North Melbourne arrested a three-game losing streak by claiming Hawthorn's prized scalp by 27 points - 15.13 (103) to 10.16 (76) - at the MCG on Saturday.
Harder at the contest and dominating the contested ball, the Kangaroos were never headed and their reward is a return to the top eight ahead of next week's clash with St Kilda on the Gold Coast.
Daniel Harris typified the Shinboner Spirit with a team-high 32 disposals which included eight clearances, while Drew Petrie made the most of his opportunity to deputise for the injured Hamish McIntosh with a performance of class and real influence on the ball.
Skipper Sam Mitchell was the Hawks' best ball-winner, though Lance Franklin had another off day, finishing with 1.3 from just 10 touches.
North had two goals on the board before the Hawks settled, and any doubts about Nathan Thompson's knee were dispelled by the forward's super chase and tackle on Jarryd Morton which set the early tone for the Kangaroos.
Hawthorn cleared the forward 50 to give Franklin room to move, but Josh Gibson stuck fast and 'Buddy' was off target.
If anything, the Hawks were a little too Franklin-conscious, and it took late goals to Mitchell and Luke Hodge to bring them to within one point at quarter-time.
It was Mitchell's 12 touches in the second term that helped to keep the Hawks in the contest against an opposition which trailed in almost every statistical column, but which led the categories that can't be quantified - intensity, hardness and commitment.
Harris was outstanding for the Kangaroos in the period with three critical clearances including a solo effort from the centre which set up Shannon Grant to goal, eight disposals and a six-pointer of his own.
North scored the last major of the term through Thompson and the first three of the next, the best of them from a courageous grab by Corey Jones, to open up a 30-point break, the biggest of the match.
But, just as they did in the first term, the Hawks were able to wrest the momentum back with goals to Jarryd Roughead and Hodge, to cut the margin to 16 points at the final change.
Having won 11 of 12 last quarters this season, the Hawks were primed for a late charge.
Franklin started the term on the wing in a bid to get him into the game, and while that same tactic worked a treat against Adelaide last week, it didn’t this time.
Instead it was Kangaroos forward Lindsay Thomas who provided the match-winning burst the Hawks had been expecting from Franklin.
Thomas, who'd managed to get his hands on the ball just seven times in the first three-quarters, emerged from the fringes with three dazzling goals in a 14-minute spell that burst the game open.
The Hawks didn't help themselves with critical misses to Franklin, Roughead and Boyle that robbed them of any hopes of pinching a match they didn't deserve to win.
HAWTHORN: 2.3, 5.8, 7.12, 10.16 (76)
NORTH MELBOURNE: 2.4, 7.8, 10.10, 15.13 (103)
GOALS: Hawthorn: Hodge 3, Roughead 2, Williams 2, Franklin, Mitchell, Boyle
North Melbourne: Thomas 4, Grant 3, Campbell 2, Jones 2, Thompson, Harvey, Harris, Wells
BEST: Hawthorn: Mitchell, Hodge, Morton, Williams, Guerra, Campbell, Birchall
North Melbourne: Harris, Petrie, Harvey, Simpson, Wells, Grant, Thomas
INJURIES: Hawthorn: Nil
North Melbourne: Nil
REPORTS: Nil
CHANGES: Travis Tuck replaced Tim Clarke (quad strain) in the Hawthorn selected side
UMPIRES: M.Nicholls, Ellis, McInerney
CROWD: 42,508 at the MCG
Sportal AFL Player of the Year votes:
3. Daniel Harris (North Melbourne)
2. Drew Petrie (North Melbourne)
1. Sam Mitchell (Hawthorn)