Thursday night's blockbuster clash at the MCG saw a Hawthorn blitz take down the Magpies in a 64-point belting that has the competition on notice.
When the Hawks ran out onto the hallowed turf of the MCG on Thursday evening, the equation for them was simple.
A win would keep alive their top four hopes, while a loss would make it all the more difficult to secure a second consecutive finals berth with the logjam of teams currently vying for a top eight spot.
Standing in their way was a Collingwood side who had started to show signs of struggling after leading the competition by two and a half games only a few months ago.
With both sides smarting from losses the previous week, against fellow premiership fancies Adelaide and Brisbane respectively, it was all to play for as both sides looked to secure some momentum heading into September.
Within two minutes of the opening siren, a massive contest on the field saw a heavy clash between Jeremy Howe and Jai Newcombe bring play to a halt.
Both players attacked the contest, with a clash of heads leaving Howe fallen and Newcombe shaken, resulting with Howe taken from the field on a stretcher.
After the stoppage in play, the Hawks jumped the gun and gained the early ascendancy, kicking the first two goals of the clash through live-wire Nick Watson, before the Pies kicked their first, as both teams vied for control.
The Hawks headed into quarter-time holding a slender six-point buffer as the arm wrestle looked set to continue.
The second quarter saw a sustained burst from Hawthorn, led by ruckman Lloyd Meek, that allowed the Hawks to race out to a 39-point halftime lead. It had the brown and gold faithful in the stands excited to see the team standing up and playing their attacking brand of football against a fellow premiership contender.
Collingwood threw everything at the Hawks early in the third quarter as the Pies tried to gain momentum and scoreboard pressure.
Still, the Hawks refused to wilt, holding steady after previously losing momentum in big clashes against the Gold Coast, Fremantle, and Adelaide, which had seen the team unable to win in some key matches this year.
The last quarter saw the Hawks extend their lead, allowing for a handy percentage boost that could prove crucial when the top eight is set at the end of the home-and-away season.
In arguably their most impressive four-quarter display this year, the Hawks' attacking style and flair were on display, regularly breaking away from the contest, keeping speed on the ball and running the Pies off their feet.
With Will Day sitting on the sidelines as he deals with his third navicular injury in the past 18 months, Jai Newcombe led the charge for the Hawks, dominating the midfield and helping set up a plethora of inside 50 chances for the team.
Newcombe, who overcame the earlier sickening head clash, was back to his best after struggling to impact over the past month of footy for the Hawks while battling a calf complaint.
The 24-year-old, who just signed a new six-year contract to stay at Hawthorn, ran rampant through the middle of the ground, given the luxury of playing without a tag and being able to shape the contest with his ball use.
He ended the match with 28 disposals, seven clearances, 11 score involvements, four inside 50s and a goal as he stepped up to lead the midfield in the absence of Day.
Lloyd Meek dominated the much-anticipated ruck battle against Darcy Cameron, showing excellent follow-up work around the ground as he collected three clearances and demonstrating his improved contested marking that saw him a threat in the forward line, where he kicked a career-high three goals.
James Worpel, who was the sub in the loss to Adelaide, was given the task of watching gun midfielder Nick Daicos at stoppages.
He kept his influence in the game in check, pressuring him at every opportunity to stop him from being able to get the Pies spluttering attack into gear.
At the same time, Worpel himself was able to get forward and be dangerous inside the forward 50, where he kicked a goal in the last quarter that saw his teammates celebrate in style.
With the loss of impressive defender Howe from the Collingwood backline early in the game, the Hawthorn four-pronged key forward brigade flourished, showing that they can all work together in a display that will have other top eight contenders wary.
Evergreen forward Jack Gunston led the scoring on the night, with his guile and incredible timing allowing him to kick four goals, which saw him surpass 50 goals for the season and currently place him in second on the Coleman Medal race for this season.
Key forward Mabior Chol, who had been Jack Gunston's partner in crime for much of the season, ended the night with three goals but could easily have had double that, if not for some missed opportunities.
Over 10 minutes late in the first quarter, Chol missed two shots from close range and had a snap fall short that could have easily dented his confidence.
Often maligned for his ability to play in big matches, Chol showed in the second quarter that he will be a vital part of the Hawks' push for finals footy, kicking two goals from marks and proving a handful for the Magpies' struggling defence.
The Magpies recorded 44 inside 50s for the game, but were unable to make the most of their scoring chances as the Hawthorn backline stood up time and time again.
In a 113-point turnaround since their last clash in Round 12, the quartet of Tom Barrass, Josh Battle, James Sicily and Jack Scrimshaw made sure to nullify their opponents' attacking chances, recording 20 intercept possessions between them.
Barrass was the rock in defence, using his body positioning and spoiling to defuse Collingwood's forward 50 entries.
Jarman Impey and Karl Amon ran off their opponents throughout the evening, setting up the Hawks' counter-attack with flair and pace, before using their foot skills to hit up targets up the ground as the Magpies struggled to contain their run and dash.
With two games left to go in the season, the Hawks' finals destiny is in their hands.
With games to come against Melbourne at the MCG, followed by a blockbuster Round 24 clash against the Lions in Brisbane, the equation for Mitchell's men to feature in September is simple: keep winning.
