HAWTHORN has beaten Collingwood by 64 points in their Round 22 clash on the MCG on Thursday night.
The Hawks kicked seven goals in the second quarter and never looked back on their way to a 17.8 (110) to 6.10 (46) win.
With its win, Hawthorn improved to 14-7 and climbed into fifth, while the Pies (15-6) have now lost four of their past five games, falling to defeat in Steele Sidebottom's 350th AFL match.
Jai Newcombe (28 disposals, seven clearances and a goal) starred for the Hawks, Jack Gunston kicked four majors and Nick Watson (14 disposals and two goals) lit them up early.
Nick Daicos (24 disposals and six clearances) worked hard for the Magpies in what was a disappointing defeat, with important defender Jeremy Howe concussed in a collision with Newcombe in the opening minutes.
Howe was stretchered from the ground and immediately subbed from the match, while Newcombe passed his head injury assessment (HIA) to play out the remainder of the game.
Watson put together one of the best games of his young career, finishing the night with two goals, 14 disposals and five score involvements.
The Pies still hold second spot on the ladder but Coach Craig McRae will be hoping his side's form turns around as it heads into the pointy end of the season.
Star Collingwood midfielder Nick Daicos was held reasonably quiet, finishing with 24 disposals. Daicos came into the game under an injury cloud, having not trained with the main group during the week off the back of a five-day break. The star started the game on the bench and needed treatment on his neck throughout the match.
It was a dramatic start to the game when 90 seconds in, Newcombe and Howe clashed heads on the wing, the pair with eyes only for the ball in the unfortunate incident.
Howe remained motionless on the ground for five minutes while the medical team attended to the former Demon. Newcombe went straight down into the rooms for a HIA, which he passed and returned to the ground later in the quarter.
Watson capitalised on the shocked Magpies when play resumed, intercepting a Darcy Moore tap down in defence and dribbling through a goal from 35 metres out. Watson then kicked his second moments later, using his elite small forward craft to crumb a marking contest and dribble through the next.
Hawthorn's run and carry and quick hands caught the tired-looking Magpies off guard, with Massimo D'Ambrosio (24 disposals, six score involvements), Jarman Impey (25 disposals, five inside 50s) and Newcombe (28 disposals, 11 score involvements) putting speed on the ball and delivering to their dangerous forward line. Calsher Dear's marking was exceptional and led to him hitting the scoreboard, joined by Meek and Dylan Moore.
Brody Mihocek provided a glimmer of hope for the Magpies up forward as their only multiple goal-kicker, but his goal was Collingwood's only for the second quarter, while Chol, Meek, Lewis and Gunston helped the Hawks kick seven unanswered goals.
The run of seven goals broke the game apart, the Hawks doing enough in the final quarter to keep the margin beyond 10 goals.
HAWTHORN 3.3 10.3 14.5 17.8 (110)
COLLINGWOOD 2.3 3.6 4.9 6.10 (46)
GOALS
Hawthorn: Gunston 4, Meek 3, Chol 3, Watson 2, Worpel, Newcombe, Moore, Lewis, Dear
Collingwood: Mihocek 2, Schultz, Membrey, Lipinski, De Goey
INJURIES
Hawthorn: Nil
Collingwood: Howe (concussion)
SUBSTITUTES
Hawthorn: Luke Breust (replaced Calsher Dear in the third quarter)
Collingwood: Ned Long (replaced Jeremy Howe in the first quarter)
Crowd: 68,515 at the MCG
