MAGPIE Alan Didak has shown time and time again how to break through watertight defences.

But even the brilliant half-forward admits that the Hawks' wall looked impenetrable in the 54-point loss at the MCG on Friday night.

"It's the second time we've played them this year and they set up so well behind the ball," he said.

"It's so hard to get the ball inside 50, and the only way you can do it is by quick movement. We did it occasionally but more often we didn’t."

Didak said the Hawks were not only well-drilled in their defensive strategies but could quickly switch to attack once they took possession.

"They are so good at what they do," he said. "With their forward-line structure the way it is, if it gets in there easily they score goals.

"We struggled again in the first quarter like we did last week."

The Hawks opened the game with a goal in the first 30 seconds and had three on the board inside six minutes.

"Against good teams, if you give them a good start it's always hard to get back into the game," Didak said.

"We did it last week against the Bombers, and they ran away and this week we did it again."

A Didak pass to Paul Medhurst in the second term was one of few incisive Collingwood entries in the first half, and the 25-year-old felt the odds were tough when he tried to create chances.

"The game is won in the centre and, when Hawthorn was on top, it was easier for them to score," he said.

"In the end we probably won the stoppages but they used the ball a lot better."

He said that last weekend's poor start against Essendon wasn't highlighted before the Hawthorn game, but it was likely to be spotlighted now.

"We didn’t really talk about that sort of stuff," Didak said. "You know that if you get off to a bad start, you set up the game.

"We knew we struggled last week and wanted to come out strong.

"But it's something we have to work on now so it might be brought up a few times in the next week."