Reece Hodge has bagged a hat-trick for Melbourne to extend their lead at the top of the Australian Super Rugby conference with a crushing 42-15 win over the Sunwolves.

The six-try bonus-point victory on Saturday night at AAMI Park means the Rebels are seven points clear of their nearest rivals, the NSW Waratahs, who fell to the Blues earlier in Auckland.

Melbourne coach Dave Wessels said while the performance wasn't perfect, he was satisfied after three weeks on the road.

"Technically, there were things we didn't do right in the game tonight but, attitudinally, I thought we were 100 per cent in the right place," Wessels said.

"I think we're challenging ourselves to be a championship team at some point and that's what championship teams can do despite long travel schedules ... they always rock up mentally and physically and I thought we did that."

He was particularly pleased they limited the Sunwolves to just two tries to secure the bonus point.

Fullback Hodge scored two tries in the opening 16 minutes, with Billy Meakes and Quade Cooper also chipping in to push the lead to 28-8 by halftime.

The men from Tokyo kept themselves in the hunt with big winger Semisi Masirewa continuing his five-star form with the first of two tries for the night.

His 31st-minute try came when he managed to get on the outside of Rebels winger Jack Maddocks, however Sunwolves sharpshooter Hayden Parker missed the conversion, ending his consecutive run of goals at 28 this season.

Masirewa was back across the tryline just two minutes into the second half when he beat Maddocks, Meakes and Will Genia, with Parker making no mistake this time.

The Rebels were unable to shake the visitors until the 61st minute when Hodge charged down a clearing kick by Josh Timu and dived on the ball before it could roll dead.

Wallabies halfback Genia wound back the clock when he raced through a gap off the back of a lineout and scooted 50m to touch down, before heading to the bench to watch his team run out the win.

Both sides finished the match with less than the full complement as discipline wavered.

Rebels replacement winger Semisi Tupou was sin-binned for not retiring 10m as the Sunwolves took a quick tap, before visiting hooker Nathan Vella joined him for foul play.

Melbourne back Campbell Magnay was also yellow carded in injury time for an illegal tackle.