A week of caution paid huge dividends for Hawthorn when Lance Franklin unloaded again on AFL rivals Essendon.
Franklin continued his habit of big games against the Bombers, kicking eight goals in Friday night's 56-point win.
He returned from two games out with a knee and calf problem to show some ominous form five weeks out from the finals, while the Hawks consolidated top spot.
Coach Alastair Clarkson said Franklin perhaps could have returned for last week's win over the Western Bulldogs.
But there was no way they were going to repeat last year's blunder, when they lost Franklin for six games late in the season with a hamstring injury.
"We probably made the mistake ... of playing him and he ended up missing five or six weeks about this time last year," Clarkson said.
"When he's fresh and fit, he's a really important player to us obviously.
"We just wanted to make sure he was right."
Clarkson said Franklin was "jumping out of his skin" for the Essendon game and it showed, with the star forward kicking some booming goals.
Jarryd Roughead also kicked four goals and Essendon coach James Hird noted that the Hawks attack is nearly impossible to stop when it has enough supply.
Hawthorn easily won the inside 50s 66-40, sealing Essendon's fate.
"Their forward line is scary - it's hard to know who to send to who and where to go," Clarkson said.
"If Buddy doesn't get you then Roughead does and then there's (Jack) Gunston, then there's (Luke) Breust and (Cyril) Rioli seems to pop up if the other four or five don't get you.
"If you want to beat Hawthorn, you can't let it get in their forward line.
"If it gets in there enough, they'll score."
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