Who could forget the last time Geelong played Hawthorn in a premiership season match?

Here is the match report filed by AFL Media's Nick Bowen after last year's extraordinary qualifying final.

GEELONG is through to a preliminary final after a pulsating struggle with reigning premier Hawthorn at the MCG on Friday night, escaping with a two-point win after Isaac Smith missed a shot on goal after the final siren.

The Cats took a two-point lead into the final term, with the lead changing four more times as both teams threw everything at each other.

First Cyril Rioli goaled to put the Hawks back in front at the four-minute mark. Cameron Guthrie hit back two minutes later with a major of his own, before Shaun Burgoyne split the middle on the run from 50m to put the reigning premiers five points up.

The goal-fest dried up from there as both teams vied for the prize of a home preliminary final and it was not until the 22-minute mark that Josh Caddy got free deep inside the Cats' forward 50 to kick what turned out to the sealer of the Cats' epic 12.13 (85) to 12.11 (83) victory.

Steven Motlop subsequently had two chances to put the game beyond doubt but could manage only behinds, before Luke Breust hit Isaac Smith 40m out from goal just before the final siren sounded.

Smith tugged his shot to the right for a behind, sending Cats fans at the MCG into a frenzy.

The Hawks had led by 17 points midway through the third term when they kicked three of the first four goals after half-time and, at the time, seemed to have the game on their own terms.

But, as we've come to expect with this great rivalry, the momentum then swung.

Unanswered goals to Daniel Menzel, Lincoln McCarthy (his second for the term) and Mark Blicavs helped Geelong reclaim a two-point lead at the 27-minute mark, before a Luke Breust goal – following a contentious deliberate out-of-bounds free kick against Tom Lonergan – gave the Hawks the lead again in the dying minutes of the quarter.

But a Cats clearance at the next centre bounce set up a Steven Motlop mark and goal that sent them into the final break two points up.

Patrick Dangerfield (35 possessions) was a midfield bull for the victors, and was ably supported by Joel Selwood (26) and Cameron Guthrie (22).

Tom Hawkins' ability to contest on the Cats' forward line was invaluable, his two-goal return not an accurate reflection of his impact on the contest.

Lincoln McCarthy (two goals) was also lively in attack and Mark Blicavs' run and pinch-hitting work in the ruck was important.

For the Hawks, Jordan Lewis (36 possessions) was outstanding all night, providing much of their inside grunt, while he had good support from Sam Mitchell (30), Luke Hodge (29) and Shaun Burgoyne (21).

GEELONG       2.3    5.5   10.9   12.13  (85)
HAWTHORN   1.2    6.6   10.7   12.11  (83) 

GOALS
Geelong: Caddy 2, McCarthy 2, Motlop 2, Hawkins 2, J.Selwood, Menzel, Guthrie, Blicavs
Hawthorn: Breust 3, Rioli 2, Schoenmakers 2, Gunston 2, Burgoyne 2, Hill  

BEST 
Geelong: J.Selwood, Dangerfield, Guthrie, Hawkins, McCarthy, Blicavs, Menegola 
Hawthorn: Lewis, Birchall, Gunston, Rioli, Breust, Hodge, Mitchell 

INJURIES 
Geelong: Menegola (right ankle)
Hawthorn: Sicily (illness) replaced in selected side by Howe, Burton (calf)   

Reports: Nil 

Umpires: Margetts, Stevic, Meredith

Official crowd: 87,533 at the MCG