Hawthorn Midfield Coach Sam Mitchell says the side's inability to finish its work against Essendon was its ultimate downfall.
The Hawks had more inside 50 entries than the Bombers in their Round 13 clash but simply struggled to convert their opportunities.
Mitchell said many of the building blocks towards a win were in place.
"Other than the third quarter, we dominated field position but we just couldn't get a mark inside 50," Mitchell said post-match.
"Our connection with our forwards as a midfield group wasn't there.
"We just didn't make the most of our chances."
Mitchell highlighted young on-baller James Worpel as a shining light on Friday night, with the number five collecting a career-high 34 possessions.
