After sending out their future brigade in NAB One, then introducing their core stars to blow out the cobwebs in NAB Two, Thursday night's game against the Saints always loomed as the first meaningful look at the reigning premier. Luke Hodge eyes upfield. Credit:Getty Images Did they look hungry? Did they look as fit as they have to be? Did their skills still look sharper than anyone else's? Did they have something new to keep them ahead? Did their veteran stars still look like stars, or just veterans? Practice games are about appearances. We won't know what's truly under the cover until the real stuff begins, and certainly this was not a real test. We could smash St Kilda for this showing but, really, whatever level St Kilda hopes to reach this year, it is not Hawthorn's and so what is the point? This was about glimpses from the likes of Paddy McCartin (one goal, eight disposals) and other young talent, with big names missing.

Nevertheless, on all those scores, the Hawks — minus just four of last year's premiership 22 — passed the "look" test. Quite easily. In fact, if there was a neutral observer among the small crowd at Etihad Stadium trying to find evidence as to why the Hawks (first) and the Saints (last) won't stay where they are, they wouldn't have come away with much. St Kilda didn't kick a goal until 12 minutes into the second quarter. By then, the Hawks already had nine and basically owned the ball. By three-quarter time they had posted the highest score of this year's NAB Challenge, and by the end had won by 106 points, 0.22.13 (145) to 1.4.6 (39). So what would a neutral observer have seen? Is Hawthorn still fit and hungry? They had 217 possessions at half-time. There seemed to be three or four Hawks around the ball at all times. And they shared it by hand (85 handball receives) to charge their way through traffic and rush the ball end to end.

At times it was hard to tell whether the handball was something the Hawks were forcing, or something forced on them by pressure from the Saints, which, for a few patches in the first quarter at least, seemed to halt the game's predictable course. The Hawks fed off the errors St Kilda made in the back-half, and then when the Saints did venture forward, the new triple threat of Josh Gibson, Brian Lake and James Frawley cut them off, mopped up and rebounded — like they had been playing together for years. They were relentless, too, restricting the Saints to just four scoring shots in the first half. And it is Gibson, even more so than Frawley, that has provided the something "new". Or more accurately, Frawley's arrival has created a new Gibson. There were signs against North Melbourne in NAB Two, but it was more obvious on Thursday how valuable the versatile Hawk could be roaming at half-back and pushing up the ground. He had 14 disposals at half-time (28 for the match) despite the fact the Saints were being smashed.

The veterans? Jordan Lewis (33 disposals), Sam Mitchell (33) and Luke Hodge (27) were some of the team's biggest ball winners and another Hawks' trademark – spreading the goal-kicking — also came up big. Thirteen Hawks hit the scoreboard. And their skills? It was nothing like the laser show they put on with their kicking in last year's Grand Final, but it warmed up as it went on. And their intent and willingness to run to each contest meant there was always a brown and gold jumper there to keep possession. They finished the game with 134 more disposals than the Saints. HAWTHORN 0.22.13.145