It was clear to supporters at the ground on Saturday night that Hawthorn's much-maligned zone caused headaches for Collingwood in the round 16 loss.
The Hawks came out of the main break 11 points down and quickly erased the deficit by kicking seven goals to nil to head into the final term with a healthy five-goal lead.
In the fatal third quarter, Hawthorn managed to contain Collingwood’s use of the ball in its defensive 50 and thus resulting in a shortage of shots at goal.
Collingwood managed 376 disposals for the match with 20% of them occurring in the defensive 50 while only 13% occurring in the forward 50. In Collingwood’s five previous losses this year, the side had used the ball 15% of the time in their forward 50 to 17% of the time in its defensive 50.
In the second half, the Magpies only had the ball 19 times in their forward 50 to account for 10% of the time. The statistics in their defensive 50 during the second half show that the Magpies used the ball 24% of the time, 7% more than the average in losses this season.
In round 18 last year against the Hawks, the Magpies failed to break through the zone using the ball 19% of the time in their defensive 50 while only managing to get it into their forward 50 10% of the time.
The table below illustrates the percentage of ball use by Collingwood around the ground on Saturday night, against the Hawks in round 18 last year and in the other five losses this year.
| Forward 50 | Defensive 50 | |
| First half | 11% | 16% |
| Second half | 11% | 24% |
| Five losses prior | 15% | 17% |
| Round 18, 2008 | 10% | 19% |
Kick ins
Collingwood kicked in the ball 13 times on Saturday night with four resulting in an inside 50. A look into the second half shows a congested midfield made it difficult for the Magpies to move the ball forward, getting it their only once in seven attempts.
In the five losses prior to Saturday night, the Magpies averaged the ball into their forward 50 from a kick in 23% of the time. In the second half against the Hawks, the Magpies were only able to get it in 11% of the time.
While Collingwood has come up against several zones throughout the season, it’s clear that Hawthorn’s structure is the achilles' heal for the Magpies.
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