HAWTHORN has overcome a three-quarter time deficit to steamroll Fremantle by 22 points at the MCG on Sunday afternoon.

The Hawks kicked the last eight goals of the match to win 17.9 (111) to 13.11 (89) after trailing by 18 points at the final break.

Outstanding fourth quarters from Sam Mitchell, Luke Hodge, Jarryd Roughead and Grant Birchall influenced the win - Hawthorn's fifth in a row.

The Hawks have not dropped a match since their round-five loss to Geelong,  a result they will seek redemption for when the sides meet again at the MCG on Saturday night.

Cyril Rioli also played a large part in the result in the absence of Lance Franklin, who withdrew from the side with a calf injury on Saturday, with a career-best five-goal performance.

Afterwards, the 21-year-old told Fox Sports Franklin's absence had actually worked in his favour.

"Good to have Buddy out of the side, gave me a bit of space, " Rioli said with a smile.

The Hawks easily won the midfield battle in the final term registering 15 to 10 clearances and 51 to 34 contested possessions as they piled on eight goals to Fremantle's one. 

They had nine goalkickers for the day, including five in the last quarter alone, which bodes well for the side should Franklin miss the clash with the Cats.

Influential players
Osborne was the Hawks' best in his seventh game for the season with 23 touches but there were a handful of players that broke the game open and stood up in the telling final term. Mitchell had 11 fourth-quarter touches (31 for the game), including five contested, as well as five tackles and one goal. Birchall chipped in with 10 touches (25 for the afternoon), two inside 50s and two rebounds, and Luke Breust - playing as the substitute player for the fourth week running - kicked two goals.

What it means
Hawthorn enters its clash with Geelong next week with winning form and momentum that started late in the third quarter. Additionally, the Hawks know they can kick a winning score without Franklin, while Breust and Max Bailey - who had 25 hit-outs and five clearances in his third game back from three knee reconstructions in four years - can take confidence from their performances.

New faces
Jordan Lisle, a 20-year-old key position player in his third year at the Hawks, was told late in the week he had been added to the side after Franklin failed to come up from his calf complaint. He showed a bit in the first quarter with three strong marks but his kicking left plenty to be desired with two points from gettable shots. He set up Rioli's second goal but when he failed to make an impact in the second quarter, his debut game ended with him relegated to the bench as the subbed out player midway through the third.

Kyle Cheney, who played 14 games for Melbourne in his three years at the club, made his debut in the brown and gold (and khaki), and had 17 touches after starting at half-back, almost half of which were contested.  

Kokoda spirit
The Hawks had Kokoda veterans visit the club during the week in the lead up to their second themed match designed to increase the awareness of the Kokoda Track's significance in Australian history. After the game, coach Alastair Clarkson said it had been the club's chance to acknowledge all wartime veterans as the club was not part of the annual Anzac Day commemorations. Rioli went a step further and said it had played a motivating part in getting his side back in the contest.

"This was the Kokoda game and the pillars that they had over there. Endurance, courage, mateship, sacrifice. We took that into the last half," he told Fox Sports.
 
What the coach said
Hawthorn - Alastair Clarkson
"I fair dinkum feel like I've got a hangover.

"It was just a tough day because I thought we weren't playing the way we would like early on in the game.

"What was really pleasing was we were able to get ourselves back in the contest and win the game but it took us until 20 minutes into the third quarter where the momentum just started to, albeit not on the scoreboard, shift our way."

Toyota AFL Dream Team highlight
Hawthorn: Despite their last-quarter dominance, the Hawks had only two players reach double figures. Mitchell finished with a game-high 129 Dream Team points, while Roughead continued his great form playing in the ruck and up forward with 104.

The next four
Hawthorn: The Hawks reignite their rivalry with the Cats next Saturday night at the MCG and will be desperate to atone for their 19-point loss in round five. Following their clash against Geelong, Alastair Clarkson's men travel to Tasmania to face the Suns, followed by blockbuster clashes against Essendon and Collingwood at the MCG.

