THE MOOD after a semi-final win is always subdued. A formidable foe awaits the victor.

And so it was again after Hawthorn defeated the Sydney Swans in the second semi final on Friday night.

The prize: a preliminary final berth against Collingwood, the defending premier and loser of just two games through the season.

The other constant from the semi-final winner is hope and confidence and ambition.

"We all start even now," Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson said. "We know that Collingwood have been in outstanding form but at the start of the game it's 0-0 and we'll give it a crack."

The Hawks will do more than give it a crack. They lost their only encounter against the Magpies in round 15 by 41 points.

But on that day they were missing Jordan Lewis, Brad Sewell and Cyril Rioli. With those outs went some of the confidence and skill required to execute their short kicking, possession-heavy system and the game was effectively over at half-time.

Recent statistics are interesting. Hawthorn has defeated Collingwood in five of the past seven matches between the two teams, although the Magpies are two from three since the forward press, the Leigh Brown factor and the Magpie dominance began midway through 2010. The Pies' loss was a dead rubber in round 22 last season that may have been a win if Dayne Beams had kicked straight late in the game.

But the Hawks proved in 2008 their ability to upset giants when they defeated Geelong in the Grand Final that year after the Cats had lost one game for the season.

"Get to this pointy end of the season and anything can happen," Clarkson said.

Although it's another self-evident truth from the coach, it's the one that keeps people turning up to watch sport week after week.

These two teams have not turned up for a final at the MCG since 1978, when Don Scott and Len Thompson were skippers of their respective clubs. The two teams have only met at the venue in a final three times - the other times being in 1977 (the famous game where Phil Carman got suspended for elbowing Michael Tuck and missed both Grand Finals) and 1974.

But next week will be '70s style footy in terms of toughness only. It will be Collingwood's fearsome forward press against a system of kicking and keepings off that the Hawks have worked on all season in order to overcome the Magpies.

Clarkson's theory (or more specifically the players' execution of his theory) is about to be tested.

Hawthorn has a few things in its favour.

Josh Gibson knows how to spoil a marking contest, so he is a good person to have around to spoil a Magpie party. Collingwood has Travis Cloke and Chris Dawes up forward and he will be trying to peel off them next week to have the same effect again in the preliminary final.

"Gibbo will have one of those big brutes next week and we'll see how he goes," Clarkson said.

'Buddy' Franklin is fit enough to play. He has kicked 34 goals in his eight games against the Magpies. Two bags of six, a bag of five and a bag of eight the story of four of those clashes. With Collingwood's Ben Reid missing last week the cards are suddenly in Franklin's favour.

The midfield is where Collingwood can expect dominance. It has Dale Thomas returning and Dane Swan in peak form - the Pies are now in better shape in the middle than back in round 15. Alan Didak did not play in round 15 and Collingwood had two early debutants in Luke Rounds and Alex Fasolo.

Clarkson even admitted that the Swans got hold of the Hawks in the middle at various stages during the semi-final. It was then that Hawthorn's defence looked vulnerable.

But Brad Sewell, Sam Mitchell, Jordan Lewis and Luke Hodge will be better for the run. Their contest with Scott Pendlebury, Swan and Thomas will be brutal.

Franklin convinced himself last Saturday he was going to play. This Saturday he will be convinced the Hawks can beat Collingwood. The preliminary final the season promised has come to pass.

"We've got to hope we can try and dominate a game against the Pies next week," Clarkson said. "That is going to be tough. They have been an outstanding side for a long time." 

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs