Forget the heartbreak of 12 months ago – the stakes are far higher for Hawthorn when they play Adelaide in Saturday’s AFL preliminary final.

The minor premiers are overwhelming favourites for the MCG twilight clash, a point that Crows coach Brenton Sanderson readily conceded earlier this week.

A year ago, a last-gasp goal to Luke Ball gave Collingwood a three-point preliminary final win over the Hawks.

The loss devastated Hawthorn and it became a media focus that pestered coach Alastair Clarkson leading into this season.

But the Hawks need a lot more than redemption – they must fulfil their vast potential.

A shock loss to the Crows would be calamitous and an even bigger preliminary final upset than Carlton’s epic 1999 win over Essendon.

For all the undoubted success of the Clarkson era, Hawthorn have only won two finals since their surprise 2008 premiership.

When Clarkson was inevitably asked on Friday about last year’s preliminary final loss, he also referred to their poor elimination final performance the year before against Fremantle.

“It (the disappointment) is no greater than the year before, really, when we played against Fremantle,” he said at training.

“I was actually prouder of our efforts in the Collingwood game last (year), albeit still disappointed that we lost.

“We played the Hawthorn way in the last preliminary final, but the year before against Fremantle we were poor.

“That was more disappointing, we didn’t play our brand of footy.

“Whatever we serve up, as long as we can be proud of our efforts, win, lose or draw, that’s what we want tomorrow night.”

Over the last five years Hawthorn have worked to a five-year strategic plan that is in its last season.

Under previous president Jeff Kennett, they enacted “five 2 fifty” – five seasons to achieve two premierships and at least 50,000 members.

With two games and eight days of acute pressure left in that timeframe, the Hawks have achieved one flag, 60,000 members and are clearly this season’s best team.

They have had an ideal buildup to this match, with hard wins over Sydney, West Coast and Collingwood.

Brendan Whitecross and Brent Guerra have been injury blows, but they regain key players Jordan Lewis and Clinton Young for Saturday’s match.

By contrast, Adelaide choked in their qualifying final against Sydney before rallying for a gutsy semi-final win over Fremantle.

They have also lost young key defenders Daniel Talia and Sam Shaw to injury in those games.

The potential ace in their pack is star forward Taylor Walker – he kicked five goals against the Dockers and is the sort of player who could tear Saturday’s match apart.

Hawthorn, of course, have Lance Franklin at the other end, plus a strong defence that can negate Walker.

Clarkson was a master of understatement when he summed up what’s at stake.

“There’s extreme satisfaction if you’re able to win through a prelim and extreme disappointment if you fall out of it,” he said.