The Dockers led by 25 points early in the fourth term before the Hawks launched an emphatic reply by booting the final eight majors of the contest to prevail 17.9 (111) to 13.11 (89).
Inspirational skipper Luke Hodge, quiet for much of the contest, played a key role in the Hawthorn revival along with fellow veterans Sam Mitchell, Shaun Burgoyne and Michael Osborne, who along with their captain all kicked crucial late goals.
Hawthorn held a 15-point advantage in the second quarter and had livewire Cyril Rioli to thank for five of the Hawks' first eight goals in the absence of star forward Lance Franklin.
Rioli finished the match with a career-best haul of five while super sub Luke Bruest booted three important majors in the second half.
Hawthorn now looks forward to a huge clash with undefeated competition leader Geelong at the MCG next Saturday.
"The last few games I've been playing that sort of deep forward with Buddy. I was kind of fortunate I had a bit more space to work in today and had a few more goals," he told Grandstand.
"Buddy is going really well pushing up and beating his opponent pushing back. We really missed him today up forward, he provides that spark."
Rioli said coach Alastair Clarkson turned to his smaller brigade to win the match when his side was trailing going into the last quarter.
"We needed a spark in the last quarter and Clarko thought we'd get a few of the smaller guys up forward because Freo was playing a bit tall and it paid off," he said.
Fremantle's top eight hopes took another blow without towering ruckman Aaron Sandilands, who was badly missed as the visitors were smashed in the clearances with the game on the line.
The Dockers have lost all eight games they have played without the key big man, who is still a few weeks from returning from a toe injury, and sit precariously at 5-5 on the cusp of the top half after tasting defeat in four of their last five.
It was a completely different story earlier in the clash as the Dockers kicked five of the last six goals to end the first half 11 points in front before adding the next three of the second half, including two to Stephen Hill, to surge 28 points clear.
Hill looked to have put Fremantle on course for a first triumph at the MCG for more than four years, with his third goal at the start of the final period, but could not find the support from his tiring team-mates.
But the Hawks took over with the electric Burgoyne kicking a rousing running goal out of the centre before Hodge put Hawthorn into a lead it would not relinquish with a pinpoint drop punt from a tight angle to open the flood gates.
Hawks: 17.9 (111) - C Rioli 5, L Breust 3, M Osborne 2, S Burgoyne 2, B Whitecross, C Young, J Roughead, L Hodge, S Mitchell.
Dockers: 13.11 (89) - S Hill 3, C Mayne 2, C Pearce 2, J Griffin, M De Boer, N Fyfe, P Duffield, R Crowley, T Mzungu.
Tags: sport, australian-football-league, australia, vic, hawthorn-3122, wa, fremantle-6160 First posted June 5, 2011 16:04:00
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