A CHIP off the old block led the way for Hawthorn last night as it staved off a third-quarter Fremantle comeback and drove an early season dagger through the Dockers' heart.

Travis Tuck helped sustain the Hawks for the first half in concert with Clinton Young and Sam Mitchell, then led the last-quarter surge that saw off a spirited Fremantle challenge and safely see Hawthorn to an impressive 2-0 start to the season.

Tuck had 25 touches and kicked a goal as the Hawks won 16.16 (112) to 14.13 (97). Mitchell had 27 and was a powerful midfield influence all night, Young had 21 before being forced off the ground with "soreness" for all of the last quarter.

The only downside of the win was a serious hamstring injury to the portly Stuart Dew, which is likely to sideline him for several weeks.

The Hawks had steadied well in the first quarter after being rocked by an early Matthew Pavlich onslaught that netted Fremantle the first two goals of the game.

But the Hawks countered, getting excellent drive from midfielder Mitchell and half-back Young, who launched a series of attacks down Subiaco Oval's southern wing.

Hawthorn's marking power had an effect in the second half of the term, with Jarryd Roughead dominant one-out with Roger Hayden in the goal square, and Lance Franklin out-pointing Luke McPharlin to mark and goal.

The Hawks led by two points at quarter-time, and by half-time had their foot on Fremantle's throat after a five-goals-to-one second quarter. They took a 27-point lead to half-time, which flattered the Dockers who fumbled through the quarter without looking likely to score.

Pavlich couldn't sustain his midfield surge and, while Josh Carr was dogged and Des Headland got his hands on the ball, there was no enterprising run and even the simplest of handballs were missing teammates.

Roughead, Franklin, Cyril Rioli and Tim Boyle all finished the first half with two goals while Dockers coach Ark Harvey went to the break with a giant headache, with eight Fremantle players going to half-time with five touches or less to their name. Several of them had spent time in an underperforming midfield. The Hawks were handing them a lesson in discipline, structure, hard work and crisp skills.

It couldn't be called pretty but the Dockers edged their way back into the game. Pavlich found another effort and some allies, with Headland, Josh Carr and Aaron Sandilands all lifting.

Franklin had kicked the first goal of the term inside a minute to blow the lead out to 33 points but Fremantle kicked six of the next seven to get within three points. McPharlin went forward and kicked two goals and it took a late goal to Roughead to restore a 10-point lead at the last change.

But once they were challenged, the Hawks responded.

Rookie Cameron Stokes got the first goal of the final quarter a breath after the start and before you knew it the Hawks had the first four and a 33-point lead.

HAWTHORN  3.4 8.7 11.11 16.16 (112)
FREMANTLE 3.2 4.4 10.7 14.13 (97) Roughead 4, Franklin 4, Rioli 2, Boyle 2, Osborne, Stokes, Campbell, Tuck. Fremantle: Pavlich 3, McPharlin 2, J Carr 2, Mayne 2, Crowley, Farmer, Sandilands, Bell, Palmer.

GOALS Hawthorn:

BEST Hawthorn: Mitchell, Tuck, Sewell, Young, Hodge, Roughead. Fremantle: Pavlich, McPharlin, J.Carr, Sandilands, Grover, Palmer.

INJURIES Hawthorn: Dew (hamstring), Young (soreness)

UMPIRES S McBurney, D Margetts, M Nicholls.

CROWD 38,022 at Subiaco Oval, Perth.

THE UPSHOT The western derby shapes as a season-defining game for both clubs with the Dockers 0-2 and West Coast coming off a hiding in Adelaide.

TALKING POINT Stuart Dew came back to football overweight and paid for it late in the game when his hamstring tore.

HOT AND NOT Hawk Travis Tuck was a star and key player in the last-quarter rally. Docker Chris Tarrant looked disinterested and the club faces a big decision on whether he should be dropped.