IN THE context of the game to that point, it would have been an injustice had Hawthorn played true to form. For eight tantalising minutes in the third term, the Hawks looked again like they would find another gear, run over their opponents and maintain their unbeaten record.

To half-time, they had been beaten at their own game by the Western Bulldogs, who had rattled them with bone-crunching tackles and set the agenda with a combination of lightning handballs and exciting run-in-numbers football.

And when Jarryd Roughead, Lance Franklin then big man Simon Taylor kicked three unanswered goals to bring Hawthorn back within eight points, there was a sense that the Hawks would take charge of the midfield — which had been dominated by the Bulldogs' Daniel Cross, Matthew Boyd and Adam Cooney — and engineer another come-from-behind win.

But the Bulldogs had been nothing if not composed, and when the heat was turned up, they merely increased their own intensity and threw themselves even more ferociously at the Hawks. At times, the ladder leaders simply did not know what had hit them.

Four straight goals to the Bulldogs later and the three-quarter-time margin was 27 points and the game, and the Hawks' unbeaten run with it, had all but come to an end.

By the time the final siren had sounded with the Bulldogs having topped the 100-point mark for the 10th time this season, it was as merciful for the Hawks as it was deserved by the Dogs — whose last term was as clinical as it was tough, gutsy and full of run.

Coach Rodney Eade recognised the magnitude of the win, meeting the side out on the ground to pat backs, then send his players to acknowledge their fans on the outer wing.

If many believed Geelong was due for a loss last week, the same had been said of the Hawks, who had done enough to win its past two games but done it the hard way.

The 32-point margin was in no way an indication of what was one of the Bulldogs' more comprehensive victories of the season. In short, they were brilliant.

The Bulldogs had 31 scoring shots to 14, went inside 50 50 times to 35 and smashed the Hawks in tackles 57 to 38. In fact, at least three of the Hawks goals came directly from horrendous turnovers that flattered their tally no end.

The Bulldogs were sensational, with winners all over the ground, and indeed it was the evenness of the performance that really set them apart.

Starting in the midfield, Bulldogs were first to the ball more often then not, and on the occasions they weren't, tackled hard with numbers. Ben Hudson dominated the ruck, Cross was brilliant — despite two terrible turnovers that resulted directly in goals — Cooney likewise sensational racing forward for two goals.

The likes of Boyd, Ryan Griffen and Lindsay Gilbee looked like they had brought their own ball.

Manning the dangerous Franklin, Tom Williams played possibly his best game. His was a fine effort, given two of the Hawk forward's five goals came from shocking turnovers upfield.

Up forward, Brad Johnson was accidentally knocked out but came back to be a solid contributor, Jason Akermanis was busy and elusive, while Scott Welsh was a strong target, marking well and kicking four. Robert Murphy was also sensational and finished the day with 18 disposals and seven marks.

Hawthorn jumped the Bulldogs in the first 30 seconds when Franklin handballed to Roughead to open the scoring, but it was merely the first of only two times they led.

Three straight to the Bulldogs put them ahead at quarter-time as the Hawks' turnovers stung. Their normal composure deserted them under the relentless pressure of the Bulldog tacklers and they needed to start moving the ball more directly to have any chance.

But the Bulldogs continued to win the stoppages, and in particular their work by hand out of the contests was hurting the Hawks. Griffen's goal on the run midway through the second term after a series of handballs a fine example.

After the main break, the Hawks found some run through the middle and the big men shot truly.

But the threat merely stirred the Dogs into action. Gilbee, Cooney then Welsh each goaled directly from the efforts of teammates who had laid solid tackles. Griffen then goaled and the Bulldogs went to the last break 27 points clear.

Notwithstanding the endeavour of Sam Mitchell, Brad Sewell and Chance Bateman, without Luke Hodge and Shane Crawford in the midfield, the Hawks look vulnerable, a situation noted by coach Alastair Clarkson after the game, who said the Bulldogs had benefited this year by having pretty much the same players play every game.


WESTERN BULLDOGS 3.2 8.8 12.11 15.16 (106)
HAWTHORN 2.2 5.2 9.2 12.2 (74)
GOALS: Western Bulldogs: Welsh 4, Cooney 2, Griffen 2, Boyd, Giansiracusa, Akermanis, Gilbee, Eagleton, Johnson, Minson. Hawthorn: Franklin 5, Roughead 4, Young, Taylor, Campbell.
BEST: Western Bulldogs: Akermanis, Cooney, Murphy, Boyd, Gilbee, Lake, Welsh, Griffen, Hudson. Hawthorn: Franklin, Lewis, Morton.
INJURIES: Western Bulldogs: Callan (hamstring).
REPORTS: Murphy (Western Bulldogs) by field umpire McBurney for rough conduct against Ellis (Hawthorn) in second quarter.
UMPIRES: McBurney, Kennedy, Ellis.
CROWD: 19,378 at Aurora Stadium.

THE UPSHOT
That at round 10 of the season, every team has been beaten. The Hawks were bustled off the ball yesterday by an intense, hard-tackling Bulldogs side that remains in the top bracket of the ladder, now in second spot.

TALKING POINT
The tackling. Neil Craig said after Adelaide beat Essendon that the intensity of football had gone to a whole new level and that was re-emphasised yesterday, as the very reason the Hawks' run slowed.

HOT AND COLD
Hot: Adam Cooney, Jason Akermanis, Matthew Boyd, take your pick of the Bulldogs' midfield. Cold? Mark Williams, who two weeks after kicking the goal to beat Port Adelaide, could muster only two kicks.