HAWTHORN has extended its winning streak to seven straight games with a 46-point victory over the Western Bulldogs at the MCG on Saturday afternoon in what can only be described as a low-key contest.

Although it was a game that had no real meaning - with the Hawks already confirmed as a top-four finisher and the 11th-placed Dogs already out of the running - the result has given next week extra intrigue with Hawthorn now a chance of ousting the Cats and grabbing second spot on the ladder.

After a relatively even first half, the Hawks reached no great heights against the Dogs but casually motored away in the third quarter  to win 16.17 (113) to 10.7 (67).

Lance Franklin kicked five goals, Luke Hodge had 30 touches and Paul Puopolo lodged another impressive performance in his first season, but overall it was a so-so effort from a team that clearly had a more pressing appointment on its mind - like a qualifying final with Geelong in two weeks' time.

However, coach Alastair Clarkson - who announced his three-year contract extension on Friday - will leave the MCG slightly concerned about the fitness of goalsneak Cyril Rioli, who was subbed out of the game at three-quarter time.

Rioli sought treatment on his left calf in the first quarter and had it strapped, but returned to the game for another two terms, and the coach later said he was likely to play next week.

Rumours swirled on Saturday morning Hawthorn midfielder Sam Mitchell would not play, and they proved true at 12.40pm when the final teams were lodged and he was ruled out with a swollen knee that is expected to allow him to face Gold Coast on Saturday.

It wasn't predicted, however, that the Dogs would lose defender Easton Wood to the ankle he tweaked during the week, which placed their undermanned defence under more pressure.

As promised during the week, caretaker coach Paul Williams experimented with his backline and used Lukas Markovic on Franklin, with Josh Hill to provide support in a loose role - which was also at times given to Daniel Cross - while Ayce Cordy played on David Hale.

The Hawks burned opportunities in the first half, which was reflected in the lopsided inside 50 count of 32 to 19 at the main break and the fact they only led by 10 points.

After half-time, the game broke open with the Dogs trailing their direct opponents and enabling them to play kick to kick.

The Hawks took 47 to 15 marks for the third quarter alone, and the space they found themselves in saw them add four goals to their tally, and take a 33-point lead into the final act.

The Dogs kicked three goals to round out the game, with substitute player Patrick Veszpremi coming on for one - but the Hawks finished with their highest-scoring quarter of the game with 5.3 to inflate the final difference to 46 points - three more than the margin of the 1961 Grand Final between the two clubs, which was won by Hawthorn.

Goal of the year?
The strength and power of Franklin was on show early in the first quarter on Saturday when he booted his second goal in two minutes. The ball floated into the Hawks' attacking arc and came off Murphy's hands on the 50m line. Franklin picked it up, wheeled around, shrugged off Cross - who had wrapped himself around the big Hawk's waist - and then burned off Dylan Addison to head for home and kick a beauty from 45m out.

What it means
It leaves the Hawks to work out just why they weren't as ruthless as Collingwood, which is also assured a double chance in the finals, when it took apart Fremantle on Friday night. However, with Rioli and Mitchell expected to play next week and Ben Stratton successfully returning from a knee injury in the VFL on Saturday, they will enter the finals with almost a full list to pick from. The Hawks can also fall into second if Geelong loses to Collingwood and Hawthorn wins comfortably against Gold Coast. However, it is merely academic for they will face Geelong in their first final either way.

What the coach said
Hawthorn - Alastair Clarkson
"A big part of what you're focusing on is your patterns of play and I thought we were able to control the ball really well today.

"We won clearances and won contested possessions, but just our use of the footy wasn't as good as we liked and we didn’t convert our chances."

The run home
The Hawks' final game for the home-and-away season involves a trip to the Sunshine State to meet Gold Coast at Carrara Stadium next Saturday afternoon. Having confirmed a top four finish, they will then play at least two finals as September progresses.

Dream Team highlights
Hawthorn: Underlining their dominance, eight Hawthorn players passed the 100-point barrier, with Puopolo again proving his worth as a first-year pick with 129 points.

Influential players
Franklin's bag included a goal of the year candidate in the first quarter while Schoenmakers was the most efficient player on the field in the first with his 10 possessions. He trailed off as the game progressed, but Hodge stepped up and ended with six clearances, four inside 50s and one goal.

Puopolo had four scoring assists and five tackles, while Luke Breust - who was allowed to start on the field and not in his usual substitute vest - kicked two goals and had six scoring assists.

