GIVEN the close nature of the competition, being a little bit off your game means you'll lose.

Hawthorn defender Stuart Dew said that was the message the Hawks had to heed after their loss to North Melbourne at the MCG on Saturday afternoon.

The Hawks came to life midway through each term, but the early lapses allowed the Roos to put goals on the board, and Dew said the team needed to be sharper.

"Our skills were really off today – we fumbled the ball, we were two-taking. On a day like that, when they're pretty switched on – and to give them their credit, they came ready to play – you can't two-take because the tackles are spot-on," he said.

"We didn't give our forwards the best chance, because once you fumble, they get numbers back. We did ourselves a bit of a disservice.

"We felt a bit off all day – I don't think we got on the front foot much. Our use of the ball was very average."

The Hawks generated good run off half-back, a lot of it quarterbacked by veteran Brent Guerra, although Dew said there was no specific plan to work through the 144-game veteran.

"He's just a smart player – he knows where to go, and how to get on the end of it. He's a real football brain, and a good kick, so why not use him?"

In an era when stats can and do lie on a regular basis, skipper Sam Mitchell is one whose numbers either give an accurate picture of his game or underplay it. Mitchell had it 38 times – by far the highest on the ground - which included four tackles, four clearances, three inside-50s, a couple of rebound 50s and a goal.

"He's just a workhorse – he never gives up and he's always around the packs. His intensity around the packs is what [sets him apart]," Dew said.

"You see the elite on-ballers, and that's what they do – if they don't cover the whole ground, they're just intense when the ball's in their area, and that's what he is."