A week after his slow-moving AFL brain-fade, Charlie Dixon has masterminded Port Adelaide's stunning 51-point rout of a hapless Hawthorn.
Dixon responded to a week of ridicule with an imposing four-goal haul in Port's crushing 13.20 (98) to 7.5 (47) win on Thursday night.
A week ago, Dixon blew a chance of sealing a Port win in Geelong by taking too long for a set shot at goal - and his side lost.
But against the Hawks he was instrumental in a fast start for Port, kicking the initial two goals of the game and setting up the third.
Port piled on 6.5 as Hawthorn were kept scoreless in an opening quarter for the first time in 11 years.
The Hawks, wilting under the Power's heat, couldn't muster a goal in an opening half for the first time since 2009 - with their three points their lowest top-flight first-half total in their history.
Port crafted a match-defining 9.8 to 0.3 halftime lead before Hawthorn's first goal came three minutes into the third quarter when James Sicily scored from a relayed free kick.
The error-prone Hawks were overwhelmed by a ferocious Power, who marked stalwart Brad Ebert's 200th AFL game in style.
Ebert was superb in the opening-half onslaught - he had 21 disposals by halftime and 34 for the match.
Teammates Jared Polec (24 possessions), Matthew Broadbent (24 touches), Ollie Wines (28 disposals) and Brendan Ah Chee (25 touches) were also influential ball-winners.
Dixon was the dominant forward force on the ground and his lively attacking colleague Jarman Impey booted 2.4.
Port entrenched themselves in the top eight with a sixth win of the season but Hawthorn (four wins, seven losses) remain in the mire.
Sicily, Luke Breust and skipper Jarryd Roughead kicked two goals each for the lacklustre visitors, while midfielder Tom Mitchell (30 disposals), Luke Hodge (27 touches) and Ryan Burton (25 possessions) battled gamely.
Port coach Ken Hinkley praised Dixon's character to perform strongly after spending a week under an unwanted spotlight.
"The good part about Charlie from the criticism is he doesn't read it," Hinkley said.
"He doesn't actually even look at it. He said 'I didn't actually know that anything was said'.
"... I think he was put on display for everyone else to learn a lesson."
Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson said he couldn't explain his side's horror first half.
"We couldn't have had a worse start," Clarkson said.
"They had the game on their terms."
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