HAWTHORN has underlined its 2012 premiership credentials with a comfortable 74-point win over Greater Western Sydney in Launceston in their second-round NAB Cup meeting.

The Hawks led from start to finish, running away with a 2.12.18 (108) to 0.4.10 (34) victory as the fledgling Giants outfit struggled to deal with the home team’s superior strength and running power.

While the first quarter was a relatively tight and scrappy affair, Hawthorn opened a sizeable gap in the second term and looked untroubled thereafter, kicking nine unanswered goals either side of halftime.

Hawthorn was well-served by defensive duo Ryan Schoenmakers and Grant Birchall, the pair managing to repel numerous Giants’ forays as well as setting up plenty of play off half-back.

Luke Hodge was his industrious self in racking up 21 touches around the ground, and in Clinton Young, Isaac Smith and Luke Breust, the Hawks boasted a number of running options the Giants couldn’t contain.

The second-half performance of boom recruit Israel Folau would have given the Giants’ hierarchy plenty to smile about, as the big forward showed enough to suggest he’ll need to be closely marked throughout the season.

Starting the second half in the ruck, Folau soon moved forward and immediately gave the Giants a focal point.

The rugby league convert dragged down a couple of contested marks and was awarded a free kick after laying a strong tackle inside forward 50, but was unable to capitalise with a goal.

Folau did manage a goal in the final quarter when gifted a 50-metre penalty after another strong mark. It was his side’s only major in the second half until Adam Tomlinson kicked truly on the final siren.

David Hale was the major goalkicker for Hawthorn, booting three in the absence of regular focal point Lance Franklin.

Hale snapped the first for the match, but it was only allowed following a video review that took several minutes to confirm.

Schoenmakers extended the early lead with a supergoal before the Giants began to find their feet and made some encouraging forward forays.

They eventually posted a major through young speedster Nathan Wilson, who latched onto a long pass from the impressive Stephen Coniglio and sprinted clear of the defence to convert from close range.

Hawthorn        1.2.5    2.7.10        2.10.13    2.12.18 (108)
Greater Western Sydney   0.1.1    0.2.5          0.2.8        0.4.10 (34)

GOALS
Hawthorn: Schoenmakers (supergoal), Osborne (supergoal), Hale 3, Breust 2, Birchall, Hodge, Hill, Smith, Cheney, Bruce, Gunston
Greater Western Sydney: Wilson 2, Folau, Tomlinson

BEST
Hawthorn: Schoenmakers, Hale, Birchall, Hodge, Breust, Burgoyne
Greater Western Sydney: Coniglio, Palmer, Smith, Hoskin-Elliott, Wilson, Darley

INJURIES
Hawthorn: Nil
Greater Western Sydney: Nathan Wilson (ankle)

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Jennings, McBurney, Burgess, Foot

Official crowd: 5100 at Aurora Stadium

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily of the club.