Key match ups
Cyril Rioli v Liam Picken
Picken had six possessions to half-time but that included two rebounds and one inside 50. More importantly, he kept Rioli to just five touches. When the little Hawk's day ended at three-quarter time, he sat down having not had his usual influence on the game with just nine possessions, four inside 50s and one goal to his name.

Josh Gibson v Barry Hall
Gibson had his colours lowered by Geelong's James Podsiadly in round 12 when he booted six goals, and found himself in a similar situation against Hall on Saturday. Hall ended with seven marks - two contested and three on the lead - and out-muscled Gibson all afternoon on his way to his four goals.

Lance Franklin v Lukas Markovic
With Dale Morris, Brian Lake and Ryan Hargrave all out of the side, the job of curtailing Buddy fell to Markovic, playing in just his 15th game. While the young Dog was beaten for pace on a few occasions, he spoiled well and could have easily had twice as many goals kicked on him had it not been for his determination to stay with Buddy all afternoon.

QUARTER BY QUARTER

FIRST QUARTER
It was a first quarter which showed similarities to football of yesteryear. The Hawks were clearly the better team, but both Hawthorn and the Western Bulldogs were able to transition the ball from end to end with little defensive pressure as they exited their respective backlines. It also loomed as a classic shootout between Hawks' star Lance Franklin and retiring Bulldog Barry Hall, in his second-last AFL game. The pair combined to kick four of the five opening-term goals. Matthew Boyd, Shaun Higgins and Daniel Cross combined for 25 first-quarter disposals, but turned many of them over as they moved into attack.
Hawthorn by 7 points

SECOND QUARTER
Despite lacking its killer edge, Hawthorn looked set to run away with the game early in the second quarter when it kicked three of the first four goals of the term. But the Bulldogs hit back, mainly through the run of second-gamer Jason Tutt and marking forward Liam Jones. Jones picked up eight disposals for the quarter and kicked two goals, and Tutt had six touches with several impressive line-breaking efforts. The Bulldogs dragged the margin back from 23 points to four late in the term, before Franklin marked just before the half-time siren. He went back after it rang to coolly slot the shot from outside 50, and give the Hawks a 10-point break.
Hawthorn by 10 points

THIRD QUARTER
The third quarter saw the Hawks stamp their authority on the game, extending their lead to 33 points by the final change. As much as the first quarter showed signs of the game being a free-flowing and exciting game, it was largely an uncontested match-up. At one point in the third term, sweeping Hawks defender Grant Birchall had 20 disposals, 19 of which were uncontested. The Hawks, whenever challenged, delivered a goal and had too much class for the Bulldogs, who were trying hard but ultimately lacked the polish to truly challenge.
Hawthorn by 33 points

FOURTH QUARTER
The Bulldogs kicked three goals for the last quarter - to make it four for the second half - to be overran by the Hawks as the lackluster game petered out to an uninspiring end. Cyril Rioli, after a relatively quiet game, was subbed off the ground at three-quarter time with a minor calf injury, but it didn't mean the hopes of anything spectacular would go with him. Those hopes were left with Franklin, and he let nobody down. From just inside the forward 50 on the boundary line mid-way through the quarter, Franklin's kick was perfect, swinging from left to right and sealing another productive day for the leader in the race for the Coleman Medal.
Hawthorn by 46 points

Hawthorn                  3.3     7.8     11.14   16.17 (113)
Western Bulldogs     2.2     6.4     7.5      10.7 (67)

GOALS
Hawthorn: Franklin 5, Breust 2, Guerra 2, Bailey, Burgoyne, Hale, Hodge, Osborne, Rioli, Whitecross
Western Bulldogs: Hall 4, Giansiracusa 2, Jones 2, Roughead, Veszpremi

BEST
Hawthorn: Hodge, Puopolo, Sewell, Birchall, Burgoyne, Franklin, Bailey
Western Bulldogs: Murphy, Boyd, Hall, Jones, Griffen, Higgins, Markovic

INJURIES
Hawthorn: Mitchell (soreness) replaced in selected side by Michael Osborne, Rioli (calf)
Western Bulldogs: Wood (ankle) replaced in selected side by Addison

SUBSTITUTES
Hawthorn: Cyril Rioli (calf) replaced by Brendan Whitecross in the fourth quarter
Western Bulldogs: Ed Barlow replaced by Patrick Veszpremi in the fourth quarter

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Stevic, Leppard, Jeffery

Crowd: 42, 198 at the MCG

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs