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Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson says it's too early to jump to any conclusions after his AFL club's opening-round win against Adelaide.
Alastair Clarkson knows what you're thinking: Hawthorn are on the march again.
But the masterly coach says it's folly to jump to any conclusions after the Hawks' 32 point upset AFL win over Adelaide on Saturday.
"We have got to put that four points in the bank and get ourselves set for next week's game," Clarkson said.
"(It) promises to be just as hard, or strangely a little bit harder, now we've won this game on the road.
"We perhaps came into this (Adelaide) game as a pretty significant underdog.
"You win the game and everyone thinks Hawthorn is on the march again.
"We have just got to back it up again with another really honest performance against the Bulldogs next week."
Clarkson, who reiterated injured recruits Chad Wingard (calf) and Tom Scully (foot) would return within weeks, took great heart from the 12.15 (87) to 7.13 (55) win over the Crows.
In the gruelling affair, the Hawks stifled Adelaide to secure a precious away win.
"We would like to think it would be more spectacular than that, but sometimes it's not," Clarkson said.
"Sometimes it's about how many guys can play their role and chip in when it's required and win some of those important moments in games.
"We, by and large, did that better than Adelaide."