Rank underdogs heading into the match, the Crows came within a kick of staging - according to bookmakers - one of the biggest upsets in AFL finals history.
Trailing by 16 points at three-quarter time, Adelaide kicked three unanswered goals in the final term to hit the lead with less than six minutes remaining. But Hawks stars Cyril Rioli and Lance Franklin, who both missed set shots earlier in the quarter, stepped up and kicked consecutive goals to put the home team back in front by 10 points.
The spirited Crows came again, with Taylor Walker coolly slotting his fourth straight goal with 16 seconds left on the clock. However, the ball spilled Hawthorn’s way at the next centre bounce, leaving the siren to sound with the Hawks five points in front.
“We’re gutted. We gave it everything we had. The tough thing will be looking back and thinking ‘could we have done this?’ or ‘could we have done that differently?’” a shattered van Berlo told FIVEaa after the game.
“I’m so proud of the boys. They fought it right out. No one gave us a chance tonight, but we knew we could do it and that’s what hurts the most, that we couldn’t quite get there.”
Like most of his teammates, van Berlo battled to keep his emotions in check after the heartbreaking defeat. The mood of utter devastation was met with immense pride in his team - a team that had defied the odds and naysayers to climb from 14th on the ladder to within a kick of a Grand Final berth in the space of 12 months.
“They’re a bloody special group, these boys,” van Berlo said.
“I had no doubt whatsoever at three-quarter time that we wouldn’t throw the towel in. We haven’t done that at all at any point throughout this year. We’ve been behind at three-quarter time (and won) numerous times and that speaks volumes about the character of this group.
“We’ll stick together now. It’s going to hurt like hell for the next couple of days and throughout pre-season, but we’ll come back bigger and better next year.”
