Watch highlights from the win in the HawksTV player above.

Collingwood 3.2 6.7 8.8 13.13 (91)
Hawthorn 5.6 9.8 17.9 21.12 (138)

Best: Collingwood - Beams, Swan, Pendlebury, Maxwell, Jolly
Hawthorn - Mitchell, Lewis, Breust, Roughead, Rioli, Schoenmakers, Gunston

It was one of the most anticipated clashes of the season, and for Hawks fans, the contest between Collingwood and Hawthorn didn’t disappoint.

The Hawks were breathtaking in their execution of Coach Alastair Clarkson’s game plan as every Hawthorn player was committed in their desire to defeat the Magpies and move to third position on the ladder.

From the outset, the Hawks were more desperate than the Magpies, throwing their bodies in at all costs and winning the important one-on-one battles. In the opening term, the Hawks had 12 more contested possessions than the Magpies (42-30) as the mindset of Hawks players became clear.

The Hawks were able to combine precise attack with stingy defence as Ryan Schoenmakers, Ben Stratton and Josh Gibson kept Collingwood’s tall forwards quiet for the duration of the game. Between them, the three Hawks defenders conceded just three goals to the Magpies’ tall timber, illustrating that the Hawks continues to become one of the Club’s strengths.

Despite the Magpies laying 11 more tackles than the Hawks in the opening half, such was the intense pressure from the Hawks that it appeared the brown and gold had laid more tackles than the Magpies.

Cyril Rioli, Jordan Lewis and Brad Sewell led the way for the Hawks, but the pressure and commitment from every player on Saturday helped the Hawks set up a 19-point lead at half time.

The third quarter was arguably the best the Hawks have played all year, dismantling the Collingwood game plan and hitting the scoreboard with devastating effect. The Hawks smashed the Magpies in the middle, winning 14 clearances to seven (for an overall domination of 39-23) resulting in an avalanche of opportunities for the forwards.

Those forwards made sure the domination of the Hawthorn midfielders wasn’t in vein, kicking an accurate 8.1 in a blistering third term.

Without spearhead Lance Franklin, Clarkson rotated his forwards heavily, alternating between a more conventional two-talls set up and a mobile, smaller forward set up. It was a ploy that had the Collingwood defence in disarray, leaving match-up headaches for on-field leader and club captain, Nick Maxwell. It was clear that the rotation policy troubled Collingwood, as the defenders continued to change opponents seconds before the next center bounce.

Part of the Hawthorn forward set up that led to the Collingwood downfall was the move of Lewis to the forward line as a defensive forward on dangerous Collingwood half-back, Heath Shaw. Lewis, a goal-kicking midfielder normally, proved a match-up headache for Collingwood as his strength and ability to hold his own in a marking contest was insurmountable for Shaw. Lewis finished the match with five goals and 20 disposals, all while managing to restrict Shaw’s influence, despite the Collingwood playmaker gathering 22 disposals. 

Jack Gunston showed again why the Hawks were so happy to recruit the former Crow at the end of last season, as his athleticism, footy IQ and conversion in front of goal netted him four majors, 21 disposals and a role as one of the Hawks’ best focal points up forward. Gunston has booted seven goals in his last two matches.

It’s not a recap of the Hawks’ 47-point win over Collingwood without mentioning the work of Sam Mitchell and Luke Breust. Although two completely different players, both were outstanding.

Mitchell was creative, hard at it and as dominant in the middle as he ever is, with 33 possessions, nine clearances and four inside 50s to be one of the Hawks’ best.

Breust on the other hand continued his rise as one of the Hawks’ most important forwards, booting five goals as he buzzed around the Hawthorn forward line, and pushing up to the midfield making a nuisance of himself for the Magpies.

What Alastair Clarkson said: “Of all the sides that we’ve played, I’d rate Collingwood as our biggest scalp in terms of what they’ve been able to achieve as a footy club over the last two to three years.

"What was really pleasing for us today, was that we probably had contributors right across the ground. Across the board, the evenness of our spread was very good for us today."