HAWTHORN can still improve despite its commanding 56-point thrashing of Essendon on Friday night, defender Brian Lake says.

In a performance Lake ranked alongside the round seven win over the Sydney Swans as the Hawks' best of the season, the former Bulldog said his teammates' delivery forward and all-around pressure were most pleasing.

"It's definitely the best game we've played for six weeks," Lake said from Pinewood Primary School, where he was promoting Life Education, on Monday morning.

"We've been a little bit flat, but we've still been able to get the wins, which is the important thing.

"We've still got a lot of areas that we need to improve on.

"We've had two losses, but there are some games where we've been pretty average.

"We're just slowly building on those, and then hopefully everyone's body's right and raring to go come finals."

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Sitting a game clear on top of the ladder, Lake said the Hawks would continue to carefully manage player workloads to ensure the squad was at its peak come September.

"It's just about maintaining the training levels, and making sure that if there's guys who need a rest, that they get the opportunity to," he said.

"We're not going to go through games pushing guys that aren't quite right.

"You give those guys the time to get their body right for the end of the season."

The ladder leaders will regain Shaun Burgoyne from suspension for this week's clash with Richmond, who won the teams' last meeting, in round nine last year, by 62 points.

Hawthorn will have an extra two days' rest leading into the Saturday afternoon blockbuster, which Lake hoped would provide an advantage.

"We'll have an eight-day break, so hopefully everyone's fresh and ready to go," he said.

The 31-year-old, who crossed from the Bulldogs at the end of last season once it became clear they were entering a rebuilding phase, said the change of environment had given him a new hunger.

"I can see the door closing on my career, so to come into a side that's in a premiership window – I don't like saying that – but it's very exciting," Lake said.

"It definitely does revitalise you. I'm enjoying every minute of it."