Adelaide players react to their loss to Collingwood in the 2025 qualifying final. Picture: AFL Photos

IT IS the significant piece of history Hawthorn must overcome on Friday night. And while is may gave Adelaide belief, it also puts the Crows under pressure to avoid a straight sets exit.

Fresh off a remarkable elimination final win over Greater Western Sydney on Saturday, the Hawks will make the trip to Adelaide Oval for a semi-final for the second straight year.

Last year, history was also against them. Since the current finals format was introduced in 2000, no team had lost a semi-final after losing the qualifying final by 50-plus points, and Port Adelaide continued that run with a thrilling win a week after being belted by Geelong.

This year, the Hawks will come up against the Crows, the minor premiers who were well beaten by Collingwood in their qualifying final.

Since 2000, no minor premier has been eliminated in straight sets. Remarkably, of the previous 25 teams to finish top, only six lost their qualifying final.

But only two of those six have then gone on to reach a Grand Final, with West Coast in 2006 the only one to win the premiership after losing a qualifying final.

The record for minor premiers avoiding straight-sets exits goes back even further, although it may be one the Hawks can take some inspiration from.

The last team to finish on top of the ladder and lose two straight finals was North Melbourne way back in 1983.

North, which finished first in the old top five, lost its first final to – you guessed it – the Hawks. Hawthorn would go on to win the flag, beating Essendon in the Grand Final after the Bombers had downed the Roos in a preliminary final.

Allan Jeans and Peter Knights celebrate Hawthorn’s win in the 1983 VFL final. Picture: AFL Photos

While a straight sets exit for a minor premier is incredible rare, it has become more common in recent times for teams to lose two finals in a row.

Since 2014, 11 teams in 11 seasons have exited in straight sets after just two clubs suffered that fate in the 14 seasons beforehand.

The introduction of the pre-finals bye may have been a contributing factor; since it came in in 2016, eight teams in nine seasons have lost two straight finals after finishing in the top four compared to five teams in the 16 seasons before the bye was introduced.

While they finished eighth on the ladder this year in an unusual season, it is also worth remembering these Hawks were playing for a top-four spot on the final Sunday of the home and away campaign and will undoubtedly give Matthew Nicks plenty of sleepless nights this week.

And the Crows and Hawks have already played out two thrillers this year, with the Hawks winning in Launceston by three points in round 14, before the Crows were victorious by 14 at home in round 21.

If the past is a reliable guide, the Crows are well-placed to shake off their loss to the Pies and advance to a preliminary final against Geelong. The Hawks will need to defy history to spoil the party.

Minor premiers since 2000

2025: Adelaide (lost QF, plays HAW in SF)
2024: Sydney (won QF, won PF, lost GF)
2023: Collingwood (won QF, won PF, won GF)
2022: Geelong (won QF, won PF, won GF)
2021: Melbourne (won QF, won PF, won GF)
2020: Port Adelaide (won QF, lost PF)
2019: Geelong (lost QF, won SF, lost PF)
2018: Richmond (won QF, lost PF)
2017: Adelaide (won QF, won PF, lost GF)
2016: Sydney (lost QF, won SF, won PF, lost GF)
2015: Fremantle (won QF, lost PF)
2014: Sydney (won QF, won PF, lost GF)
2013: Hawthorn (won QF, won PF, won GF)
2012: Hawthorn (won QF, won PF, lost GF)
2011: Collingwood (won QF, won PF, lost GF)
2010: Collingwood (won QF, won PF, won GF)
2009: St Kilda (won QF, won PF, lost GF)
2008: Geelong (won QF, won PF, lost GF)
2007: Geelong (won QF, won PF, won GF)
2006: West Coast (lost QF, won SF, won PF, won GF)
2005: Adelaide (lost QF, won SF, lost PF)
2004: Port Adelaide (won QF, won PF, won GF)
2003: Port Adelaide (lost QF, won SF, lost PF)
2002: Port Adelaide (lost QF, won SF, lost PF)
2001: Essendon (won QF, won PF, lost GF)
2000: Essendon (won QF, won PF, won GF)