HAWTHORN coach Alastair Clarkson has lauded the defensive improvements in Lance Franklin's game after the Hawks' superstar booted eight goals in Saturday night's win over Brisbane.

While Franklin's freakish numbers turned plenty of heads at the Gabba, Clarkson was more impressed with the things that didn't appear on the stats sheet.

In the second quarter Franklin created two contests that led directly to goals for Cyril Rioli and Clinton Young.

The Hawks ran out 19.16 (130) to 17.16 (118) winners.

"He's got an uncanny ability," Clarkson said of Franklin.

"We know he can kick goals from the boundary line and that sort of stuff but the greatest potency for us is he forces a great contest.

"There was three or four times in the game where he didn't score the goal, I remember the Rioli goal and Young goal, where he forced the contest, and that's been his greatest improvement as a player in my opinion in the last 12 months.

"His performances have been really pleasing from our point of view.

"It's the defensive pressure and forcing the contest that we're pleased with and if he's the recipient of getting on the end of the ball and kicking goals for us then we want him doing that because he's a good shot on goal and he likes kicking goals.

"If he's continuing to make contributions in that regard I'm sure we'll kick more goals than the opposition in most games."

At the other end of the ground Trent Croad was busy putting the clamps on Jonathan Brown, while Daniel Bradshaw was running riot on his own.

Franklin's tally of 8.6 was almost matched by Bradshaw, who booted 7.4.
But Croad was outstanding, keeping Brown goalless.

"I reckon they're the best dual combination in the competition in Brown and Bradshaw and it was good we had a big guy like 'Croady'," Clarkson said.

"Brown is a monster and we were pretty pleased our monster was able to come back and at least be able to contain him because he's a super player Jonathan Brown and Croady did a first class job on him tonight."

Clarkson had plenty of praise for Bradshaw as well, saying he had long been a fan and adding the way he'd come back from his knee injury had been "first class".

"It was a game where two forwards really dominated the play and we were fortunate we got over the line," he said.

"We were challenged and the guys responded really well.

"Brisbane are such a tough, physical side and they have been ever since Leigh's been coaching them. They play a tough, hard brand of footy and in many ways they've been the benchmark for a lot of clubs in the competition in terms of the way they go about it at stoppages.

"They towelled us up early in that area and we found it difficult to get any ascendancy, but to the credit of our guys we made it into a more fierce contest in terms of that disputed ball in the middle of the ground in the second half and it meant we could get the ball forward more often and give us a chance to kick a score.

"We're just really pleased to clock up our fifth win. We've got a long way to go, we're only early in the season."