After Hawthorn’s 44-point win over West Coast at Aurora Stadium on Saturday, hawthornfc.com.au takes a look at the five main points to take out of the game.

1. Roughead kicks eight but is more than a goal kicker
While Jarryd Roughead booted eight goals in Saturday’s win over the Eagles, his performance wasn’t just about taking marks and kicking goals – it was also about setting up teammates and applying pressure.

Roughead had five goals to his name at half time and was clearly the best player on the ground – he also had 14 disposals, four inside 50s and three tackles to his name at that point.

He finished the game with eight goals, 24 touches, five inside 50s, six tackles and two goal assists – it was the complete game.

The Hawthorn forward isn’t just a goal kicker, his value to Hawthorn is much more than that. His versatility makes him one of the most dangerous players in the game and a difficult match-up for opposition sides because he can play up the ground and be just as dangerous at ground level as he is in the air.

On Saturday he kicked the goals but next week he might play more up the ground and dish off a few – the beauty of Roughead is he is unpredictable to the opposition.

Interim Coach Brendon Bolton lauded that exact fact after the game.

“He’s kicked eight goals and also laid some really good tackles,” he said.

“The mix of pressure and being able to score is really important for us.”

2. Lowden impresses on debut
He waited five and a half years for his chance and Luke Lowden grabbed it with both hands. A baptism of fire in the ruck against the best ruck combination in the game, Lowden was arguably the most influential ruckman on the ground.

Lowden’s game was rounded – he made an impact both in the air and at ground level.

While he tired in the last quarter, Lowden finished with 15 hit outs, 12 disposals, three clearances, three goals, two tackles and a goal assist.

Of the West Coast ruckmen, Nic Naitanui was best with 29 hit outs, 14 possessions, three tackles and a goal.

It was an outstanding debut from the 204cm big man who at no stage looked out of place at the elite level.

3. Hawks snuff out the challenge
There were grumblings in the second quarter that the Hawks could be headed for their third loss in four matches when Andrew Gaff booted his second goal and his team’s third of the second quarter to give them a 12-point lead.

But from there, the Hawks went on to kick 11 of the next 12 goals to turn a 12-point deficit into a 48-point lead at three-quarter time.

The Hawks showed their class with ball in hand, as the Eagles struggled to take the footy the length of the field to set up scoring opportunities.

Hawthorn put three weeks of uncharacteristic disposal struggles behind them, with 11 players using the footy at 80 per cent efficiency or above for the match and only five players below 70 per cent.

4. Confidence booster
After scraping over the line against the Giants last week, Saturday’s victory was a timely confidence boost for Hawthorn’s young and experienced players as the side heads into a challenging phase of the season.

Still with a number of experienced players missing due to injury, Hawthorn’s depth was the shining light in the victory, as players like Lowden, Matt Spangher, Angus Litherland, Jonathan Ceglar and even youngster Taylor Duryea in defence were all key contributors to the win.

It’s a boost in the coaches box too, with Brendon Bolton in the senior coach’s chair for the entire week, following the handover from Alastair Clarkson the week previous.

The Hawks have shown that while Clarkson is recuperating, they’re still in great shape in their preparation, attitude and on-field performance.  

5. The return of Rioli
Some speculated that Rioli might have been rushed back into the side after missing just three weeks with his hamstring injury but he proved them wrong.

In just three quarters of footy (he was subbed out at the start of the last quarter), Rioli gathered 16 disposals, took five marks, laid four tackles and kicked a brilliant goal.

While the stats said he laid just four tackles, his pressure around the ball was critical in Hawthorn’s ability to build a match-winning lead, and his deft touches to bring his teammates into the game were brilliant.

The beauty of Rioli is that while he does the brilliant things with ball in hand, he is one of those rare players who can bring his teammates into the game like no other.