HAWTHORN'S hopes of a home qualifying final could be on the line next week against West Coast after receiving a "wake-up call" in its surprise loss to Richmond on Friday night.
The Hawks were held to just seven goals in their first defeat since round eight, with the Tigers running out 18-point winners at the MCG.
After eight straight wins, the last three of which came at an average of nearly 100 points, the Hawks roared into outright favouritism for their third straight premiership.
But coach Alastair Clarkson said the loss to the Tigers was a good example of not taking anything for granted.
"We have been up for a fair amount of time, our boys have been terrific. But our footy club and the whole footy world perhaps gets a little bit of a wake-up call tonight," Clarkson said post-match.
"It is a nice headline for the media scribes to keep writing it is a foregone conclusion that Hawthorn is going to win [the premiership]. But we know within our own four walls we have to work really hard.
"Tonight we didn't work hard enough. We were outhunted in the contest and that was evident from the early stages of the game.
"For it to be a three-goal margin probably flattered us."
The defeat leaves Hawthorn in third position in the ladder, but if the second-placed West Coast beat Gold Coast on Saturday night, the Eagles will jump two games clear of the Hawks.
The Hawks travel to face the Eagles next week in Perth in a game that could end their hopes of a top-two finish. If they lose, the Hawks will likely need to travel again to Perth in the first week of the finals to meet either of the two West Australian clubs.
The champion coach said next week's game was no more important than the one after that and the one against the Tigers, but acknowledged the result would be a major factor in claiming a top-two finish.
"It's obvious the importance of the game in terms of the top-two, because if they win the game they're going to make it really, really tough with five games to go to try and catch up a two-game margin," he said.
"But the result of next week's game is not going to determine the Grand Final result. We'll back ourselves in whether we win or lose next week's game."
Defender James Frawley was substituted out of the game temporarily in the second term under the concussion rule, which brought on speedster Billy Hartung, who had an immediate impact as Hawthorn kicked five goals for the quarter.
Frawley returned after half-time, and Clarkson angrily denied there had been any tactical element to the substitution.
"We never, never overrule the doctor in terms of anything to do with that," he said.
Clarkson was "staggered" Richmond only kicked 10 goals and that the Tigers should have won by more given their dominance in all the key areas.
But he was comfortable knowing there were five rounds to go before the finals kick off, and enough time to regain the hunger that has been evident for the last two commanding months.
"We know the reality of League footy, and we know we're going to need to play our best in September," Clarkson said.
"Everyone is saying 'Oh well, you guys have got it'. It's July, for goodness sake. There's a long way to go."
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