HAWTHORN has handed Essendon its biggest loss of a trying 2016 season, waltzing to a thumping 108-point victory at Etihad Stadium that could prove a valuable percentage booster ahead of the finals.

The Bombers made a bright start on Friday night, kicking two of the game's opening three goals – both of them through Joe Daniher – but that only seemed to spark the Hawks into gear.

Kicking the next eight goals, the Hawks effectively had the Dons down for the count when they led by 48 points at the 13-minute mark of the second term.

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But with no technical knockout rule in place in football, Hawthorn toyed with the Bombers for the rest of the game to claim a 23.13 (151) to 6.7 (43) victory.

With the Hawks' best midfielder Sam Mitchell watching from the stands, Jordan Lewis stood up in the midfield with a game-high 36 possessions that included five clearances.

Five talking points: Essendon v Hawthorn

Hawthorn shared the goals around on its forward line, with goalsneaks Paul Puopolo (four goals), Luke Breust (four) and Cyril Rioli (three) all lively, and spearhead Jack Gunston (four) outstanding inside forward 50 and further up the ground as a link-up player.

Inexperienced key forward Tim O'Brien (two goals) also continued his encouraging recent development, while in defence Grant Birchall was at his creative best and Josh Gibson short-circuited Essendon attacks time and time again.

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson was pleased with his team's performance save for a few patches where it strayed from the game plan.

WATCH: Alastair Clarkson's full post-match press conference

"They probably should have kicked 10 (goals). We were pleased to keep them to a low score," Clarkson said.

"I was disappointed in parts of our third quarter and early part of the fourth, (but) overall we’re pleased with the effort of our players.

"Of all the sides in the eight, our percentage was the worst. To have a convincing victory like that (builds) belief in our players."

Friday started well enough for Essendon when it announced the re-signing of the WADA-suspended Tom Bellchambers and promising youngster Kyle Langford until the end of 2018, but it quickly turned sour.

Captain Brendon Goddard suffered a broken nose via an accidental knock in the opening 20 seconds of the match and the Hawks soon proceeded to wreak even greater damage on the scoreboard with their clinical foot skills.

This season was always going to be tough for Essendon with 12 of its best players serving WADA suspensions, but the going seems to get tougher by the week.

Friday night's loss was the Bombers' sixth by 10 goals or more across the first 12 rounds, and came just six days after previously winless Fremantle put them to the sword by 79 points at Domain Stadium.

Essendon's previous biggest loss had been the 81-point thumping the Sydney Swans dished out in round seven.

Bombers coach John Worsfold said the rest of the season promised to be "very, very tough" for his team, with only a few positives coming out of Friday night's game.

"The boys hunted the footy, they won the contested possession (117-101) which is, I think, the first time we've won that this year against a pretty strong team," Worsfold said.

"We got enough of the ball, but we turned it over (with) too many really poor clanger kicks straight to the opposition, which was the difference.

"That's the area where we're miles off in terms of making good decisions when they're fatigued or when they're under pressure, to make sure we get more value out of the footy we go in and win."

Zach Merrett (31 possessions) at least flew the black and red flag in a one-sided midfield battle, and received solid support from David Zaharakis (33) and Darcy Parish (27).

Daniher (two goals and 10 marks, three contested)worked his backside off in attack, Essendon's dismal 36 inside 50s meaning he often had to run up the ground to get into the game.

The Dons' miserable night was typified by the struggles of two of their top-up veterans James Kelly and Mark Jamar.

Kelly had plenty of the ball but was uncharacteristically sloppy by foot, giving the Hawks two shots on goal in less than a minute in the first quarter with kick-in turnovers.

Jamar took some nice marks in attack, but put a set shot from 35m out on the full early in the first term before missing two shots from 30m out dead in front in the last quarter.

Essendon did, in fairness, control the opening eight minutes of the game.

With Daniher and Mitch Brown in attack, and ruckmen Matthew Leuenberger and Mark Jamar rotating alongside them, the Bombers troubled the Hawks' defence with their height.

But once Hawthorn seized control in the midfield it was all one-way traffic, with the Hawks piling on the final five goals of the quarter – two of them to Paul Puopolo – to lead by 30 points at the first break.

The Hawks' lead should have been greater too, with Cyril Rioli and Luke Breust missing relative sitters later in the quarter.

The reigning premiers did not let up in the second term, kicking the first three goals before Essendon briefly stemmed their momentum with two of the next three.

It would prove a brief Bomber rally, however, as the Hawks kicked the term's final three goals to go into half-time 58 points up.

MEDICAL ROOM
Essendon: Brendon Goddard copped a broken nose in the game's opening moments and was on the bench for more than five minutes as the Bombers' medical staff struggled to stop the blood. He came off the ground again late in the first term and went down to the rooms for more treatment, but played out the game. "(Broken noses) are not comfortable things, but he's OK," Essendon coach John Worsfold said after the game.

Hawthorn: The Hawks emerged with a clean bill of health.

NEXT UP
The Bombers have a nine-day break before they take on Greater Western Sydney at Etihad Stadium next Sunday. They have only played GWS once previously at the Docklands venue, winning by 39 points in round six, 2013, but lost their most recent game against the Giants at Spotless Stadium last year. Hawthorn has another Friday night encounter at Etihad next round against ladder-leader North Melbourne. The Hawks have won seven of their past nine clashes against the Roos and five of the teams' past six games at Etihad.

Brendon Goddard suffered a broken nose in the opening seconds on Friday. Picture: AFL Media
ESSENDON      2.1    4.3       5.5       6.7   (43)
HAWTHORN     6.7   13.7    17.9    23.13   (151)                      

GOALS
Essendon: Daniher 2, Brown, J. Merrett, Langford, Bird
Hawthorn: Breust 4, Puopolo 4, Gunston 4, Rioli 3, O'Brien 2, Stewart 2, Smith, Burgoyne, Shiels, Langford 

BEST 
Essendon: Zaharakis, Merrett, Parish, Daniher, Fantasia
Hawthorn: Lewis, Birchall, Rioli, Gibson, Puopolo, Shiels, Howe 

INJURIES 
Essendon: Goddard (broken nose)
Hawthorn: Nil 

Reports: Nil 
Umpires: Kamolins, Fleer, Mollison 

Official crowd: 27,567 at Etihad Stadium

Mark Jamar, Will Hams and Ben Stratton compete for the ball on Friday night. Picture: AFL Media