Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell pulled his players in for a long meeting after suffering a "reality check" against Collingwood, asking them where it is going wrong.
After a third straight defeat, the early-season premiership favourites have tumbled to 7-5 and currently look a shadow of the team that surged into last year's semifinals.
Last week's 33-point defeat to reigning premiers Brisbane was followed up by a 51-point mauling by the Magpies, the current flag fancies.
"I asked them actually," Mitchell said about his lengthy post-game meeting with the players that went for more than 30 minutes.
"Just had a bit of a discussion around 'let it all out', 'what's going on?', and 'where are you at?', and 'where are we at?', and 'what do you think?'.
"I think it was pretty clear to everyone that was here and those watching at home, we're at this point, miles off it.
"That Collingwood team are super sharp.
"We played Brisbane last week, and they were very good as well, but that was another level today.
"So that's what we need to aspire to and above to beat them when it matters."
When asked where he thought the players were at and what the players told him, Mitchell became testy, replying: "I'm not going to tell you that".
Hawthorn have more big challenges to come, starting with the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium on Thursday night.
"That was a pretty big reality check for what the best look like at this stage of the season, and it's a long season," Mitchell said.
"We've got a six-day break ... that's a chance to see where we're at again.
"We're not going to beat too many teams playing the way we did tonight."
After not Hawks failed to lay a tackle against the Lions, Hawthorn were again obliterated in the pressure count.
Collingwood won the tackle count 82-38, with Magpies coach Craig McRae saying it was the greatest positive differential the club has ever recorded in that statistic.
When asked if his players had the hunger to tackle, Mitchell simply replied: "yep".
"Sometimes you look at the tackle count and you think it's player effort, but it's not just that," Mitchell said.
"It's the way we set the game up.
"As a coaching staff, we're in it, in it, together with them. We need to put ourselves in positions to tackle.
"We've got some work to do in enabling positions where we can get our players in positions to tackle more often, because you're not going to beat a side like that if you can only lay 38 (tackles)."
Jack Ginnivan, who was Hawthorn's best with three goals and 31 possessions, declared Hawks players should "bring the mouthguards" to training.
"Telling some hard truths," Ginnivan told the Seven Network about the post-game meeting.
"We've done it before, and we always respond well to that."
Swingman Blake Hardwick dealt with a quad issue against Collingwood and could be in doubt to face the Bulldogs.
Defender Jack Scrimshaw also pulled up sore, subbed out of the match in the third quarter.