LANCE Franklin was reported for making head-high contact with Adelaide's Michael Doughty in the second quarter of their clash at AAMI Stadium, overshadowing Hawthorn's confirmation that it is the real deal in 2008, winning an extraordinary battle by four points.

Led by a sensational second half from skipper Sam Mitchell, the Hawks won 11.10 (76) to 10.12 (72), with Luke Hodge putting the visitors in front deep into the last quarter after an outstanding tactical battle.

It was the Hawks first win over the Crows in Adelaide in 14 years, and came despite Franklin being well held by Nathan Bock in front of a crowd of 44,559.

The Hawks' 11-1 season start is the club’s best ever, eclipsing 10-2 starts in 1986, 1988 and 1989 – all premiership years.

As important as the result was, the post-match will be dominated by the second quarter report of Franklin by umpire Michael Vozzo.

Mitchell (25 possessions) and Hodge (28) were outstanding for the Hawks, while Bock – surely the All-Australian centre half-back – and Scott Thompson were brilliant for the Crows.

Jarryd Roughead kicked three goals for the winners, while Jason Porplyzia booted three for the Crows.

This was a tension-packed tactical battle form start to finish, more like a game of chess at times than a football match.

The Crows came out hot, with five shots (for a wasteful 2.3) in the opening seven minutes before the Hawks even entered their own attacking 50. Adelaide had 24 possessions before Hawthorn managed its first.

Two goals to Michael Osborne and Cyril Rioli settled the ship for the Hawks soon after, and the rest of the opening quarter was an intriguing battle of to-and-fro, with minimal scoring but maximum tension.

All eyes were on the Franklin-Bock match-up, with Bock taking the early points yet Buddy still having three shots at goal, all behinds.

The Adelaide defence was racking up the stats, with Andrew McLeod, Graham Johncock and Ben Rutten having 27 touches between them as the Crows played a patient game of keepings-off to lead by a point at the first break.

The second quarter started exactly the same way as the first, with the Crows on fire and two early goals, this time to Edwards and Douglas.

With Adelaide back on top, the momentum was turned by the mysterious non-call of a legging free to Crows bigman Kurt Tippett, 20 metres from goal.

While the Crows players stood motionless waiting for the umpire’s call, the Hawks whipped the ball downfield, where Franklin wheeled out of a pack and set up Williams for a goal.

An intense period of hand-to-hand combat then followed, including the report of Franklin, as the game became a war of attrition. The physical toll of the match was also becoming apparent, the Hawks losing Chance Bateman to a hamstring injury after the Crows had lost Nathan Bassett in the first term.

Hawthorn eventually got the better of the battle, with Osborne setting up Roughead for a goal, and then another to Williams – a fantastic set shot from deep on the boundary – put the visitors in front for the first time after 22 minutes. Not to be denied though, Porplyzia replied moments later to keep the Crows ahead at the long break.

An early exchange of goals in the third – Mitchell for the Hawks and Douglas for the Crows – saw the lead swapped and seized back, and last four goals in the game had each changed the lead.

The Crows were able to break the sequence with two moments of class from Porplyzia, who goaled twice in a minute half way through the term for the Crows to seemingly break the shackles.

But Porplyzia’s brilliance was matched by Roughead, who replied with two of his own, a snap from 45 and a set shot from the same distance created by a Mitchell handball.

The Hawks would not be denied, with Mitchell raising his work rate (11 possessions for the term) and just three points separating the sides at the last break.

The Crows yet again got the first goal of the term in the last, with Tyson Edwards capitalising on great lead up work from Thompson and Porplyzia.

But – again – the Hawks would not go away.

Franklin booted his first after getting on the end of a bullet like pass from Mitchell; the Crows edged clear when Luke Jericho got on the end of more brilliant work from Porplyzia; and then Osborne booted a magnificent 65m goal on the run to keep the margin at two points half-way through the term.

Frantic end to end play ensued, before Hodge put the Hawks in front for the final time 22 minutes into the quarter.

The Hawks now meet North Melbourne, while the Crows travel to the Gabba to take on the Brisbane Lions.