The Hawks were able to match the Tigers for much of the game but a final quarter burst late in the match by Woorndoo-Mortlake put the match beyond reach for Tatyoon to lost 38-42.

The first quarter was an even encounter with the Hawks trailing 9-11 at the first break.

Neither team was able to gain an obvious ascendancy, as the Tigers extended their lead by one to take a three-goal lead into the main break.

The second half continued to provide a see-sawing battle with Woorndoo-Mortlake starting to look like running away with the win.

The Hawks rallied in the final quarter to get back within one goal but were unable to close out the game.

Maggie Astbury finished the game with 24 goals to top the Hawks’ scoring.

Astbury was named the Hawks’ best alongside Alice Astbury.

Tatyoon coach Maryanne McDougall said the team put everything into the match and will not be left wondering.

“Their tenacity and determination cannot be faulted, as a coach you are always just thinking whether you should have made a move earlier and questioning different things but they did their best,” she said.

“I could not be prouder of the girls and how we could come to be within one goal of them in the final quarter was exciting.

“We thought when we got to within a goal, Woorndoo-Mortlake was the team that was looking tired but it was not to be in the end.”

It was the Hawks’ first grand final appearance in recent years and will give the team plenty to build on going into the 2018 season.

“Maybe we were not quite ready yet, given it had been so long since we played in an A Grade grand final,” McDougall said.

“I thought they handled the occasion, we were two goals down at quarter time but we could just never get our noses in front at some point which was important for us to do with a young team.

“But all credit to Woorndoo-Mortlake though, we played our best and threw everything we could at them and they were able to hang on.”

McDougall said the loss could be valuable for team in the future.

“I told them they have to know the pain and how bad it feels to lose, that is why it is so sweet to win and premierships are really hard to win,” she said.

“So that could be the catalyst to push them further in the coming years.”

Woorndoo-Mortlake’s Georgia Muir was named best on court by the umpires.