Geelong's vaunted superstar trio have played together for the first time but Hawthorn spoiled the party with a stunning one-point win in an Easter Monday classic at the MCG.
The Hawks led by a game-high 25 points midway through the final term but the resurgent Cats levelled the scores with just less than four minutes remaining.
Hawthorn skipper Jarryd Roughead scored the decisive point when he marked over Zach Guthrie with 61 seconds left in the match.
Geelong desperately launched the ball forward but Alastair Clarkson's men fought tooth and nail to claim a 17.16 (118) to 18.9 (117) win in front of 73,189 spectators.
Led by Tom Mitchell (40 possessions and two goals) and Ben McEvoy (43 hit-outs and a goal), the Hawks hunted in numbers to pressure the Cats at every opportunity.
Geelong's home crowd reached fever pitch as Patrick Dangerfield, Gary Ablett and Joel Selwood lined up inside the centre square for the opening bounce.
And the trio delivered, with Ablett (35 disposals and a goal), Dangerfield (31 and two) and Selwood (29 and one) their side's leading possession winners.
All three touched the ball in the opening exchange but the Hawks soon found their feet to lead by two points at the first break.
The Cats quickly led by 11 points after a strong start to the second quarter but with ex-Port Adelaide speedster Jarman Impey prominent, Hawthorn marched back to lead by four goals at half-time.
Chris Scott's men trailed by 18 points at three-quarter time, setting up a pulsating climax.
Hawthorn suffered an early blow when veteran Shaun Burgoyne limped to the bench with a hamstring injury in the first quarter and did not return.
Both sides made late injury changes - the Cats lost Mitch Duncan and Esava Ratugolea and brought in Nakia Cockatoo and Mark O'Connor, and Hawthorn replaced James Frawley with Kaiden Brand.
AAP
