Hawthorn is still adamant it can make a genuine premiership push in 2025, despite failing to lock away a top-four spot on Sunday against Brisbane.
As the Hawks went down by 10 points at the Gabba, so did their double chance, and it will result in an interstate elimination final against GWS or Fremantle, depending on Wednesday's result between Gold Coast and Essendon.
But coach Sam Mitchell looked at the relatively recent success of clubs saluting in the last Saturday of September from outside the top four, with Brisbane (2024) and the Western Bulldogs (2016) doing it the hard way.
"Wherever we finish, that's where the winner will come from," Mitchell said.
"Before there was the (week off before the start of the finals series), no one had won it outside the top four, and since then, a couple of teams have, including Brisbane last year, so we're not writing ourselves off.
"We're disappointed, but excited, and I'm sure every Hawks fan right now is thinking, 'that would have been a good (win) to get (over the Lions)', but we get to play four finals instead of three now."
However, the record stacks against the brown and gold outside of their home states (Victoria and Tasmania), with only one victory coming against Sydney in Opening Round.
Their losses to Port Adelaide, Gold Coast, Fremantle, Adelaide and Brisbane never exceeded a margin of 30 points.
"They've all been close ones," Mitchell said.
"That'll turn. We'll probably play interstate in our first final, so odds are in our favour.
"Finals footy for the second year in a row, which is great for our group."
Mitchell also refused to bite into the controversial fourth-quarter call where dashing defender Karl Amon was penalised for insufficient intent.
Karl Amon misses his target by handball and BRUTALLY gets pinged for insufficient intent - and the Lions goal as a result!😬
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🔢 MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/rjOkth0PS6 pic.twitter.com/NQaCgNt5YY— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) August 24, 2025
With six minutes on the clock and a two-point difference, Amon was pinged for an errant handball toward a teammate that trickled over the boundary line.
Jack Ginnivan was the nearest to the ball and in the vicinity, but wasn't deemed close enough, according to the umpire.
Brisbane's Bruce Reville made the Hawks pay full price and put a handy buffer between the two sides.
"I never really comment on that. All I can say really about umpiring is they made less mistakes than we did, so I'll worry about the ones we can control," Mitchell said.
