Watch Alastair Clarkson speak post-match in the player above.

ONLY one Hawthorn player collected fewer than 10 possessions in a day of domination for the club over Collingwood.

Nine Hawks collected more than 20 touches.

It was that even spread of contributors that was the most pleasing aspect of the game for coach Alastair Clarkson.

With gold stamps (or should that be brown and gold) being handed out far and wide by the coach, it was the goalkicking forwards however that thrilled the crowd.

Jordan Lewis and Luke Breust kicked five goals each, while Jack Gunston kicked three and also chimed in with two high quality goal-assists in the first half.

Typically, it was not the ability of the forwards to slot goals that impressed the coach.

He was much more interested in the little things the forward group did as a unit that led to the overall result than any highlights package.

"It's more to do with the pressure that they can apply and the amount of running they can do to provide targets and that was what was good today," Clarkson said.

Add the brilliance of Cyril Rioli, who exploded from centre bounces at times as though shot out of a cannon, and it was no wonder the Hawks were dominant.

Lewis' 20 possessions and Rioli's 19 touches did not break any records but the duo influenced the game more than anyone.

In the end the 47-point margin hardly reflected the enormous gap between the two teams on the day.

So large was the Hawks ascendancy, supporters must have left the ground with a double-whammy of satisfaction, knowing the return of two sidelined stars Luke Hodge - who played well in the VFL - and 'Buddy' Franklin was, if not around the corner, at least imminent.

While Clarkson was non-committal about when Hodge might return to the seniors, he did concede that there might be one benefit to be found in their star forward's continued absence with a hamstring injury.

"The only thing beneficial for us is that if all your planning is geared around several key players then if something catastrophic happens in big games, you have got a plan B," Clarkson said.

"Without a doubt we're a much better side when 'Buddy' Franklin is playing in our side. We're more dangerous and he's a marvellous player [but] what these opportunities present is, [if you face] the worst case scenario when one of these guys gets injured in a big game, you know you've got a strategy that you can move to straight away."

The overall result is that the Hawks are becoming more versatile, with players believing they can fill the breach if required.

They had the luxury of parking Lewis inside 50 on Heath Shaw and Harry O'Brien.

They swapped Thomas Murphy from defence to play forward on Maxwell in order to bring Shaun Burgoyne into the game after he'd started as a deep forward. Murphy kicked one and Burgoyne had 13 touches after quarter-time.

Progress has happened quickly and the Hawks are far from one-dimensional.

They come at the opposition from 22 different directions.

The Hawk coach - who was slightly abashed after putting his hand through a plaster wall in the coaches box in frustration at a defender's miskick at the end of the first quarter - was pleased enough.

"Just the fact that everyone played their role and made contributions at critical points was heartening," he said.

"We also know it's a home and away game and another game we need to try to secure four points and build our wins to give us an opportunity to finish top four."