HAWTHORN debutant Isaac Smith was all smiles following the Hawks' 32-point triumph over Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium on Friday night.
 
It was a dream start to the 22-year-old's AFL career, with the mature-age recruit gathering 21 disposals (five contested), six marks, a goal and a game-high six inside-50s in an impressive debut for the Hawks.
 
"It was fantastic," Smith said after the match.
 
"Obviously it's a bit quicker, blokes hit the target a fair bit more and bigger blokes take the marks.
 
"But it was the best run I've had in a long time."
 
Fellow debutant Paul Puopolo also made an impact in his first game for the club to demonstrate the depth of the Hawks' playing list, with the 23-year-old enjoying a 15-possession game in a respectable first appearance at AFL level.
 
But it was the senior players who ultimately put the result beyond the Power's reach, with ex-captain Sam Mitchell amassing 31 disposals and a goal, no-nonsense midfielder Brad Sewell registering 26 touches and a goal, and the twin towers of Lance Franklin and ruckman Brent Renouf sharing six goals between them.
 
However, Hawthorn did not have it all their own way, as the Hawks were thrown a challenge by Port early in the match. The Power played a risky but free-flowing brand of footy which reaped rewards to take an eight-point advantage into the quarter-time break.
 
The Hawks eventually found their rhythm to even the scores by half-time, but Smith did not attribute the team's unsteady start to the Hawks' bye in round 6.
 
"I don't think the break worried them at all," Smith said.
 
"The boys had a pretty hard session on Saturday, so it was pretty much like a normal week for them.
 
"I think it was more about just sticking to our structures. When you do that you're probably not going to necessarily blow the game out in the first half.
 
"Come the second half, I think we started to set-up a bit better and hit our targets more.
 
"It was just little things like that, and then it started to open up."
 
Smith's performance after half-time was one of the reasons for the Hawks' dominant second-half display, notching up 15 disposals and booting a crucial goal - his first in the AFL, to put down the Port resistance.
 
"Roughy [Hawthorn forward Jarryd Roughead] got the hard-ball get for me, so I could just sneak out the back and slot it," said Smith of his first-ever AFL goal.
 
"It was great."
 
The victory keeps Hawthorn in touch with the top four on the AFL ladder and gives them momentum heading into next Sunday's match at the MCG against the struggling Saints.
 
"Every time you have a win you want to carry it on," said Smith.
 
"To have a crack at a premiership, history shows that you need to be top four, so I guess that's where we are heading.
 
"It was just bloody good to have a win."