HAWTHORN is the most impressive side in theLeague and is primed for another tilt at the premiership, Western Bulldogscoach Brendan McCartney believes.

After the Hawks sauntered to a 62-point win at Aurora Stadium on Sunday - a result that lifted them to the top of the table - McCartney said the brown and gold machine was primed for a serious Septembercampaign.

“I don’t know what their reaction to thewin was but I haven’t seen too many better teams than them this year, to behonest. They’re probably the best I’ve seen," he said after the match.

“They can deal with games and win howeverit’s needed. Today they were strong and passionate about beating us at ourstrength, which is at the stoppage and contested ball area.

“We had patches where they got somedominance and we didn’t deal with that very well.

“If you can’t capitalise you have to hangin there and (that was) no more evident than the last six or seven minutes ofthe third quarter. That’s what was most disappointing and that probablyderailed us for the rest of the game because they had use of a strong breeze(in the final term).”

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The Hawks play Melbourne next roundbefore a tough run home with matches against Fremantlein Perth, Geelong at the MCG and Collingwood at the MCG.

Despite ruing his side’s inability tomaintain the kind of pressure required to compete with Hawthorn, McCartneystill found positives to take away from his side’s loss, with 200cmruck/forward Tom Campbell one player to earn his coach’s praise.

“We’ve looked at him a few times (and) he’shad very good year developing his ruck craft against men,” McCartney said.

“We think we’ve got a good young player,he’s a good young boy. He hasn’t probably been ready for that constantbattering you get as an AFL ruckman but he is just getting to that age andstrength now where he’ll be able to.”

While he did provide Will Minson with somecover in the ruck, Campbell spent much of his time forward against the Hawksand kicked two goals during an impressive patch in the third quarter where hecaused genuine headaches for the Hawthorn defence.

“He did some nice things today and actuallystraightened us up and dealt with some good opponents,” McCartney said.

“He could be OK, he’s had to wait his time.Other people have been given opportunities and haven’t been able to take themas well, but that’s not to say they won’t come back, either.

“We’ve got a lot of depth, a lot ofevenness. We’ll keep on coaching them and see who comes through.”