Quarter by quarter
FIRST QUARTER
While the Hawks were adorned in their eye-catching Kokoda-themed guernsey to raise funds for the Kokoda Track Foundation, it was their opponents who started brighter with an early goal to Chris Mayne. Fremantle looked to mix its personnel up forward, starting with Hayden Ballantyne and Mayne forward before moving in tall timber Zac Clarke and Kepler Bradley. After Jarryd Roughead, Clinton Young and debutant Jordan Lisle wasted chances in front of goal, it took the Hawks almost 14 minutes to kick their first through Young. Further goals to Tendai Mzungu and David Mundy had Freo stretch its lead to 10 points before two goals in less than two minutes to livewire Cyril Rioli wrestled back the lead for Hawthorn.
Hawthorn by three points.

SECOND QUARTER
In the absence of Lance Franklin, Rioli was the focal point forward and he kicked his third in the opening minutes. With Matthew Pavlich and Stephen Hill struggling to have any impact, the Hawks stifled their opponents' run through the corridor as well as exerting great defensive pressure, leading to a Brendan Whitecross goal. But Freo began to find its mojo after Clancee Pearce made Brent Guerra pay for a brain-fade at the kick-out. It changed the momentum of the match, with Mark Harvey's side dominating the centre clearances and linking up through the middle to kick four unanswered goals. Nathan Fyfe was at his brilliant best, while Greg Broughton was finding plenty of the ball with eight possessions. Often clinical by foot, the Hawks' skill errors proved costly as they found themselves nearly two goals down at the main break.
Fremantle by 11 points.

THIRD QUARTER
It took less than a minute for Fremantle to extend its lead after another turnover from Grant Birchall in Hawthorn's defensive 50. The Hawks' game style of controlling possession by foot through short kicks was unraveling, with the Freo chant in full voice after a goal to Jonathon Griffin, who was impressive in the absence of Aaron Sandilands. But a mistake from the ruckman then gave Rioli his fourth goal, and soon after he had five and Hawthorn were back in the contest. It was the Freo youngsters who had the answers and again made Hawthorn pay for sloppy foot skills from defence, with two goals to Hill. A late goal to sub Luke Breust after some sensational work from Birchall across half-back kept the Hawks in touch.
Fremantle by 18 points.

FOURTH QUARTER
All day, Hawthorn had struggled with their kick-ins and Fremantle's relentless pressure led to the all-important first goal to Hill but Breust answered quickly with his second through heavy traffic. Hodge began to have an impact at the stoppages as Hawks supporters found their voice, and a goal to Osborne and another to Breust and the Hawks were on top. When Shaun Burgoyne burst through the pack and kicked truly, the margin was just one point. For the first time since midway through the second quarter, the Hawks regained the lead with Hodge sneaking home his first goal. In an amazing turnaround, the Hawks kicked eight unanswered goals to run away with a phenomenal win.
Hawthorn wins by 22 points.

Hawthorn                  3.4     6.5     9.8       17.9 (111)
Fremantle                  3.1     8.4     12.8     13.11 (89)

GOALS
Hawthorn: Hill 3, Mayne 2, Pearce 2, Mzungu, de Boer, Fyfe, Duffield, Crowley, Griffin
Fremantle: Rioli 5, Breust 3, Burgoyne 2, Osborne 2, Young, Whitecross, Hodge, Mitchell, Roughead

BEST
Hawthorn: Osborne, Rioli, Hodge, Mitchell, Breust, Roughead
Fremantle: Broughton, Hill, Crowley, Fyfe, Duffield, Griffin

INJURIES
Hawthorn: Hodge (cramp)
Fremantle: Fyfe (shoulder)

SUBSTITUTES
Hawthorn: Jordan Lisle replaced by Luke Breust during the third quarter
Fremantle: Clancee Pearce replaced by Rhys Palmer during the final quarter

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Vozzo, Jennings, Pannell

Official crowd: 31,925 at MCG

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.