ALASTAIR Clarkson has won the battle over his former confidant Chris Fagan and lifted Hawthorn's season towards respectability with an easy 38-point win over the Brisbane Lions in a lacklustre game in Launceston.

The Lions gave plenty of cheek and were right in the contest late in the third term when they trailed by just 14 points. But Jack Gunston booted an important goal and ex-Crow Ricky Henderson followed with his first major as the Hawks found another gear and pulled away in the final term to triumph 17.11 (113) to 11.9 (75).

Henderson would finish as the game's top goalscorer with three majors.

Cyril Rioli's match ended just shy of three-quarter time when he came off with a left knee injury after colliding with Josh Walker, while Ben Stratton was also hobbled with a leg injury which could seriously test the Hawks' defensive depth in coming weeks.

GOALS
Hawthorn: Henderson 3, Roughead 2, Smith 2, O’Brien 2, Gunston, Rioli, Hartung, McEvoy, Howe, Shiels, Breust, Burgoyne
Brisbane Lions: Hipwood 2, Walker 2, Barrett 2, Berry, Bell, Bewick, Rockliff, Lester 

BEST 
Hawthorn: Mitchell, Burton, Howe, Hartung, Smith, Hodge, Henderson
Brisbane Lions: Rockliff, Martin, Rich, Hipwood, Lester, Zorko

INJURIES 
Hawthorn: Stratton (knee), Rioli (leg)
Brisbane Lions: Rockliff (shoulder) 

Reports: Smith (Hawthorn)

Umpires: O’Gorman, Jeffery, Mitchell

Official crowd: 10,553 at University of Tasmania Stadium