HAWTHORN delivered another chilling statement to its rivals and spoilt Lance Franklin's 700th-goal celebrations with a crushing 89-point win over the Sydney Swans at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night.
Following up their 72-point thrashing of ladder leaders Fremantle last week, the Hawks slammed on the first seven goals and plied on 14 goals to three in the second half on their way to a 23.8 (146) to 7.15 (57) win.
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The comprehensive victory lifted the Hawks above the Swans into third and was even more one-sided than their 63-point win in last year's Grand Final.
Former Hawk Franklin, who started the game on 698 goals, kicked three in as many minutes in the second quarter to briefly give his side hope, but the Swans never reduced the deficit below 18 points.
Incredibly, the Swans were blown away despite notching 15 more contested possessions and just one less inside 50.
Five talking points: Sydney Swans v Hawthorn
The Hawks were ruthlessly efficient in attack and their swarming defence pressured the Swans into numerous errors.
It was Hawthorn's seventh straight win since its four-point loss to the Swans back in round eight.
The normally miserly Swans hadn't conceded over 100 points in a game this season, but Hawthorn reached the century mark before three-quarter time.
Jarryd Roughead, back from his cancer scare, kicked five goals, Jack Gunston four and Cyril Rioli three for the Hawks.
Gunston kicked three first quarter goals as Hawthorn surged to a 35-point advantage at the first break.
Franklin's second quarter hat-trick and a smart goal to co-captain Jarrad Mcveigh got the Swans back to within three goals, only for Hawthorn to kick the last two majors of the term to hold a 30-point half-time lead.
The insatiable Hawks kicked the first two of the third term and seven goals to two for the quarter to lead by 55 at the final change.
The visitors piled on the misery in the final quarter, kicking seven goals to one.
Compounding the loss for the Swans, full-back Ted Richards was reported for striking Sam Mitchell and Craig Bird was subbed out early with an ankle injury.
Ted Richards has gone into the umpire's book following this incident with Sam Mitchell #AFLSwansHawks http://t.co/LKAqj9YCjA
— AFL (@AFL) July 18, 2015
Hawthorn lost Brad Hill before the game to a corked calf, with Angus Litherland his replacement.
Both coaches pinpointed Hawthorn's superior efficiency in the front half as the key factor in the game.
"We were able to defend the Sydney entries really well throughout the course of the night and we were able to make the most of our opportunities," Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson said.
"The efficiency of our boys when they were in their front half was really good and our defensive structures were quite strong behind the ball."
Swans coach John Longmire lamented his side's inability to convert some of its early scoring opportunities.
"We couldn't maintain possession or couldn't hit targets or hit the scoreboard going forward and we couldn't stop them scoring going the other way," Longmire said.
Clarkson suggested the AFL look at playing games exclusively at the SCG after Roughead suffered some scratching when he slid onto some bolts in an area behind the goals following a push by Swan Dane Rampe in the third quarter.
The ground had to undergo a reconfiguration after a rugby league game was played at the venue on Friday night.
"It's the only venue in the League that has to prepare for two different codes in two days, and it makes it really really difficult. I suppose that's why everyone's preference is the SCG rather than this oval when it comes to playing in Sydney," Clarkson said.
Earlier tonight, Jarryd Roughead was nudged off the ANZ Stadium playing surface following a kick for goal. http://t.co/rxZlmQGefg
— AFL (@AFL) July 18, 2015
SYDNEY SWANS 0.2 4.5 6.12 7.15 (57)
HAWTHORN 6.1 9.5 16.7 23.8 (146)
GOALS
Sydney Swans: Franklin 3, McVeigh, Parker, K. Jack, Kennedy
Hawthorn: Roughead 5, Gunston 4, Rioli 3, Breust 2, McEvoy 2, Hale, Smith, Litherland, Schoenmakers, Shiels, Puopolo, Suckling
BEST
Sydney Swans: Kennedy, Parker, Hannebery, Goodes, Jetta, McVeigh
Hawthorn: Rioli, Birchall, Hodge, Roughead, Mitchell, Gunston
INJURIES
Sydney Swans: Craig Bird (calf/achilles), Tippett (hand)
Hawthorn: Bradley Hill (corked calf) replaced in selected side by Angus Litherland
SUBSTITUTES
Sydney Swans: Zak Jones replaced Craig Bird in the second quarter
Hawthorn: Billy Hartung replaced David Hale in the last quarter
Reports: Ted Richards for striking Sam Mitchell in the first quarter
Umpires: Stevic, Hosking, Pannell
Official crowd: 37,369 at ANZ Stadium