Port Adelaide has crashed Shaun Burgoyne's 400th game celebrations, defeating a stuttering Hawthorn by 34 points.
Nine consecutive Power goals – stretching from the first quarter to the start of the third – did the damage in the 13.9 (87) to 7.11 (53) win at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night.
But coach Ken Hinkley would have been disappointed to have not recorded a comprehensive percentage-boosting victory, as the margin sat at 48 points at the start of the third term.
The Hawks have been on the improve of late, seeing off the Sydney and GWS while narrowly falling short against Essendon, but struggled to consistently replicate the dash and dare which has served them so well in the past month.
Port Adelaide made Hawthorn pay for its early inaccuracy, with Ollie Wines and Travis Boak dictating play in the middle of the ground while Miles Bergman, Todd Marshall and Charlie Dixon caused havoc up forward.
They held the Hawks to just 13 inside 50s in the first half.
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Daniel Howe finally stopped the rot with an impressive running goal from the boundary, recording the Hawks' second goal just short of 10 minutes into the third term.
Hawthorn was much better structured after the main break, slowly but surely pegging back a hassled Port Adelaide's 48-point lead as the visitors slowed to a crawl in the second half.
Jacob Koschitzke's goal cut the margin to just 23 points halfway through the last, before Charlie Dixon's third settled things somewhat.
Hawthorn midfielders Tom Mitchell and James Worpel found plenty of the footy, while Blake Hardwick was typically tenacious in defence.
Young Port forward Kane Farrell suffered a sickening hyperextended right knee in a tackle in the opening term and cut a forlorn figure on the bench after being subbed out.
Hawk's moment of madness
In the midst of Hawthorn's horror second term, Brownlow medallist Tom Mitchell had a brain fade he'd rather forget. After Connor Rozee kicked a behind following a lucky free for high contact, a frustrated Mitchell pushed the Port forward over while he was crouched over, reaching for his mouth-guard in his sock. A free kick was paid to Charlie Dixon in the goal-square, who duly converted.
Wines' hours of power
Bullocking Port Adelaide midfielder Ollie Wines was outstanding across all four quarters, in part due to the inordinate amount of space afforded by Hawthorn's midfielders. Wines put up some of his best numbers ever, including an equal career-high 43 disposals and a career-high 13 clearances, as well as 602m gained and seven tackles.
HAWTHORN 1.4 1.5 4.8 7.11 (53)
PORT ADELAIDE 3.2 8.5 9.7 13.9 (87)
GOALS
Hawthorn: Breust 2, Howe, Worpel, Koschitzke, O'Brien, O'Meara
Port Adelaide: Dixon 4, Bergman 2, Marshall 2, Mayes 2, Frederick, Georgiades, Rozee
BEST
Hawthorn: Worpel, Mitchell, Hardwick, Bramble, O'Meara
Port Adelaide: Wines, Byrne-Jones, Boak, Amon, Jonas, Dixon
INJURIES
Hawthorn: Nil
Port Adelaide: Farrell (knee)
SUBSTITUTES
Hawthorn: Hanrahan (unused)
Port Adelaide: Frederick (replaced Farrell)
