CONSISTENCY over four quarters is the theme at Waverley this week after Hawthorn snapped a two-game losing streak by beating St Kilda on Saturday night.

The Hawks' 35-point win was a strong response to the previous round's second half capitulation against the Sydney Swans, but midfielder Sam Mitchell said the team's form still needed to lift.

"We've got a lot of things in our game that we need to fix up," Mitchell said on Monday.

"We're not happy with the way we're playing as a full 120-minute side.

"So we've got a lot that we've got to improve on and that will be a lot of the focus of this week.

"If we play our best footy we think we can beat every side in the competition, and that's what it's going to come down to across the course of the year and that's what we'll take into Melbourne this week."

Mitchell said no team could expect to dominate a game for an entire four quarters, but the key to beating good opposition was limiting damage when momentum was going the other way.

"If you watch our season so far it's not hard to see that that's what's happened," the former Hawks skipper said.

"Other teams have kicked three or four goals in a row against us, and that's the stuff we need to stop."

Hawthorn was the subject of media criticism following its loss to the Swans, but Mitchell said that hadn't been a factor in the team's determination to atone against St Kilda.

"We didn't need [any extra motivation]," he said.

"When you play the way we did against Sydney, you've got your own motivating force within you and within your teammates and the coaches.

"When you walk around the footy club you don't need to read the papers to know that the effort wasn't good enough the week before."

Cyril Rioli was adjudged best afield for his six-goal performance on Saturday night.

The small forward's highlights reel was spectacular, but Mitchell said it was just as much the less eye-catching acts that made Rioli so good.

"Obviously he does some pretty fancy things with the ball … but the stuff that we love about him is his defensive pressure and the way he brings other people into the game," Mitchell said.

"There was a goal right at the end of the game where he tapped the ball to 'Poppy' (Paul Puopolo) and there were a couple of handballs and then 'Izzy' (Isaac Smith) kicks the goal, and no one really notices that one.

"It's those little touches that set his teammates into space that makes a big difference for us and make him such an important player for us."



RELATED
Sam Mitchell spoke exclusively to hawthornfc.com.au about the importance of defensive roles for team success, read more.