Sydney Swans v Hawthorn,
Qualifying Final, September 7, 1996
SCG
Sydney Swans fans groaned almost in unison as they milled outside the SCG before the 1996 qualifying final against Hawthorn.
There had just been an announcement that champion Swan full-forward Tony Lockett was a late withdrawal because of a groin injury.
Lockett to that stage of the season had kicked 114 goals from 20 matches and, without him, the Swans appeared to lack firepower.
The Swans the previous week had clinched the minor premiership for the first time since 1945 (when they went down to Carlton in the Grand Final), while Hawthorn had finished eighth, ahead of ninth-placed Richmond by just two match points.
The Swans would have been overwhelming favourites if Lockett had been available, but his absence gave the Hawks more than a fighting chance.
In fact, the Hawks looked by far the better side over the first quarter and a half. They kicked the first goal of the match, through Jason Dunstall, and moved the ball with pin-point precision.
The Swans looked flustered in their first finals appearance since 1987, whereas Hawthorn looked poised and more than capable of producing an upset, especially as their side contained no less than 12 premiership players.
Hawthorn led by nine points at the first change and the Swans’ chances of notching their first finals win since defeating Collingwood in the 1945 second semi-final looked bleak.
The Hawks even stretched their lead to 15 points in the third quarter, only to be dealt a savage blow later in the quarter when Dunstall tore a cruciate ligament and had to be stretchered from the ground.
The Swans’ seemed to sense their good fortune and Jason Mooney kicked two goals to leave the Swans trailing by just three points at the final change.
Another Mooney goal gave the Swans the lead early in the final quarter, only for a Tony Wood goal to restore the Hawks’ lead.
With the final in the balance, winger Stuart Maxfield gathered the ball on the boundary line and shot for goal from an extremely tight angle. The ball sailed through the goals and scores were level.
The Hawks rushed the ball forward from the centre bounce, only to be thwarted by the Swan defence, which eventually moved the ball to Paul Roos 65 metres from goal.
Too far out to score, Roos centred the ball and a huge pack flew for a mark in the Swan goal-square.
Hawthorn’s Nick Holland seemed to be in the perfect position but, as the ball neared his hands, the much smaller Daryn Cresswell flew to pluck the ball out of the air.
Cresswell converted and the Swans held a six-point lead with less than a minute to play. And they held on for a remarkable first finals win for 51 years.
Of course, the Swans defeated Essendon by a point in a preliminary final thanks to that after-the-siren by Lockett, but went down to North Melbourne by 43 points in the Grand Final.
SYDNEY SWANS 3.4 4.8 8.11 13.12 (90)
HAWTHORN 2.3 6.5 9.8 12.12 (84)
PLAYER MATCH STATISTICS
| K | H | |
| Paul Roos | 9 | 8 |
| Dale Lewis | 16 | 5 |
| Justin Crawford | 6 | 1 |
| Craig O'Brien | 11 | 6 |
| Andrew Dunkley | 7 | 6 |
| Brad Seymour | 7 | 3 |
| Daryn Cresswell | 17 | 1 |
| Shannon Grant | 7 | 7 |
| Stuart Maxfield | 16 | 5 |
| Kevin Dyson | 3 | 2 |
| Paul Kelly | 11 | 3 |
| Greg Stafford | 6 | 6 |
| Jason Mooney | 11 | 3 |
| Michael O'Loughlin | 8 | 3 |
| Derek Kickett | 6 | 1 |
| Simon Garlick | 7 | 3 |
| Mark Bayes | 1 | 0 |
| Daniel McPherson | 9 | 4 |
| Troy Luff | 13 | 0 |
| Adam Heuskes | 10 | 2 |
| Simon Arnott | 4 | 1 |
