HAWTHORN coach Alastair Clarkson was relieved to leave Launceston with four points and no further injuries after his side topped the courageous Western Bulldogs by 19 points on Saturday afternoon.

Having opened up a 44-point lead midway through the final term, the Hawks conceded the final four goals of the match, leaving Clarkson to joke with reporters that his side had "jumped on the bus" and left for the airport before the final siren.

"It was a pretty tough encounter in tough conditions, heavy ground," he said.

"(The Bulldogs) are a dogged side and hang in there and they’re made of the right stuff and headed in the right direction.

"We’re not pleased we didn’t finish the game well but we’ve got to freshen ourselves up and get ready for the Bombers now."

The Hawks will take on Essendon at the MCG next Friday night in an encounter between traditional rivals intent on cementing a top four berth ahead of the looming finals.

While the Etihad Stadium crowd is certain to dwarf the 14,022 that turned out on a fine day at Aurora Stadium, Clarkson was reluctant to hype up the round 18 blockbuster in the wake of his side’s tough win.

"Really, it’s just a matter of continuing to play good enough footy to get the four points and keep adding them up so you put yourself in a good position at the end of the year," he said.

He did confirm the likely return of Sam Mitchell after the former skipper was laid low with illness on Saturday morning, going on to suggest key forward Lance Franklin was also a good chance of returning next week from a lingering knee complaint.