Hawthorn has kept its top-four aspirations intact by the slimmest of margins, narrowly escaping with a four-point victory over an impressive St Kilda outfit at Etihad Stadium.
The Hawks' hopes of a top-four finish were in jeopardy all night, with the Saints' resilience and stunning work around the clearances (51-44) almost enabling them to pull off one of the season's most remarkable upsets.
St Kilda got to within two points of the elite Hawks in the final term, yet despite keeping the brown and gold to just two points, were unable to squeeze through the miracle major to secure its fifth win of the season.
Jack Steele was best on ground for the Saints (29 disposals, seven clearances) and was phenomenal in keeping Tom Mitchell to nine touches at half-time.
The Hawthorn ball-magnet finished with 33 touches, but was nowhere near the infleunce of Jack Gunston, whose 24 disposals and four goals steered Hawthorn to another September campaign.
Both Gunston and Steele were joint winners of the Silk-Miller Medal for their efforts, with Hawthorn taking home the Blue Ribbon Cup.
Hawthorn's four goals in the opening quarter threatened to rule the Saints out of the game early, yet Alan Richardson's men unified in the latter stages of the term, albeit with just the one goal against their name.
Jack Gunston began proceedings in typical fashion, before Shaun Burgoyne - who led the quarter with eight touches and two clearances - similarly hit the scoreboard to give the visitors an early buffer.
With the Hawks effortlessly finding space from the onset all over the ground, an unchallenged coast-to-coast play up the guts highlighted the need for St Kilda to immediately address the issue, with Luke Breust converting the Hawks' third major.
The Saints managed to turn the tables after their unconvincing start to the game, taking a leaf out of Hawthorn's book and finding a wealth of space when moving out the back end.
While the speed of the Hawks clamped down on St Kilda's movement forward, the Saints' ability to contend with their opposition in the clearances (17-10) and contested possessions (50-33) held them in good stead.
Despite James Worpel putting through the Hawks' fourth, a major from Jack Steele settled St Kilda heading into quarter-time, with 19 points separating the two sides.
But after steadying the ship, St Kilda took the helm in the second quarter, taking up the monumental challenge and slotting five goals against Hawthorn's three in a telling display.
Despite failing the clinch the lead, the Saints' efforts were among their best all season, as they tidied up their ball use and dominated the tackles (15-9), and clearances (11-7) for the term - ultimately leading the latter count 28-18 by half-time.
Jack Steele in particular was impressive throughout the midfield, racking up 16 touches and four clearances, all the while keeping his direct opponent in Tom Mitchell to nine touches and just he one clearance.
With the Saints well on top across the midfield and in the contested ball (85-60), the St Kilda forwards subsequently fired, with Jack Lonie, Tim Membrey and Jack Billings booting three goals from three inside 50s to claim the lead for the first time.
But the ascendancy was only fleeting as the Saints failed to pull away, with Ben McEvoy twice playing spoiler to his opposition's lead, despite goals to Membrey and second-gamer Ben Paton off the back of scintillating passages of play.
The Hawks managed to arrest back the momentum with a last-gasp goal out the back from Gunston, enabling the brown and gold to hold onto a slender five-point advantage at the major change.
Although finishing the opening half with the lead, Alastair Clarkson's men still had plenty to rectify heading into the remainder of the game.
Despite outscoring their resilient opposition five goals to four in the third term, the Hawks were unable to close the door on their opposition, despite the margin reaching 24 points midway though the quarter.
Hawthorn's half-time discussion ultimately didn't transpire into the ideal start however, with Jack Newnes the first goalkicker of the quarter, putting the Saints in front for the fourth time.
Gunston quickly rectified his side's early error, before second-gamer Conor Nash highlighted his deft rugby footwork with his first league major.
With Hawthorn's speed jumping up a notch and overwhelming the Saints - despite James Frawley being sidelined for the entire term with back soreness - the visitors looked set to break free after Jarman Impey and Gunston made it four goals in a row.
While Mitchell managed to get off the leash with 13 touches - despite most of them being racked up in the forward line - St Kilda once again managed to wrestle the momentum back in their favour, with Jack Lonie leading the charge up forward.
Some Jade Gresham cheek after outrunning McEvoy showed the Saints' willingness to take the game on, before Lonie capitalised with his second, and then third after cleverly drawing a free kick from Conor Glass.
With another Breust dribbler interrupting Lonie's run, the small forward jagged his fourth to see the Saints trail by just nine points at three-quarter time.
Although keeping the Hawks goalless in the last, St Kilda couldn't put through one last major to steal the win in what was an exceptionally tense final quarter.
A stunning Greshan snap off the back of a forced turnover brought the Saints within just three points, with the lead tantalisingly close as their opposition came to the realisation their top-four spot could go begging.
Fast play from the Saints put the Hawks under duress, yet no major score came for the rest of the term, with both sides steadily losing their composure as panic began to set in.
With Jarryn Geary and Bailey Rice both taken from the field for concussion tests after two separate incidents - the former of whom was ruled out of the match - St Kilda nevertheless failed to relent their intensity.
Despite peppering their forward 50, the Saints were unable to clinch a crucial mark or garner a clean entry into their attacking zone.
St Kilda subsequently dodged a bullet after Ryan Schoenmakers - and Hugh Goddard - failed to hear the ball had been touched in the square, before Mitchell and Isaac Smith narrowly missed shots on goal with three minutes left on the clock.
But those two points ended up being enough, with the Saints unable to secure the golden major to win them the match, with the Hawks running out as four-point victors.
St Kilda will host North Melbourne next Sunday at Etihad Stadium in its last game of the year, while Hawthorn will have an opportunity to secure a top-four finish when they play Sydney next Saturday night at the SCG.
ST KILDA 1.3 6.6 10.9 11.10 (76) HAWTHORN 4.4 7.5 12.6 12.8 (80)
GOALS St Kilda: Lonie 4, Membrey 2, Billings, Gresham, Newnes, Paton, Steele Hawthorn: Gunston 4, McEvoy 2, Breust 2, Nash, Worpel, Burgoyne, Impey
BEST St Kilda: Steele, Ross, Lonie, Gresham, Steven, Billings, Membrey Hawthorn: Gunston, O'Meara, Burgoyne, McEvoy, Breust, Mitchell, Nash
INJURIES
St Kilda: Carlisle (personal reasons) replaced in the selected side by Gilbert, Geary (concussion) Hawthorn: Frawley (back soreness)
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