Brisbane’s ability to turn defence into offence was a primary reason for their victory over Hawthorn on Saturday afternoon.

The Lions piled on 44 points from scoring chains from their defensive half while the Hawks managed just two points from the same mode of ball movement. 

Five talking points: Hawthorn v Brisbane

It was the major distinction between the two sides who were otherwise reasonably evenly matched in statistical categories.

The Hawks recorded more inside 50s than the Lions on the day, but were simply unable to make their entries count as much as the Lions did.

A strength of Chris Fagan’s side throughout this season has been their ability to retain possession of the ball when entering their forward 50.

Entering their Round 17 clash with the Hawks, the Lions ranked third league-wide in this area, with 49 percent of their entries remaining in their possession. 

On Saturday, the Lions proved dominant in this area, with a retention rate of 67 percent compared to the Hawks’ 42 percent. 

Nevertheless, the Hawks will be buoyed by the fact that their inside 50 numbers remained high given that, typically, they are able to make the most of their attacking opportunities. 

This weekend the Hawks face a Carlton side that has conceded an average of 118 points over the past fortnight in games against the Lions and St Kilda.

If Hawthorn can continue to pressure the young Blues outfit offensively this Sunday, they can expect to make amends for their loss in Launceston.