Beating slumping St Kilda by 30 points at the MCG was perhaps the easy part for Hawthorn.

Beating serious injuries which left them undermanned, a big first quarter deficit and waywardness in front of goal all proved far greater hurdles in an AFL win which will go down as one of the Hawks' best.

Star forward Lance Franklin kicked five goals, while midfielders Jordan Lewis, Shane Savage, Brad Sewell and Luke Hodge shredded the Saints in the 14.15 (99) to 10.9 (69) victory.

The Saints have won just one of seven matches this season. They look a pale shadow of successive grand final sides, and seem destined to miss the finals as they languish near the foot of the table.

But Hawthorn have a 5-2 win-loss record and look a finals side in the making.

The Hawks trailed by 32 points at quarter-time, and lost defender Stephen Gilham and sole ruckman David Hale to serious knee injuries early in the game.

They should not have been able to reel in last year's grand finalists, or humble them in every aspect of the game for the next three quarters, but somehow they did.

Coach Alastair Clarkson, his voice hoarse and clearly emotionally wrung out after the match, labelled the win an "unbelievable effort".

"To come back from five goals down and losing two important big players, the resilience of the group was superb today," Clarkson said.

"It was a very, very important win for our club today, and we'll hopefully build our season from this point."

In the first quarter, the Saints looked set to re-discover their best form with an outstanding opening.

Skipper Nick Riewoldt booted his three goals in the term, and they took a five-goal lead into quarter-time - the Hawks finishing with a solitary behind.

But the undermanned Hawks were able to get on top in the second in midfield - Savage providing a huge spark with an important goal and 12 touches in the quarter.

With Lewis blanketing the dangerous Nick Dal Santo and getting plenty of it himself, and Jarryd Roughead bravely holding things together in the ruck, the Hawks created a slew of chances with 20 inside-50s to two for the term.

Only their waste in front of goal prevented them burying the Saints earlier.

Despite their dominance, they led by just four points at halftime, and their radar remained shaky in the third as they reeled off behind after behind.

But the irrepressible Franklin kept accelerating the scoreboard pressure, kicking his second and third goals to help the Hawks to an 11-point margin at the final change.

The Hawks finally found their shooting range and ran over the Saints in the final term, with Franklin adding another two.

They led by as many as 43 points before two late Saints goals eased the margin.

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