Hawthorn have crushed Essendon's AFL finals hopes with a 63-point win at the MCG.

The Hawks kicked six goals to none in the final term to shut out the Bombers in a scrappy game, winning 17.17 (119) to 7.14 (56).

Essendon will struggle to make the finals, given their poor percentage and the fact two of their last four games are at Subiaco.

Hawthorn badly needed a win after losing three of their last four and Lance Franklin responded, kicking four goals.

Hawks key defenders Trent Croad and Campbell Brown were outstanding, restricting Matthew Lloyd and Scott Lucas to a combined three goals.

The Bombers started strongly, but could only manage six behinds in the early rain.

After a bad turnover by Essendon as they tried to clear the ball out of defence, Franklin kicked the first goal of the game at 19 minutes.

Franklin also kicked the second as the Hawks went into quarter-time leading four goals to nil.

Essendon did not kick their first goal until 15 minutes into the second term, when key defender Dustin Fletcher received a generous 50m penalty after a mark and kicked from long range.

The Bombers kicked two more goals to keep themselves in the game at half-time as the Hawks led by 25 points.

Hawthorn increased their lead to 41 points at 19 minutes in the third quarter and the match looked over.

Essendon then kicked four of the next five to reduce the margin to 23 points at three-quarter time, to briefly suggest an unlikely comeback.

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