COLLINGWOOD has gone down to Hawthorn by eight points in athrilling finish to a tight and intense encounter at Telstra Dome on Sundayevening.

The Hawks won 15.5 (95) to 12.15 (87) after Collingwood hit the front shortly before redtime in the fourth term.

In the absence of four of their best defenders, the Piesbackmen stood strong despite the Hawks' three-pronged attacking structure. NickMaxwell was terrific while Heath Shaw, Shane Wakelin and Dane Swan worked hard,and Tyson Goldsack had a learning experience opposite Lance Franklin.

Without Anthony Rocca, the Pies would always struggle tokick goals, and the tight nature of the match didn't make it any easier. Therewere positive signs, however, with young Irishman Martin Clarke kicking threegoals and debutant Ben Reid presenting with ability.

Alan Didak put a tumultuous week behind him to boot twogoals, despite the jeers that echoed around Telstra Dome every time he wentnear the ball, while Dale Thomas added flair and Tarkyn Lockyer continued hisimpressive form.

It was an intense and incredibly tight first half. Aspromised, Reid lined up at full forward and attracted the attention of StephenGilham early, while Josh Fraser started in attack and young gun Goldsack wonthe responsibility of curtailing Franklin, who ended with four goals.

There were seven lead changes in the first half alone, andthe biggest difference came after Jarryd Roughead marked in front of Maxwell atthe 10-minute mark of the opening term and put the difference out to 10 points.

The Magpie army were quick to throw their support behind Didakand erupted when he kicked his first in the second term. They were, however,even more pleased by the emergence of the debutant in Reid.

The youngest player in the AFL, and the Magpies' seventhfirst-gamer for the year, showed signs of stage fright when he shankedhis first two shots on goal, but gained confidence from his third when itsailed through the middle.

Maxwell left the field briefly after appearing to injure hisknee in a collision with Jordan Lewis, but to the Magpies' relief, the defenderwas back on the field within 10 minutes.

Reid impressed with his swift leads and strong hands, whileClarke celebrated his second game with his first goal in league football in thesecond term. The former Gaelic footballer ran riot early on, while Swan steppedup his personal game in the second.

Hawthorn led by three points at the first change, and thenone at the main break. While the Pies had experienced more of the ball and wereconvincingly on top in clearances, the Hawks' hard-working defence and pacymidfield kept the scoreline in their favour.

There were 13 individual goalkickers from both sides in thefirst half, but Roughead broke that trend when he slotted the first major ofthe second half.

Clarke soon scored his second for the Pies and levelled thescores, and the home side looked to have put together a match-altering momentwhen Maxwell ran down Franklindeep in the Hawks' attack and rebounded the ball to the other end.

The tight nature of the match continued, however, and theHawks got out to a one-goal lead twice more with the Pies dragging them back –but failing to get on top – each time.

Tim Boyle and Franklin finally combined to give the Hawkstwo straight goals – and a 12-point lead – but Paul Medhurst, who was a lateinclusion for Harry O'Brien, kicked a late six-pointer from near the boundary thatgave the Pies a five-point deficit to chase in the final term.

The Hawks were without Boyle in the final term after the keyposition player injured a hamstring late in the third, but his absence didn'tstop Franklinslotting the opening goal of the final stanza and giving his side a 10-pointbuffer.

Shane Crawford soon followed up and the game looked like itwas breaking open, but a terrific three-punch combination down the other endinvolving Dale Thomas, Swan and Didak – the latter with the goal - narrowed thegap once again.

From there, the Pies lifted. First, Didak ran down JoelSmith at half-forward and the result was a goal to Leon Davis before Thomasmarked in the goal square and gave the Pies the lead for the first time sincemidway through the second term.

However, goals to Michael Osborne and Roughead ended anychance of a Magpie victory.

The Magpies now meet the Saints at the MCG on Saturday,while the Hawks travel to Adelaideto meet the Crows on Saturday night.

HAWTHORN  4.2  7.4  11.5 15.5 (95)

COLLINGWOOD  3.5  6.9  9.12  12.15 (87)

GOALS
Hawthorn: LFranklin 4 J Roughead 3 T Boyle 2 S Crawford 2 M Osborne 2 C Young R Ladson.
Collingwood: M Clarke 3 P Medhurst 2D Thomas 2 A Didak 2 B Reid T Cloke L Davis.

BEST
Hawthorn: S Crawford J Roughead SMitchell L Franklin B Sewell M Osborne C Young C Bateman.
Collingwood: D Swan S O'Bree NMaxwell T Lockyer M Clarke H Shaw L Davis.

INJURIES
Collingwood: H O'Brien (shoulder) replaced in  selected side by P Medhurst. Hawthorn: T Boyle (hamstring).

Reports: Nil.

Umpires: S Jeffery S McInerney B Rosebury.

Official crowd: 50,248 at Telstra Dome.