RETIRING Hawthorn veteran Luke Hodge bade farewell to Tasmania in style in a 27-point win over North Melbourne in Launceston on Sunday.

Returning from suspension, the former skipper played his final game in the Apple Isle as Hawthorn recorded an 18.8 (116) to 14.5 (89) victory.

Full match coverage and stats

Luke Breust booted a game-high four goals, captain Jarryd Roughead kicked three and a host of other Hawks scored doubles.

Hawthorn held the lead all afternoon with the margin blowing out to 51 points midway through the third quarter.

But it wasn't all smooth sailing.

Five talking points: Hawthorn v North Melbourne

The Kangaroos went into the final term with momentum on the back of five-straight goals which reduced the margin to 19 points.

"We were really good for large parts of the game but we just had a really poor 15 minutes in the back part of the third quarter that just gave them a bit of ascendancy," Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson said. "(It) made the last quarter more of a grind than we would have liked.

"By and large we were pretty pleased with the victory."

Devonport junior Ben Brown was a standout up front for the Kangaroos with three goals.

But the Hawks rallied in the last quarter in front of a 14,509-strong crowd.

The Kangaroos lost captain Jack Ziebell before the match with a foot injury and were slow to start with Kayne Turner booting their first major in the 24th minute.

Kangaroos coach Brad Scott said he was pleased with the fight his side showed during the second half but lamented basic errors that cost them goals at various times during the match.

"We just need to keep working on the basics of the game with a different looking side," he said, going on to suggest the grit shown to fight back after half-time was particularly pleasing.

"You're almost thinking some of our young guys might turn it up a little bit, but they went the other and they got back on the front foot and kept attacking and kept the effort up around the contest and managed to kick five goals in a row that got us back in the game."

Hawthorn ball magnet Tom Mitchell finished with a game-high 35 disposals.

MEDICAL ROOM
Neither side reported any significant injuries from Sunday’s game and will leave Launceston with a clean bill of health.

NEXT UP
Hodge's farewell tour continues with the Hawks taking on Carlton under lights at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night. The Kangaroos will be fighting hard to register another win before season's end when they meet St Kilda at Etihad on Sunday afternoon.

HAWTHORN               5.3       10.5     15.5     18.8 (116)
NORTH MELBOURNE 3.1       5.2       12.4     14.5 (89)

GOALS
Hawthorn: Breust 4, Roughead 3, Henderson 2, Smith 2, Burgoyne 2, Gunston, Hartung, McEvoy, Howe, Miles
North Melbourne: Brown 3, Zurhaar 2, Preuss 2, Garner 2, Turner, Atley, Higgins, Mountford, McDonald

BEST 
Hawthorn: Gunston, Smith, Hodge, Mitchell, Breust, Roughead
North Melbourne: Higgins, Tarrant, Brown, Clarke, Preuss, Gibson

INJURIES 
Hawthorn: Nil
North Melbourne: Nil 

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Hay, Findlay, Glouftsis

Official crowd: 14,509 at University of Tasmania Stadium