow top eight contenders Gold Coast and Fremantle this season, the Hawks were unable to hold the lead, struggling to take their scoring chances under the intense finals-like pressure, kicking 2.4 for the term.
At the same time, the Crows looked like they wouldn't miss, taking every opportunity that came their way to kick 6.2 and run out 14-point winners in a game fitting of a final.
The Hawks had their chances in the last to seal the game.
However, they were unable to take their key chances, with Nick Watson, Jack Gunston and Massimo D'Ambrosio unable to convert on crucial shots.
At the same time, the Crows, through veteran Key forward Taylor Walker, took every opportunity they had, kicking straight and taking the game away from the Hawks.
With the game on the line, the Crows' leaders stood up to be counted, with Dawson, Walker, Riley Thilthorpe and Izak Rankine all playing a pivotal part in securing their 15th win of the season.
The Hawks relied too often on Will Day, Jack Gunston and James Sicily to keep them in the clash, with too many players unable to stand up and be counted in the physical encounter, succumbing to the pressure of the situation and leaving the team with many thoughts of what could have been.
While Mitchell would be proud of the Hawks endeavour to not give up meekly and to push the red-hot Crows to the limit in the clash, the second quarter fade out would be of concern, as the Hawks struggled with contested possessions, clearances and couldn't gain any control of the quarter, as they were dominated by a rampant Crows outfit led by skipper Jordan Dawson.
Skipper James Sicily continued his resurgence of form since his injury layoff due to a hip complaint, gaining 18 touches in the backline, with 11 marks, nine intercepts and five rebound 50s as he helped repel waves of Adelaide attack.
Star midfielder Will Day started the clash with nine first-quarter possessions, before fading due to match conditioning, ending the contest with 19 touches, seven clearances and five score involvements as he tried to lift the team when they needed a surge of energy.
Day left the field in the final quarter with severe cramping as he ran out of gas in his second match back from a fractured navicular that caused him to miss a significant chunk of the season.
With the Hawks trying a four-tall forward line in the clash with Mitch Lewis, Calsher Dear, Mabior Chol and Jack Gunston, it was the veteran who caused the most headaches for the Crows backline.
33-year-old Gunston ended the match with figures of 4.1 from 10 touches, using his skill and forward nous to prove a thorn in the side for the Adelaide backline and taking his tally for the season to 49 goals.
The loss now leaves Hawthorn with an uphill battle to make this year's finals campaign with two massive clashes against the past two premiers in Collingwood and Brisbane to come.
If the Hawks are to make the finals and give the Premiership a shake this year, they will need to quickly fix their ability to stay in games when momentum shifts, having now dropped three games against top eight teams when they have been in front at the last break, unable to hold tough when the pressure in tight games cranks up.
