COMMENTATORS have been quick to jump at the fact that Hawthorn have given up a lot of contested possession to their opponents this season.

In fact, the Hawks currently sit last in contested possession differential according to Champion Data, meaning the gap between how many contested possessions the Hawks win and how many their opposition win is the worst in the competition.

Yet Hawthorn currently sit at the top of the AFL ladder as they put their feet up for their bye round, sitting comfortably with 11 wins and three losses.

Statisticians and commentators alike have been surprised by the Hawks’ ability to win games in 2016 despite often giving their opponents a clear advantage in this area, but there are a couple of fundamental reasons why Hawthorn continues to win regardless.

The Hawks have never been the best contested possession team – in their four most recent flags, the highest they have sat in contested possession differential over the course of a season was 5th in 2014.

So how are the Hawks counteracting the opposition getting their hands on the ball first? Pressure.

The Hawks currently sit second overall for tackles applied over the first 14 rounds of the season with 1044. They would be sitting first, if it weren’t for Sydney playing two games in the wet against Gold Coast and Melbourne, recording 135 and 155 tackles in each of these games respectively.

According to Champion Data, Hawthorn is ranked third for pressure points this season, a stat measured in tackles and other pressure acts such as smothers and spoils.

This suggests teams are having to win more contested possessions because the Hawks are creating more contested scenarios across the course of a game.

There was a lot of talk after Hawthorn played North Melbourne in Round 13 about why the Hawks were able to win the game – after all, they lost the contested possessions by 27 and had six less scoring shots.

The key reasons come back to hallmarks of the Hawthorn game-style under Alastair Clarkson.

Champion Data reveals the Hawks are the second-ranked team for kick rating differential, meaning – in simple terms – they hit targets by foot far more than the overall AFL average.

Looking back across their disposal efficiency in 2016 thus far, Hawthorn’s disposal efficiency percentage has been higher than their opponent seven times and less than their opponent four times. Three times they have broken even.

They also sit first overall for goal accuracy, meaning when Hawthorn get the ball inside 50, they generally convert their scoring opportunities – Jack Gunston, Cyril Rioli and James Sicily all sit inside the top 10 players across the competition in terms of kick rating in front of goal.

Hawthorn’s skills when they have the ball continues to separate them from the opposition, and the pressure they are able to apply when they don’t have the ball is, for the most part, covering the gaps.