Essendon coach Matthew Knights insists that the AFL season of arch-rivals Hawthorn is far from finished.

Knights, whose Bombers crushed the Hawks by 43 points at the weekend, leaving them fourth last on the AFL ladder with a 1-5 win-loss record, says the 2008 premiers cannot be written off.

Their precarious position has forced Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett to declare Alastair Clarkson safe in his position as coach.

Clarkson has put all players on notice and forecast wholesale team changes this week, but Knights says their position could change rapidly.

"They've got a lot of talent and once they get their act together they could come really hard," Knights said.

"I wouldn't put it out of the question that that group could win five, six, seven games in a row with the talent they've got.

"I don't think they're done yet - there's a lot of season yet and once teams get momentum rolling they can string wins together.

"I wouldn't be putting Hawthorn away yet, I think they've got a fair bit of fight left in them."

Meanwhile, Knights says young star Michael Hurley rejected a massive pay hike from the new Gold Coast AFL team because he believes in the Bombers' long-term vision.

Hurley was reportedly offered up to $600,000 a season - double his current salary - to move north.

However the 19-year-old key position player has turned his back on the money to remain with Essendon.

Knights said Hurley, who kicked four goals in the win against Hawthorn at the weekend, had rebounded well from an off-field incident last year.

He was suspended by the club for the first three games of this year after an alleged drunken attack on a taxi driver last September.

But Knights said Hurley had worked hard to turn around his approach and he was delighted the Bombers had enticed him to stay at Windy Hill.

"All looks fine. We've got a really great person on our hands in Michael Hurley.

"I think the progression he's made over the last two or three weeks to find a little bit of the ball the other night was fantastic.

"He obviously is a big believer in what we're doing here."

Hurley is expected to play against Port Adelaide on Sunday but has a query over an ankle injury.

"We are looking to play him this week. He has got a knee concern and he won't do much on the track today but we'll look to get him activated Thursday and Friday," Knights said.

"All going according to plan, he'll play but he's certainly not out of the woods yet, along with Ricky Dyson who's going to miss between four to eight weeks with a knee injury, which is a blow.

"Ricky's been a very consistent player and structurally very sound for us - his career has really come on in the last couple of years."

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