HAWTHORN coach Alastair Clarkson believes his players need to learn how to look for a better attacking option should they mark out wide, after a dismal return of 22 behinds against Richmond on Sunday.

Clarkson said the Tigers consistently pushed the Hawks out wide in their attacking half during the MCG clash, and criticised his players for attempting to score rather than centring the ball.

"We were forced wide pretty well because of their numbers behind the ball, and that was good play by Richmond and it is something we need to work on," Clarkson said, after the two-goal win.

"We still had 23 or 24 marks inside our 50, which is usually a pretty big indicator you are going to kick a big score. But, we were forced wide and a lot of those shots were from too wide.

"We need to learn how to square the ball up a little bit once we do take a mark inside 50. We were taking a few pot shots from time to time, and it just meant that your conversion rate is nowhere near as good as if you have those shots from the centre of the oval."

He also said Richmond's determination to play a loose man behind play actually cost the Tigers the game, as it allowed the Hawks to move freely in their attacking half.

"There is no doubt in my mind that them dropping a number behind the ball was the reason we won the game," he said.

"It freed up players further afield for us that actually meant the game was played in our half of the ground. It was 57 inside 50s to 33, they got through easily on a couple of occasions, but by and large, when they are loading numbers behind the ball like that, the game is going to be played in your half.

"Because there is so many numbers in your forward line, your conversion rate is not as good as you would like it to be.

"But when the game is played like that, you usually end up on top and that's what happened today."

He said while spearhead Lance 'Buddy' Franklin didn't have his kicking boots on, shanking 1.7, he was pleased the forward at least had eight shots on goal.

Clarkson also said it was positive to see other players, such as Jarryd Roughead, Cyril Rioli and Mark Williams, capitalise on Franklin's lack of scoring ability.

"When those guys can kick goals for us too, then it doesn't matter so much whether 'Buddy' kicks goals for us or not," he said.

"We still kicked a big score, scored over 100 points again and had 40 shots on goal."

The Hawks coach admitted his players didn't put on a good show for the 46,076 fans in attendance, but was ultimately satisfied they regained the initiative after surrendering it in the third term.  

"It wasn't a very entertaining game of footy. Our poor kicking marred the game a little bit," he said.

"Full credit to Richmond, they created a contest for the full four quarters of the game and it was only late in the game we were able to get a little bit of a buffer on them.

"I thought earlier in the game, if we could have capitalised on some opportunities and placed some scoreboard pressure on Richmond, the game might have opened up a little bit earlier.

"Full credit to them, they hung in there and got their nose in front in the third quarter. It was good for us to rebound and take control of the game again and finish up winners."

Franklin came off late in the game with what appeared to be a shoulder injury, but Clarkson said the forward is "fine" and was benched because he "couldn't find an avenue to goal through him".