DESPITE kicking just six goals for the match, Hawthorn's three-point win over Adelaide was its strongest victory for the year, according to coach Sam Mitchell.

The two finals aspirants went toe-to-toe in a Launceston slog, with a cumulative 11.25 kicked between the two teams in freezing and slippery winter conditions.

"I was really proud of the boys. Adelaide, they're a good side, they're very good, they're going to be right there," Mitchell said.

"It was probably our best win of the season. It was a really tough night, we were minus-10 tackles at quarter-time, and we ended up being able to wear that back and be in front in the end. 

"Having that stability behind the ball means we didn't want to lose clearances as significantly as we did, particularly early. But our defenders held up really well, which gave us enough chances early in the game to get the win.

"I'm sure you saw, on the bench, there was a fair bit of steam coming off the heads of the players. It was a beautiful day, absolutely magic, but obviously the temperature drops quite steeply with no cloud cover. It meant it was going to be slippery. 

"I thought [Adelaide] handled it really well early, they were slick, [in] their first quarter they were really hard to tackle. Their ball use and clean hands was first class. It took us a little while to get up to speed to be honest. I think it was the conditions that led to the low scoring."

Adelaide midfielder Sam Berry had held matchwinner Jai Newcombe to just five disposals in the first half, and 10 in the second, but the hard-working Hawk took full advantage of a loose ball to kick the last goal of the match.

"Someone like 'Newk' kicked the goal – he didn't have a great night, he got sat on a lot, and he battled away all night, but he stayed in it, stayed in it, stayed in it, and his moment came right at the end," Mitchell said.

"He's been sat on a lot, over this year. It's been a steep learning curve for him. Without Will Day around, teams are more likely to go after Newk, and without 'Worps' tonight (James Worpel, quad) – and I think we missed 'Worps' around the coal face and the clearance battle, it took us a bit of time to get into that.

"'Newk', I think, as he matures as a player – being able to make a contribution, maybe not as prolifically, but still with his impact in key moments, I thought it was a really good leaders game from 'Newk', I was really pleased with him."