A Hawthorn triple premiership star and potentially the club's next great player both struggled this week to explain its turnaround in fortunes.

Isaac Smith and Ryan Burton – the Hawks' only top-20 draft picks since 2010 – offered up greater consistency and a better understanding between the new and old as possible reasons for their improvement. 

The real reason might be even simpler.

The Hawks started the 2017 season with a 1-5 win-loss record for the fourth time this century, behind 2004 (which ended 4-18), 2005 (5-17) and 2010 (12-9-1). 

But wins over Melbourne, the Brisbane Lions and Sydney in the past month heightened Hawthorn's hopes of an eighth-straight finals run and put it within one victory – plus percentage – of the top eight. 

Alastair Clarkson's men would be in an even better position if they didn't give up a 43-point second-quarter lead in a loss to Collingwood a fortnight ago.

So what's changed? Three off-Broadway statistics in which the Hawks ranked bottom five through the first six rounds, suddenly have them on the frontrunners' pace in the last four games. 

* Points conceded per 50 minutes in back half

Hawthorn's backline coach Cameron Bruce credits the spike in that effort-related data – and subsequently in match results – to a "back to basics" approach. 

"Doing the simple things well is certainly important," Bruce told AFL.com.au. 

"Sydney have suggested their form improvement has come from just going back to basics. We've needed to get back to basics (too), to improve and get better. 

"That gives you the best chance to win the game. It's going to be hard without tackling and pressuring and doing the little things well … the times we haven't done it, we've been exposed."

Read: Five players to watch when Hawthorn meet Port Adelaide

The Hawks' competition-leading status in one-percenters is not as relevant, given they were a clear standout in the same statistic while carrying the 1-5 black eye. 

One-percenters consist of blocks, running bounces, knock-ons, credits, smothers and spoils, but some in the football industry consider it an outdated indicator. 

Only four top-eight teams – Adelaide, Western Bulldogs, Richmond and West Coast – feature in the top half of the League in one-percenters.

Hawthorn will seek successive interstate triumphs in as many weeks when it faces eighth-placed Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval on Thursday night. 

"We're playing a team that's really dangerous and threatening when they get it on their terms, so we'll have to be right on," Bruce said. 

"It'll be a huge result if we can beat Port. Beating Sydney over there and Port in Adelaide would be super for this group."

Quiz: How much do you know about our rivalry with the Power?