ALASTAIR Clarkson acknowledged his side's ‘pivotal’ third quarter that set up a 41-point win over Fremantle in Launceston on Saturday, but suggested the real test would come against the Swans at the MCG next Friday night.

Now at 6-2 and safely ensconced in the eight, the Hawks couldn’t blow away the luckless Dockers until the third term at breezy Aurora Stadium and may need to find another gear or two if they’re to beat the high-flying Sydney outfit.

“There’s no greater benchmark (than the Swans),” Clarkson said.

“They and Geelong at the present time have been the two sides, as well as the Kangaroos I suppose, that have really jumped out of the blocks.

“It’ll be a great contest. Irrespective of ladder position we always have a good contest against Sydney and they’ve got a big game against the Tigers tonight, but we’ll be looking forward to that contest and I’m sure they will be as well.”

Clarkson admitted his side had taken its time to assert any real authority over the winless Dockers, but in the spread of goal kickers and the further emergence of a couple of young forwards he was able to find a couple of genuine positives from an otherwise lacklustre match.

“It took us a long, long time to get some sort of scoreboard ascendancy,” he said, going on to summarise the kind of message his players may have received as they faced a two-point deficit at the long break.

“We overused the ball a little bit too much and didn’t get the ball forward enough to our forward line when we had a strong breeze in the first quarter.”

After half-time it was like a different Hawthorn had taken the field as they won ascendancy in the middle of the ground, repeatedly drove the ball forward and were able to hold a high defensive line in the process.

As a result the Hawks piled on eight goals to nil for the quarter and just as impressive for the coach was that with eight different players kicking truly the Hawks were able to finish the day with goals from no fewer than 11 players.

“We played really well in the third quarter and had 15 shots on goal in one quarter which was pivotal to the outcome of the game, really,” Clarkson said.

“It’s difficult for a team to defend against when so many guys are hitting the scoreboard like that and earlier in the season we weren’t able to get that but the last couple of weeks we’ve had a much greater spread of goal kickers which is good.”

Tim O’Brien (two goals) and James Sicily (one) were among the youngsters who showed they are beginning to find their feet in the Hawks line-up, pleasing their coach no end.

“They’re getting exposure to the level and learning every week,” he said. “They’re inconsistent with their application to different areas of the game but the exposure to the level and the learning they get from it and just little moments when they do some really good things.

“O’Brien did some really good things where he gets great confidence out of little moments and as do all young players when they can attack the ball and hit it really hard in the air like he did a few times.

“It’s still a steep learning curve for these lads as they get accustomed to playing league footy and doing it week to week but we’ve been pleased with their progress today.”