Hawthorn has overcome the loss of Stephen Gilham and David Hale through knee injuries to post a gutsy 30-point victory over St Kilda at the MCG on Sunday.
The Hawks played more than half the match with 20 men, but their resilience and spirit shone through in the 14.15 (99) to 10.9 (69) win.
Star forward Lance Franklin proved decisive in the final wash-up, producing plenty of highlights in his five-goal haul.
Four of which came in the second-half as Hawthorn virtually stuck the dagger into St Kilda's finals hopes, but their success came at a heavy cost with key defender Gilham and ruckman Hale facing lengthy stints on the sidelines.
Gilham lasted less than two minutes when his right knee buckled on the members wing and taken straight to hospital.
Hale, who crossed from North Melbourne during the off-season, also hurt his right knee following a marking contest midway through the second quarter, but remained at the ground.
At that stage, Hawthorn still trailed the Saints, who looked nothing like the 15th placed side they are by storming to a 32-point lead at quarter-time.
Captain Nick Riewoldt, playing closer to the big sticks than in recent weeks, kicked three of the Saints five first term goals, highlighted by a telling 55m effort.
St Kilda's work without the ball that was more impressive, restricting the Hawks to a solitary behind on the back of relentless pressure and an effective press.
But from then on it was all the Hawks, who kicked 14 of the game's last 19 goals to post their fifth win from seven matches in 2011.
Five came from the irrepressible Franklin, who also kicked five behinds, but Hawthorn was well-served by their young brigade.
Twenty-year-old Shane Savage proved a key figure in the Hawks comeback, gathering 26 possessions in addition to kicking two important goals.
Debutant Luke Breust made an impact with two majors, one in each of the third and fourth quarters, while second-gamer Isaac Smith (14 possessions) also contributed.
While Hale was down for the bulk of the match, Hawthorn still won the hitouts over St Kilda (44-37) and restricted the Saints to just one centre clearance in the opening three quarters.
Even the end statistic – Hawthorn 18 centre clearances to the Saints three doesn't make good reading for Ross Lyon's men.
Not surprisingly the Hawks engine room of Jordan Lewis (30), Luke Hodge (27), Brent Guerra (26), Brad Sewell (25), Liam Shiels (25) and Sam Mitchell (23) all found plenty of the football.
In comparison, the Saints' highest midfield ball winner was Nick Dal Santo, who had 19 possessions.
Sam Fisher again stood tall in a beaten side with 31 possessions and 11 marks in defence.
James Gwilt battled manfully down back, while Riewoldt led the Saints goalkickers with the three, but was unable to add to his first quarter haul.
HAWTHORN: 0.1, 5.8, 8.13, 14.15 (99)
ST KILDA: 5.3, 5.4, 7.8, 10.9 (69)
GOALS: Hawthorn: Franklin 5, Savage 2, Breust 2, Roughead, Lewis, Osborne, Shiels, Sewell. St Kilda: Riewoldt 3, Siposs 2, Cripps 2, Schneider, Polo, Dempster.
BEST: Hawthorn: Franklin, Savage, Lewis, Hodge, Suckling, Sewell. St Kilda: Fisher, Dempster, Gwilt, Dal Santo, Baker, Gilbert.
INJURIES: Hawthorn: Gilham (knee), Hale (knee), Puopolo (ankle). St Kilda: Nil.
REPORTS: Nil
CHANGES: Nil.
UMPIRES: Vozzo, Nicholls, Mollison.
CROWD: 42,453 at the MCG.