HAWTHORN clinically disposed of Carlton by 100 points last night, a goal in the last second from Rick Ladson ensuring the three-figure margin.

The Hawks now head into the mid-season break with eight wins and four losses and the tantalising prospect of a top-four finish ahead.

Talk of arm-wrestles between the free-scoring Carlton and the shutdown Hawks proved illusory. This was a battle of reversed styles — Hawthorn ran, ran, ran its way to 27 goals; the Blues stood still.

Seven goals to nothing in a paralysing 15-minute burst in the second quarter was enough to seal the game, but not end the pain for Carlton.

Despite some inaccuracy after half-time, the goals did not stop raining down — Hawthorn scored six in the first term, seven in the second, five in the third and finished off with nine in the last.

All this was achieved without Lance Franklin, whose late withdrawal robbed the Hawks of the man who kicked six goals from nine against Sydney. But Jarryd "Buddy" Roughead bagged five, Trent "Buddy" Croad three and Luke "Buddy" Hodge got three in the final term for four overall, ensuring the original "Buddy" was scarcely missed.

The Hawks led by 61 points at three-quarter-time, dashing whatever hopes Carlton may have had of a comeback.

There were any number of symbols of how bad things were going for the Blues, but how about big Simon Taylor running back into space ahead of Anthony Koutoufides to gather a one-handed mark. Presumably the big fellow was as surprised as everyone else because he missed a simple set shot from 20 metres.

Koutoufides, the Blues' trump card off the bench in the win over the Western Bulldogs, was playing as a key defender in yet another sign of how bad things were. Jason Saddington mercifully had been moved out of the back line after being monstered by Roughead, Tim Boyle and Croad. To be fair, some precise delivery into the forward line had been a big factor.

The dominance of Taylor and Robert Campbell in the ruck was a key factor in Hawthorn's ascendancy.

Hawthorn had what looked a matchwinning 43-point lead at half-time. Goals to Simon Wiggins and Brad Fisher beyond the 30-minute mark of a quarter that lasted 33 ended a run of nine consecutive goals by the Hawks.

It was almost 10 minutes into the second term before Joel Smith swung the ball long and wide inside 50 metres for Boyle to mark and kick the first goal of the term.

Another 10 minutes brought four more goals to the Hawks, who had scored the last two of the first term, then they added two more before Carlton finally got a behind through Andrew Carrazzo.

That should have been a goal — he marked 30 metres out straight in front; but so much chasing had the Blues been doing that he could not convert a fairly simple set shot.

Hawthorn punched holes in the Carlton defence and midfield. When they were not getting the ball out of the centre, the Hawks were rebounding off half-back, or even deeper. Smith ran off the half-back flank and put a penetrating kick forward and across the ground for Shane Crawford to run on to and goal.

Ladson and Grant Birchall ran side-by-side off half-back, Ladson finally giving the ball to Birchall and the play ruined only by his extravagant shot on the run. Jordan Lewis simply ran through a Marc Murphy tackle for the Hawks' 12th goal.

When the Hawks made mistakes, they made good on them straightaway. Late in the first quarter, Brad Sewell lost possession with a sloppy handball, but chased and dived in front of Matthew Lappin to win it back. The ball went to Smith for a goal.

For much of the first quarter, it looked an even contest. Hawthorn had the better of the first few minutes, but Carlton scored goals with its first two possessions inside 50.

HAWTHORN 6.4 13.6 18.13 27.18 (180) CARLTON 4.2 6.5 9.6 12.8 (80)
GOALS Hawthorn: Roughead 5, Hodge 4, Boyle 3, Croad 3, Ladson 3, Smith 2, Campbell 2, Lewis, Crawford, Ellis, Osborne, Birchall. Carlton: Fevola 3, Fisher 2, Murphy, Waite, Wiggins, Whitnall, Walker, Koutoufides, Simpson.
BEST Hawthorn: Smith, Crawford, Mitchell, Hodge, Lewis, Roughead. Carlton: Walker, Fisher, Waite, Wiggins, Carrazzo, Scotland.
INJURIES Hawthorn: Franklin (calf) replaced in selected side by Ellis.
UMPIRES McBurney, Avon, K Nicholls.
CROWD: 53,459 at Telstra Dome.