HAWTHORN coach Alastair Clarkson has lamented missed opportunities early in his team's 41-point loss to Collingwood at the MCG on Sunday.

The Hawks started brightly against the defending premiers, with Shaun Burgoyne, Lance Franklin and Paul Puopolo all having shots on goal before Collingwood had scored.

Unfortunately for Hawthorn all three missed, and from there Collingwood began to take control of the game with its relentless pressure.

Magpies Leigh Brown, Travis Cloke and Sharrod Wellingham all kicked goals, before Hawk Shane Savage hit the post from 20 metres, leaving the Hawks goalless to quarter-time.

"They (Collingwood) have lost twice in the last 30-odd games because they're the best pressure side in the competition," Clarkson said post-match.

"I didn't expect anything different from them today, it was just whether or not we could create enough scoring pressure on them.

"We had four shots on goal early in the game, and we didn't put any scoreboard pressure on.

"You've got to force Collingwood to change the way they want to play and we were unable to do that, so we paid the price."

Hawthorn's high-possession, precision kicking-based game plan has won plaudits in recent weeks as the Hawks powered to 10-3 and third on the ladder.

But Clarkson admitted it broke down against the Magpies' efficient defensive system.

However, he refused to blame that failure on the Hawks' long list of injured players, to which Brad Sewell (knee) and Cyril Rioli (hamstring) were added during last week's belting of Essendon.

"We were unable to execute the things that we wanted to do today, irrespective of personnel and who's missing," the premiership coach said.

"We've won plenty of games of footy in the past six weeks where sides would say, 'they're missing this bloke and they're missing that bloke and they've got no forward line and they've got no tall defenders.'

"But we've still managed to win games because our system has allowed us to get there.

"Our system fell down today against a very good football side."

Clarkson was also critical of his team's delivery of the ball into its forward line.

The Hawks managed just seven marks inside 50, and only one of those was to star forward Franklin, who often found himself sitting under poor kicks with direct opponent Chris Tarrant plus one or two other zoning Magpies defenders ready to spoil.

"(Collingwood defender Ben) Reid had 31 touches, he had a field day," Clarkson said.

"So our use of the ball going across the forward 50 was very poor today, and that's been a real strength of ours.

"That's credit to the way that Collingwood set up their defensive structures."

Franklin hobbled from the ground with a rolled ankle in the fourth quarter, but Clarkson expected that both he and Chance Bateman, who was subbed from the ground in the third quarter with the same injury, would be OK to face the Brisbane Lions next week.

Not so lucky was young key defender Jordan Lisle, who was taken to hospital with possible facial fractures following a clash of heads with Leon Davis shortly after Bateman was subbed off.

"We just have to wait and see what the extent of the damage is to Lisle," Clarkson said.

"If it's a facial fracture then obviously he'll miss some weeks, but if it's not he'll be right to play next week."

Mark Macgugan writes for hawthornfc.com.au and covers Hawthorn news for afl.com.au Follow him on Twitter: @mmacgugan