Individually, Sam Gibson produced another solid performance. A feature of his season has been his hard running to create uncontested possession, and Round 22 was no exception.
The wingman’s 12 handball receives equalled a team-high on the afternoon. For the year Gibson leads North in the statistic.
| Player | Total handball receives |
| Sam Gibson | 207 |
| Daniel Wells | 183 |
| Brent Harvey | 164 |
Harvey’s effort to be third in the list despite missing the first six games indicates just how good a season the 35-year-old has had. He was again good after quarter time on Saturday, taking advantage when Liam Shiels departed the field with an ankle injury.
The veteran collected 22 in the last three quarters to finish with 25 for the game. He also provided perhaps the highlight of the day when he outbodied key defender Brian Lake in a marking contest.
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From a team perspective, North denied Hawthorn time on the ball. In the pre-game Scouting Report, the Hawks’ ability to starve opposition of possession was illustrated.
North completely flipped it around, maintaining possession almost 10 per cent more of the game than its opponent. It’s the largest differential any side has had against Hawthorn for the season.
| Round, opponent | Time in possession differential (%) |
| 22, North Melbourne | -9.5% |
| 6, Adelaide | -7.2% |
| 13, West Coast | -5% |
With the likes of Brian Lake and Josh Gibson patrolling North’s forward 50, pumping the ball in deep is fraught with danger.
Taking that under consideration, North was content to take shots at goal from distance on Saturday, nullifying any possible impact Lake or Gibson could have by flying third-man up in a contest.
It was a similar thought process to Round 19 against Geelong. The Cats use a similar strategy with their defenders, and the comparison is reflected in the scoring charts from each game.
Except for a handful of goals from close range against Geelong, there is a noticeable parallel in goals from 30 metres out and beyond. It worked against the Cats, and was very close to being successful again.
Round 19 v Geelong
Round 22 v Hawthorn
Where Hawthorn was able to get on top was from North turnovers. It wasn’t necessarily from a large number of errant disposals from the Roos, but how the Hawks capitalised on mistakes that gave them the advantage.
Both teams turned the ball over 35 times in the second half, but Hawthorn scored three more goals from opposition turnovers.
| Team in second half | Total turnovers forced | Points from turnovers | Points per 100 turnovers |
| Hawthorn | 35 | 44 | 125.7 |
| North Melbourne | 35 | 26 | 74.3 |
| Differential | 0 | +18 | +51.4 |
