A late holding-the-ball decision against Port on its attacking wing gave the Hawks the breathing space needed to halt the game.

Even a last ditch volley through the middle of the ground from Jay Schulz had Port Adelaide looking a chance to score a late winner, but congestion around the ball's landing inside 50 quashed the Power's September hopes.

It was a hard slog to get as close to Hawthorn as it did though, the Power having made life difficult for itself after quarter-time.

Missed opportunities in the opening term cost the visitors an opportunity to gap the Hawks early, with a 3.9 score at the first change leaving the Power an unrewarding two-goal advantage.

Unrewarding, because the Power had blanketed Hawthorn for most of the quarter.

And of course, the Hawks launched a brutal volley over the next two quarters - led by the six-goal effort of their key forward Jarryd Roughead.

The stoppage dominance Port had in the first term reversed the way of Hawthorn, and the Hawks proceeded to set up opportunities in attack with deft kick-and-handpass to execute its turnaround.

Hawthorn's ability to win at stoppages was instrumental in achieving its scoreboard superiority and its ability to restrict the Power's options when out of possession in turn kept the ball inside the brown-and-gold's attacking half throughout the second and third terms.

The Hawks used this dominance to kick six goals-to-two in the second term, and five-to-three in the second. 

By three-quarter time, the Power still led the inside-50s. 

With chances in front of goal going begging, and few opportunities seemingly going the way at ground level, Port Adelaide had to work what was possibly its hardest effort for the season to buy back into the game.

If the Port Adelaide Football Club was to leave September, it wouldn't die wondering.

The palpable excitement of the Port faithful after goals to Angus Monfries and Jared Polec seemed to spur the Power on, it attacked the game with ferocity as tired legs ran, and ran, and ran.

At times, it looked like the fatigue of Hawthorn's brutal turnaround had cost the Power, but the visiting runners rallied time and again; volley after volley. 

Hawthorn barely clung on.

Angus Monfries and Robbie Gray worked hard to create score up forward, while Travis Boak continued to press his claim as one of the League's best captains with a 33-disposal performance.

Gray and Boak had 17 contested possessions apiece, in performances warranting joint best-on-ground performances.

As Travis Boak marshalled his troops into a huddle after the final siren for a season-closing speech - not unlike that of 2013 - the Power then strode to the club's faithful supporters behind the eastern goals.

Many of those supporters - estimated at 20,000 - made the trek to Melbourne to support the club away from home.

Many of them will return on Sunday at 2:40pm to Port Adelaide's own cathedral - the Adelaide Oval - to spur on the club's SANFL side in the state league grand final against Norwood.

Port Adelaide returns to Adelaide on Saturday night and will commence its 2015 pre-season in November.

SCOREBOARD
PORT ADELAIDE    3.9    5.11      8.13    13.16 (94)
HAWTHORN           2.3    8.4        13.6    15.7   (97)

GOALS
Monfries 4, R. Gray 3, Boak, Schulz, Neade, Westhoff, Wingard, Polec

PORTADELAIDEFC.COM.AU’S BEST
R. Gray, Boak, Westhoff, Monfries, Ebert, Neade

INJURIES
Hombsch (TBC)

SUBSTITUTION
Andrew Moore replaced Jackson Trengove at three-quarter time

CROWD
74,856 at the MCG