THOSE pundits tipping Hawthorn to give this year's premiership a serious shake would have seen nothing to change their minds in the Hawks' 25-point win over North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium on Friday night.

The Hawks asserted their authority from the opening bounce and never let it slip, moving the ball with speed and precision to run out 1.6.8 (53) to 0.4.4 (28) winners in their round one NAB Cup clash.

The Hawks' victory was set up by an imposing start, where they pumped the ball into their forward 50 seemingly at will with the Kangaroos powerless to stop them.

Paul Puopolo capitalised on his midfield's good work with two opportunistic goals inside the first 90 seconds, while Ryan Schoenmakers made amends after snapping a behind when he converted from a free kick near the top of the Hawks' goalsquare. 

At that stage, the Hawks led by 19 points with less than four minutes played.

Two-time Coleman medallist Lance Franklin started on the wing and set up the Hawks' fourth goal when he passed to Brent Guerra, who made no mistake after taking the ball on the bounce inside the Hawks' forward 50 with plenty of time and space.

The Kangaroos could barely lay a hand on the ball - in the first half they had 38 possessions to the Hawks' 70 - and just to compound their troubles, Brad Sewell notched the NAB Cup's first super goal at the 14-minute mark.

By that time, the Hawks had kicked 1.4.5 (38) and the Kangaroos had not scored. Mercifully, North broke its scoring duck soon after, when Lindsay Thomas marked on the lead and kicked a goal from a relatively tight angle.

After his well-documented goalkicking woes last year, Thomas' kick would have been a boost to his confidence. However, those nagging voices inside his head seemed to regain their voice when he duffed a 35m set shot at the 10-minute mark of the second half.

The Kangaroos had most of the play for the rest of the first half and, after Drew Petrie took a strong mark at the top of North's goalsquare and squeezed the ball through the goalposts, they had reduced the Hawks' lead to 24 points at half-time.

The Kangaroos kept the Hawks honest in the second half, kicking 2.2 to 2.3. But there was a sense the Hawks had hit the cruise control button by that stage.

On a bad night for the Kangaroos with injury, key defender Luke Delaney was substituted off after rolling an ankle early in the second half.

For North, mature-age recruit Sam Gibson, 25, would have been forgiven for being starstruck when he started the game on a wing alongside Franklin.

However, the former Box Hill Hawks captain, showed he can win the ball at AFL level too, finishing the game with nine possessions to be the Kangaroos' equal leading possession winner.

Of the Hawks' new boys, Adelaide recruit Jack Gunston had five disposals

NORTH MELBOURNE     0.2.1   0.4.4 (28)
HAWTHORN                      1.4.5   1.6.8 (53)

GOALS
North Melbourne: Thomas, Petrie, Greenwood, Pederson
Hawthorn: Puopolo 2, Sewell (super goal), Schoenmakers, Guerra, Lewis, Franklin

BEST
North Melbourne: Harvey, Cunnington, Gibson, Petrie, Greenwood
Hawthorn: Mitchell, Franklin, Burgoyne, Suckling, Stratton, Rioli

INJURIES
North Melbourne: Nil
Hawthorn: Nil

Substitutions
North Melbourne: Luke Delaney (ankle) substituted off in the second half
Hawthorn: Nil

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Stewart, Meredith, Mollison

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the club