An interchange infringement has cost Hawthorn the four points after St Kilda fought back from 14 points down in the final term to snatch a dramatic draw at Etihad Stadium.
The late drama unfolded as an interchange bungle involving Hawk Grant Birchall denied Hawthorn their ninth win in ten games just as Cyril Rioli looked to have put the Hawks 13 points up with only three minutes to play.
Rioli kicked the goal from 40m out but as the Hawthorn fans celebrated the umpire called it back with Saints skipper Nick Riewoldt kicking a point from the resultant free kick and 50m penalty to narrow the margin to six points.
Ruckman Ben McEvoy slotted the leveler with just 12 seconds remaining to snatch an unlikely draw from a Hawks side that will feel it had done all it could to win.
To make matters worse for Hawthorn, St Kilda barely wasted a chance, leveling things with 14.3 (87) to the Hawks' 13.9 (87).
The match was one of the arm-wrestles of the season, with the resurgent Hawks looking to hand the Saints a second straight loss after their 48-point humbling at the hands of Collingwood last week.
Luke Hodge did his Brownlow Medal chances little harm with a splendid 33-possession performance as he displayed all his poise and toughness on a night his side may rue the one that got away.
In fact the match posed a number of enthralling contests in a battle of the midfields, but in general, neither side invested too much time in negating any one player.
Leigh Montagna went head-to-head with Shaun Burgoyne, Hodge attempted to line up on Brendon Goddard as Clinton Jones tried to blanket him, while hard nuts Sam Mitchell and Lenny Hayes went toe-to-toe in the other tantalising match up.
Chance Bateman continued his emergence as a lock-down player, lining up on Nick Dal Santo, who, having recovered from a sore back, had little impact with just 19 touches.
Hayes was tireless as usual for the Saints with 30 disposals and 11 tackles and was joined by Goddard who also picked up 30.
For the Hawks, Franklin booted five goals from 19 touches and had ample support from sidekick Jarryd Roughead, who ended up with three goals.
The Saints needed to regain their firepower up forward after posting a measly 6.16 in their crushing loss to the Magpies last week.
And you sensed Riewdolt, playing his third match and his first at Etihad Stadium since he tore his hamstring against the Pies in Round 3, could provide the perfect platform.
In a cagey opening to the match the Hawks opted to release Franklin up on a wing in a bid to confuse the Saints' coaching staff.
But it didn't have the desired effect as the Saints seized the initiative with, not Riewoldt, but Justin Koschitzke finding space, to kick his side's opening three goals.
The Hawks hit back though and when Franklin wheeled onto his left boot and nailed the Hawks' third goal from 55m out, the scores were level.
An errant kick from Goddard with seconds to play fell into the hands of Cyril Rioli, who goaled from 45m out to hand the Hawks a one-point lead at quarter time.
With two star-studded midfields seemingly nullifying one another it looked like it would take something special from the respective power forwards to break the game open.
Riewoldt looked to have his characteristic spring back when he kicked back-to-back goals early in the second, to reduce the margin to two points.
An impetuous Franklin then gave away consecutive 50m free kicks with some back-chat after a shove on his opponent Zac Dawson.
Dawson strolled down to slot the easiest of sets shots but Buddy soon made amends when he snagged his second with a goal from 55m to snatch a three-point lead for the Hawks.
As the sides went to the break after a dogged first half it was now the Saints by a point.
Hodge steamed out of the centre and found Franklin deep early in the third with a ranging left foot kick and after Franklin goaled, the Hawks had opened up the biggest lead of the match, 11 points.
Unlike the first half, Franklin stationed himself in the goal square on a rather shaky looking Dawson.
The move paid dividends with Buddy snaring his fourth 12 minutes in as he marked unopposed on a tight angle.
He and Adam Schneider traded two goals each and just as you thought the Hawks might break away, the Saints had pegged the margin back to four points.
The Saints soon showed their menace on the break and at times the Hawks couldn't quite cover the gaps appearing in their defence.
When Schneider booted his third for the term at the 24-minute mark the momentum had again swung for the umpteenth time, with the Saints up by a goal.
And so the pattern was set, but with two almost impenetrable zone defences and almost no room to move for either side, you sensed that at some stage something had to give.
Early goals to Osborne, and Franklin's fifth for the Hawks from just on 50, put the Saints on the back foot at 14 points in arrears.
But as if on cue, Steven Milne bobbed up as he so often does.
He marked and goaled with a neat set shot before pouncing front-and-centre to snap his third from 10m out and in a flash it was the Saints, yet again, just a point behind.
Jarryd Roughead, often criticised for his inaccuracy in front of goal, showed steely poise with four minutes remaining, to slot his third and hand the Hawks a seven-point buffer.
If that drama wasn't enough, Birchall's error and Riewoldt's resulting goal completely turned the tide as McEvoy went on to break Hawthorn hearts with a late dribbling goal for the Saints.
It will come a little consolation for Hawthorn, but the fact that it challenged a genuine contender in St Kilda, and probably should've won, will give the side confidence leading into a potential finals tilt.
On top of that, Shaun Burgoyne's stellar form continued as he racked up 29 important touches while Brad Sewell backed up his 39-disposal game against Brisbane with another strong display.
He provided crucial grunt against a strong-tackling Saints side, picking up 28 disposals and looks to have hit the form that saw him one of the Hawk's best last year.
For the Saints, Nick Riewoldt's steady progress continued as he took nine marks and picked up 16 touches while Koschitzke kicked the Saints' first three goals but provided little up forward thereafter and finished with just six touches.
In the end the result will prove hollow for both sides, particularly Hawthorn, as the Saints will count themselves lucky given the late drama.
ST KILDA: 4.0, 7.0, 11.1, 14.3 (87)
HAWTHORN: 4.1, 6.5, 10.7, 13.9 (87)
GOALS: St Kilda: Koschitzke 3, Schneider 3, Riewoldt 2, Dawson, Milne, Steven
Hawthorn: Franklin 5, Roughead 3, Osborne 2, Rioli, Young, Whitecross
BEST: St Kilda: Hayes, Goddard, Ray, Schneider, Riewoldt, Fisher
Hawthorn: Hodge, Sewell, Franklin, Burgoyne, Mitchell, Gibson, Roughead
INJURIES: St Kilda: Nil
Hawthorn: Brown (broken nose)
REPORTS: Nil
CHANGES: Nil
UMPIRES: Vozzo, McBurney, Ryan
CROWD: 49,373 at Etihad Stadium