High-spin states in neutron-rich Hf-180 and Hf-182 nuclei were populated through inelastic and transfer reactions with a Xe-136 beam incident on a thin Hf-180 target, and investigated using particle-gamma coincidence techniques. New collective band structures were observed, and previously known rotational and vibrational bands in these nuclei were extended to higher angular momenta. No obvious nucleon alignment was observed in the ground state band of either nucleus up to h omega=0.43 MeV, a significant delay compared to lighter even-even Hf isotopes. Woods-Saxon cranking calculations were performed to predict the nature of the first band crossings and shape evolution in Hf-180,Hf-182.