Summary Lance Franklin kicked five goals to help the Hawks overcome a 26-point deficit.
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) - The first-place Hawthorn Hawks overcame some strong first-half resistance by North Melbourne to beat the Kangaroos and clinch a home playoff match in the Australian Football League.
Lance Franklin kicked five goals to help the Hawks overcome a 26-point deficit after just eight minutes and 13 at halftime en route to 17.15 (117) to 15.13 (103) win.
"We were down and out at different stages through the second quarter and found a way to get ourselves back into the contest in the third quarter," Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson said. "(We) then just held them at bay in the last part of the game."
Second-place Geelong, four points behind the Hawks, kept pace with one round to go in the regular season, beating the Sydney Swans 13.14 (92) to 7.6 (48).
The Cats need to beat Brisbane at home next weekend to guarantee a top-two finish and a home playoff final, while the Swans will finish third or fourth and have to travel in the first week of the playoffs.
Port Adelaide booked its spot in the playoffs despite losing by 74 points to Fremantle. Hayden Ballantyne and skipper Matthew Pavlich booted four goals apiece as the Dockers moved into third place with a 21.8 (134) to 9.6 (60) victory over Port.
Essendon's 12.10 (82) to 9.22 (76) win over Carlton guaranteed Port Adelaide would finish in the top eight, even if Port loses to the ninth-placed Blues next weekend.
Essendon coach James Hird said the win showed his players' character, coming after an emotional week in which details of charges against the club over last year's illegal supplements program were revealed.
"It just shows the courage and the heart of the players that we've got," he said. "The players that we've got are very special people, they've gone through a terrible six months."
Collingwood beat the West Coast Eagles 15.11 (101) to 5.9 (39) as the Magpies kicked eight of the games's first nine goals. Adelaide midfielder Scott Thompson gathered a game-high 33 disposals as Adelaide beat Melbourne 18.12 (120) to 7.10 (52), with Lewis Johnston kicking six goals for the winners.
On Sunday, St. Kilda won its first match in two months as captain Nick Riewoldt starred with 15 marks and four goals and Leigh Montagna had 33 disposals and three majors in a 17.14 (116) to 10.10 (70) victory over Gold Coast.
