Hawthorn has beaten Sydney by 42 points at the MCG on Saturday night, prevailing 17.8 (110) to 10.8 (68) after a tight contest for most of the match.
In what was mainly a scrappy affair, the Hawks conceded the first three goals of the match but recovered to be in front by two points at half-time.
Led by Peter Everitt at full-forward with four goals, Hawthorn outscored the Swans by nine-goals-to-three after the main break to run right over Sydney, which has now lost their last three games after starting the season with a thumping win over Carlton.
The match was in the balance early in the second half, with the first 12 minutes producing only one behind to the Hawks. Both sides were committing numerous skill errors when in possession.
Winning the match became a question of limiting those errors, and Sydney looked the team most likely when Nick Davis found space from a boundary throw-in to snap through his second.
The goal resulted from an indifferent marking at the stoppage, sparked the Hawks into action as they became more direct at goal and looked for Everitt at full-forward.
Nick Ries received a handball inside 50 from a marking contest, Ben Dixon made no mistake from a free-kick 15 metres out and Everitt marked strongly in front of Schauble as the Hawks led by 15 points at the final change.
Dixon’s goal in particular exemplified Hawthorn’s increased intensity and desperation, with Swan Paul Williams caught in possession after receiving an untidy handball from Stuart Maxfield deep inside defensive 50.
And when Jade Rawlings put through a six-pointer to open the final term, the Hawks were seemingly home.
Earlier, the visitors should have had a fourth major without reply to open the match when Schauble was awarded a free-kick and a 50-metre penalty, but he inexplicably missed his shot from the edge of the goal-square.
Hawthorn’s first real entry inside 50 came in the 12th minute of the quarter and resulted in a goal to Ben Dixon. It seemed to settle the home side as it made the most of its limited opportunities to kick three out of the next four.
The Swans extended their one-point quarter-time advantage when Adam Schneider goaled after a clever kick from Matthew Nicks found him all alone inside the forward 50.
Everitt started the second quarter in the ruck and started to push forward at every opportunity, a tactic that yielded two goals midway through the term as the Hawks took the lead for the first time in the match.
Barry Hall kicked truly in the shadows of half-time to reduce Hawthorn’s advantage to just two at the long break.
Hawthorn skipper Shane Crawford was one of the club's best despite suffering from gastro, a condition that also forced Richard Vandenberg to be a late withdrawal, replaced by Daniel Harford.
In the next round, the Hawks face Richmond at the MCG on Saturday while Sydney hosts Melbourne in an Anzac Day evening clash at the SCG.
HAWTHORN: 4.1, 8.2, 11.4, 17.8 (110)
SYDNEY: 4.2, 7.6, 8.7, 10.8 (68)
GOALS: Hawthorn: Dixon 4, Everitt 4, Rawlings 3, Lekkas 2, Tallis, Ries, Barlow, Harford. Sydney:Davis 2, Hall 2, Williams, Mathews, Stevens, Schneider, Goodes, Nicks.
BEST: Hawthorn: Hay, Crawford, Smith, Ralwings, Everitt, Bateman, Brown, Tallis. Sydney: Goodes, Williams, Kennelly, Mathews, Fosdike, J.Bolton.
INJURIES: Sydney: Williams (leg)
CHANGES: Hawthorn: Vandenberg (ill) replaced by Harford.
UMPIRES: Goldspink, James, Head
CROWD: 26,359 at the MCG
