JOHN Longmire would have been disturbed by one key statistic in the wake of the Sydney Swans' nail-biting defeat against Hawthorn.
A non-negotiable for the Swans coach is that when his players lay tackles, they stick.
It's a pointer to intent and when the Swans do that well, it goes a long way to them winning matches (AFL's No.1 tackle efficiency in victories, 74.1 per cent).
But against the Hawks, that key area – measured by the percentage of physical pressure acts that lead to effective tackles - was the second-lowest it has been for the Swans all season (62.2 per cent).
The only game it was worse? When Sam Lloyd drilled an after-the-siren bomb to steal a one-point win for Richmond in round eight at the MCG.
Every side has key performance indicators they value above others.
As we now know, Alastair Clarkson doesn't "give a toss" about Hawthorn's contested ball count.
But part of the Hawks' modus operandi is reliant on scoring from turnovers, especially in attack.
Their forward pressure is elite with terrorising trio Cyril Rioli, Paul Puopolo and Luke Breust buzzing around and rushing defenders into errors.
Hawthorn launches almost a quarter of its score from inside attacking 50m when it wins, but that League-high number dips to become the worst in the competition when the Hawks lose (13.2 per cent).
West Coast is slightly different, aiming to feed a potent group of goalkickers with repeat 50m entries.
With a savage forward press designed to lock opponents in defence on the narrow confines of Domain Stadium, the Eagles have a hefty reliance on time spent in their attacking half.
Adam Simpson's side keep the ball forward of centre for an outstanding +11:50 minutes when they triumph, but lose the territory battle in defeats (-7:39 minutes) and have been criticised for their ability to defend wider grounds like the MCG.
Winning the midfield battle is imperative for every club, but some teams rely more heavily on the engine room than others.
Led by star ruckman Todd Goldstein, the Kangaroos are a much better team when they can hit the scoreboard from centre clearances.
On average, North Melbourne outscores opponents by eight points a game in victories.
However, that figure plunges to negative territory in defeats (-0.8) and it seems more than a coincidence that a hobbled Goldstein has been below his best in the Roos' slide down the ladder.
STATS QUIRK OF THE WEEK: Brent Harvey will equal fellow 400-club member Dustin Fletcher on 234 wins if North Melbourne defeats Collingwood in 'Boomer's' record-equalling match this Friday night. Hawthorn champion Michael Tuck, whose 426 games record Harvey will match, has played in the most victories in AFL history (302), followed by Kevin Bartlett (260) and Bruce Doull (238).
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