Hawthorn has handed Essendon its biggest loss of a trying 2016 season, delivering a 108-point victory at Etihad Stadium.

The Bombers made a bright start on Friday night, kicking two of the game's opening three goals – both of them through Joe Daniher – but that only seemed to spark the Hawks into gear.

Kicking the next eight goals, the Hawks effectively had the Dons down for the count when they led by 48 points at the 13-minute mark of the second term.

Hawthorn claimed a 23.13 (151) to 6.7 (43) victory. 

With the Hawks' best midfielder Sam Mitchell watching from the stands, Jordan Lewis stood up in the midfield with a game-high 36 possessions that included five clearances.

Hawthorn shared the goals around on its forward line, with goalsneaks Paul Puopolo (four goals), Luke Breust (four) and Cyril Rioli (three) all lively, and spearhead Jack Gunston (four) outstanding inside forward 50 and further up the ground as a link-up player. 

Inexperienced key forward Tim O'Brien (two goals) also continued his encouraging recent development, while in defence Grant Birchall was at his creative best and Josh Gibson short-circuited Essendon attacks time and time again.

Friday started well enough for Essendon when it announced the re-signing of the WADA-suspended Tom Bellchambers and promising youngster Kyle Langford until the end of 2018, but it quickly turned sour. 

This season was always going to be tough for Essendon with 12 of its best players serving WADA suspensions, but the going seems to get tougher by the week.

Zach Merrett (31 possessions) at least flew the black and red flag in a one-sided midfield battle, and received solid support from David Zaharakis (33) and Darcy Parish (27).

Bombers coach John Worsfold said the rest of the season promised to be "very, very tough" for his team, with only a few positives coming out of Friday night's game. 

"The boys hunted the footy, they won the contested possession (117-101) which is, I think, the first time we've won that this year against a pretty strong team," Worsfold said. 

"We got enough of the ball, but we turned it over (with) too many really poor clanger kicks straight to the opposition, which was the difference.

"That's the area where we're miles off in terms of making good decisions when they're fatigued or when they're under pressure, to make sure we get more value out of the footy we 

Daniher (two goals and 10 marks, three contested)worked his backside off in attack, Essendon's dismal 36 inside 50s meaning he often had to run up the ground to get into the game.

The Dons' night was typified by the struggles of two of their top-up veterans James Kelly and Mark Jamar. 

Kelly had plenty of the ball but was uncharacteristically sloppy by foot, giving the Hawks two shots on goal in less than a minute in the first quarter with kick-in turnovers.

Jamar took some nice marks in attack, but put a set shot from 35m out on the full early in the first term before missing two shots from 30m out dead in front in the last quarter.

Essendon did, in fairness, control the opening eight minutes of the game.

With Daniher and Mitch Brown in attack, and ruckmen Matthew Leuenberger and Mark Jamar rotating alongside them, the Bombers troubled the Hawks' defence with their height.

But once Hawthorn seized control in the midfield it was all one-way traffic, with the Hawks piling on the final five goals of the quarter – two of them to Paul Puopolo – to lead by 30 points at the first break. 

The reigning premiers did not let up in the second term, kicking the first three goals before Essendon briefly stemmed their momentum with two of the next three.

It would prove a brief Bomber rally, however, as the Hawks kicked the term's final three goals to go into half-time 58 points up.

MEDICAL ROOM

Essendon: Brendon Goddard copped a broken nose in the game's opening moments and was on the bench for more than five minutes as the Bombers' medical staff struggled to stop the blood. He came off the ground again late in the first term and went down to the rooms for more treatment, but played out the game. "(Broken noses) are not comfortable things, but he's OK," Essendon coach John Worsfold said after the game.Hawthorn: TBC.

NEXT UP

The Bombers have a nine-day break before they take on Greater Western Sydney at Etihad Stadium next Sunday. They have only played GWS once previously at the Docklands venue, winning by 39 points in round six, 2013, but lost their most recent game against the Giants at Spotless Stadium last year. Hawthorn has another Friday night encounter at Etihad next round against ladder-leader North Melbourne. The Hawks have won seven of their past nine clashes against the Roos and five of the teams' past six games at Etihad.

ESSENDON        2.1    4.3       5.5       6.7   (43)      

HAWTHORN     6.7   13.7    17.9    23.13   (151)                      

GOALS

Essendon: Daniher 2, Brown, J. Merrett, Langford, Bird

Hawthorn: Breust 4, Puopolo 4, Gunston 4, Rioli 3, O'Brien 2, Stewart 2, Smith, Burgoyne, Shiels, Langford

BEST 

Essendon: Zaharakis, Z.Merrett, Parish, Daniher, Fantasia

Hawthorn: Lewis, Birchall, Rioli, Gibson, Puopolo, Shiels, Howe

INJURIES 

Essendon: Goddard (broken nose)

Hawthorn: Nil 

Reports: Nil 

Umpires: Kamolins, Fleer, Mollison

Official crowd: 27,567 at Etihad Stadium