Hawks dog gone

Hawthorn's premiership defence is in tatters after it was annihilated by a rampaging Western Bulldogs outfit to the tune of 88 points at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night.

The Hawks, who have lost three matches in a row for the first time in three seasons and could be as low as 11th on the ladder by the end of Round 14, now look set to become the first reigning premier to miss the finals since Adelaide in 1999.

But Saturday night was all about the Doggies who made a statement of intent in this year's premiership race by emphatically putting Hawthorn to the sword 19.19 (133) to 6.9 (45).

Twenty-four hours prior to the encounter, Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson urged his team to re-visit last year's qualifying final victory over the Bulldogs in a desperate bid to re-ignite the 2008 spark which has been so desperately lacking this season.

But his calls embarrassingly fell on deaf ears.

One team replicated a performance straight out of the 2008 year book on Saturday night, but unfortunately for Clarkson it was wearing red, white and blue.

It took the Hawks, who were held goalless in a first half for the first time in 30 years, 66 minutes to score their first goal of the night and the Bulldogs midfield was largely responsible for that.

Matthew Boyd, who recorded 35 touches (10 contested), seven inside 50s, eight clearances and two goals, Ryan Griffen (31, eight marks, one goal), Adam Cooney (32, nine clearances), Shaun Higgins (20, nine marks, three goals), Lindsay Gilbee (28, one goal) and Daniel Cross (23 - eight contested, seven tackles) obliterated Hawthorn's midfield as the Doggies helped themselves to the first 14 goals of the night.

The Hawks' prime movers were simply denied first use of the ball and when they did happen to be in possession, were overwhelmed by extraordinary tackling pressure - the Bulldogs led the tackle count 68-47 and had 18 more clearances (43-25) - and forced into making countless skill errors and turnovers.

The Bulldogs touched the ball 79 more times in the opening term and with such exquisite foot skills the Hawks never stood a chance.

The Dogs, playing like men hell bent on ending their 55-year premiership drought, were simply awesome and the contest was over at the first change by which time Hawthorn, which barely gave a yelp, was staring at its greatest ever quarter-time deficit (57 points).

But Rodney Eade would have also been rapt with the performances of Bulldogs defenders Brian Lake and Dale Morris, who were outstanding on Lance Franklin and Jarryd Roughead respectively.

Amazingly, Hawthorn entered its forward 50 only seven less times than the Bulldogs and while the Hawks' delivery to their forwards was downright woeful at times, Franklin and Roughead were held to a total of just seven touches, two marks and one goal between them at three-quarter time.

The Bulldogs, who had 10 individual goal scorers, hardly ever found themselves under any meaningful pressure and for the most part did as they pleased.

All eyes may be fixed on Sunday's match of the season between the undefeated Saints and Cats, but the Bulldogs have made everyone fully aware that this year's battle for the premiership is far from a two-horse race.

WESTERN BULLDOGS: 9.6, 13.10, 15.14, 19.19 (133)
HAWTHORN: 0.2, 0.4, 4.6, 6.9 (45)

GOALS: Bulldogs: Welsh 3, Higgins 3, Johnson 3, Akermanis 2, Boyd 2, Hill 2, Minson, Hahn, Gilbee, Griffen
Hawthorn: Lewis 3, Roughead 2, Ladson
BEST: Bulldogs: Boyd, Cooney, Lake, Griffen, Higgins, Johnson, Morris, Gilbee
Hawthorn: Sewell, Mitchell, Lewis
INJURIES: Bulldogs: Nil
Hawthorn: Nil
REPORTS: Nil
CHANGES: Nil
UMPIRES: McBurney, Stevic, Grun
CROWD: 36,827 at Etihad Stadium