The Hawks registered an outstanding win on Saturday when they took down premiership contenders Western Bulldogs in an impressive contest at University of Tasmania Stadium.

The victory made it three wins in a row for the brown and gold – the first time Hawthorn has done so since Round 16-18 in the 2019 season.

Match report: Hawks snatch another scalp as Dogs lack bite

And, along with the outstanding outing, also came some great talking points.

Here are some of the main takeaways from the game including some big milestones and interesting statistics.

Milestones here, there, everywhere

From a young gun's first AFL goal, to the captains 100th major, a long-time Hawk's 100th game to a debutant - Saturday's win came with several big achievements.

The string of impressive stats began when skipper Ben McEvoy kicked his 100th career goal early in the second quarter with an off the ground snap from the goal square.

In the same term, youngster Lachy Bramble kicked his first career goal, capping off what has been an impressive 2021 campaign for the 23-year-old.

Meanwhile, debutant Connor Downie delivered in his first AFL game registering eight disposals at 100 per cent efficiency by half-time.

Replacing star midfielder Jaeger O'Meara due to injury, the Hawthorn Next Generation Academy product finished with 12 disposals and two marks.

Even though it was Downie's second AFL game, it was actually his first time playing on the field, after being an unused medical sub in his Round 1 debut against Essendon. 

On the other end of the spectrum, Jonathon Ceglar celebrated in style finishing with six clearances, 14 contested possessions and lead the hit-outs with 34 in game 100.

Hawks bring tackling heat

Prior to Saturday, Hawthorn had out-tackled its opponents by 10.4 per game since Round 17 – ranking them number one in the league.

The impressive pressure continued in Round 22, with the Hawks leading tackles (69-64), with 17-9 inside the respective forward 50s.

Tackling machine Jai Newcombe laid 11 tackles - the highest of anyone on the ground. 

Heading into the Round 22 contest, Hawthorn had averaged 60.5 tackles per game this season.

On Saturday the Hawks already had 25 tackles in the opening quarter, led by Newcombe, who had four first-quarter tackles.

Ruck duo lead the way

Hawthorn's big men Ceglar and McEvoy had a combined 49 hit-outs in the game, with the Bulldogs only registering 15.

The dominance in the hit-outs also helped the side to win 10 of the 14 centre clearances, which was key to Saturday's upset win.

Ceglar finished with a game-high 34 hit-outs, while Ben McEvoy was second on the list with 15.

Although the Bulldogs are known for having one of the best midfields in the competition, the stats in Launceston told a different story, with Hawthorn winning the clearances (+2) and contested possessions (+17).

Youth outplay experienced Dogs

Hawthorn fielded a relatively young and inexperienced side, with 12 players aged 25 or under, nine of which had played less than 50 games.

In comparison, the Bulldogs had only four players to play in Saturday's game with under 50 games experience.

With O'Meara, Dylan Moore and James Worpel on the sidelines due to injury, the Hawks relied upon the inclusions of Downie, Newcombe and Josh Morris to help bring drive and hunger to the contest.

It appeared to pay off, with the victory marking Hawthorn’s third consecutive win and led to the Dogs to their first interstate loss of the season.