Hawthorn's VFLW side continues to affirm itself as a premiership contender, with another strong performance over Essendon at Box Hill City Oval on Sunday.

The Hawks were simply too strong for a struggling Bombers outfit, who remain winless and on the bottom of the VFLW ladder. 

The number one defensive side in the competition, the Hawks continued to suppress their opposition’s ability to score, conceding less than 15 points for the second consecutive week. 

Read: VFLW match report Round 7

Hawks defender Chantella Perera says the backline has been functioning seamlessly. 

“I think, as a backline, we are a really strong group of girls and that’s a lot of our strength,” Perera said. 

“We take a lot of pride in defending that scoreboard and making sure we give the rest of the team every opportunity. 

“We can also really set the tone and the pace of the game.”

Hawks midfielder Julia Crockett-Grills said the side would not rest on its laurels, with a lot of room left for improvement. 

“I think today we saw little bits of how well we can play,” Crockett-Grills said. 

“We definitely aren’t there yet but I guess we have the second half of the season to try and put it all together.”

Having lost just one match from their opening six games, this relentless attitude for continued improvement is a promising sign for the brown and gold.