Hawthorn defender Mackenzie Eardley was sent to hospital on a day of injury carnage for the Hawks during their nine-point win over Fremantle.
Eardley injured her neck late in the opening quarter of Sunday's match at Fremantle Oval.
The 20-year-old received treatment for more than five minutes on the field before being stretchered off and taken to hospital for precautionary scans.
Adding to Hawthorn's woes, Kristy Stratton and Laura Stone suffered game-ending ankle injuries in the opening quarter, leaving the Hawks with just two fit players on the bench.
The Dockers closed to within five points in the last term but Hawthorn bravely held on to post the 5.4 (34) to 3.7 (25) win.
Hawthorn (6-1) finished the round in third spot, putting them in prime position to reach the finals for the first time.
"It's just really exciting. I don't think it has sunk in yet," Hawthorn's Irish star Aileen Gilroy told Fox Sports.
"We're one step closer to finals. How this team has grown in the last year is amazing."
Hawthorn captain Emily Bates claimed nine clearances alongside 19 disposals and eight tackles.
Hawks ruck Lucy Wales finished with 43 hitouts and 11 tackles in an intriguing battle against Mim Strom (37 hitouts).
Hawthorn laid a remarkable 96 tackles for the match.
For Fremantle, Aisling McCarthy (24 disposals, five clearances) and Gabrielle Newton (21 disposals, seven clearances) battled hard all day.
Fremantle (5-2) slipped to sixth, with the loss to Hawthorn denting their top-four hopes.
The Dockers won the inside 50m count 11-6 in the opening term on the back of 10 disposals apiece to Newton and McCarthy.
But Hawthorn's attack on the counter proved too hot to handle for the Dockers, with the visitors slamming through three goals to one to take a 10-point lead into quarter time.
Despite being down on personnel, the Hawks increased their lead to 16 points early in the second quarter, but Ebony Antonio kicked an opportunistic goal for the Dockers to close the gap to 12 by the long break.
Hawthorn were forced to defend for almost the entirety of the third quarter, but Fremantle's only return was three behinds.
Orlagh Lally's goal early in the final quarter reduced the margin to five points, putting all the pressure on the tiring Hawthorn.
But just like they had all game, the Hawks dug deep and returned fire via Jess Vukic's maiden AFLW goal with less than four minutes remaining.
