The midfield battle was always going to be a pivotal element to Saturday night’s game between Hawthorn and Sydney.

Two star-studded on-ball units, ultimately it was the Hawks who proved too strong on the inside.

The Hawks won the contested possession count (146-138) and the clearances (45-36), led by Tom Mitchell with seven.

But it was in the ruck duel where Alastair Clarkson’s side gained their true ascendancy.

Read: What sparked the Hawks' turnaround?

Ben McEvoy was outstanding for the Hawks, with a season-high 52 hit-outs while he also matched Mitchell with seven clearances.

Leading into the game, Callum Sinclair, averaging career-highs with 14.9 touches and 28.8 hit-outs, figured as a tough task for McEvoy. 

But Big Boy was able to overcome the former Eagle and now enters his sixth finals series as one of the Hawks most in-form players, averaging 42 hit-outs and 3.5 contested marks per game over the past fortnight since returning from injury.

The Hawks’ midfield dominance was also reflected in their ability to generate marks inside their forward 50, a statistic they rank fifth league-wide in across the season. 

The Hawks recorded 14 marks in their attacking zone to the Swans’ seven, highlighting the quality of the Hawks’ forward 50 entries despite having three fewer than the Swans on the night.