Catch them if you can: Why contenders are leading Hampden premiership race

Reigning premier South Warrnambool and its great rival, North Warrnambool Eagles, occupy the top-two positions on the ladder after the first month of the season.

The Standard dives through the statistics ahead of the competition's return on Saturday, May 11, 2024, to identify three reasons why the Roosters and Eagles are again the teams to beat this season:

Territory has never been more important in the modern game and no one does it better than South and North. But it's not the ability to win the ball at the coalface and get the ball moving forward that is the most impressive. The Eagles (176) and Roosters (170) lead the competition in clearances, but it's what they're doing with it once the ball is clear that has resulted in their dominance.

Dominating clearance and stoppage means both clubs have the ability to control general play and set the ground up defensively and offensively. North are a high disposal team, they lead the competition with an average of 362.3 a game and boast the highest kicking efficiency of 68.5 per cent. They are controlling the footy, moving it forward, locking it in and then scoring heavily as a result.

South is slightly different, it isn't getting as many disposals but is an elite pressure team which gets the ball forward, dominates stoppages and locks the ball in once it wins the clearance. It is ranked number one for tackles with 335 - and leads the competition in one percenters, which factors in underrated statistics such as spoils, smothers, blocks and knock ons.

North is currently leading the competition for total inside 50s and by a fair margin, with 242 in its first four games, the next best team being 47 behind the Nathan Vardy-coached Eagles. Not only is the Bushfield-based club getting the ball into attacking positions, it is remarkably efficient. The Eagles are one of four teams, alongside South, with an efficiency of 50 per cent or more once the ball gets inside forward 50, a good achievement considering the amount of entries each game.

South is second for forward 50 efficiency scoring 53.3 per cent of the time. The Roosters have taken 69 marks inside 50 and the Eagles 81, the clear front runners in that category, resulting in them having the most shots on goal out of any team.

The modern day game is built largely on tackling pressure and the ability to lock the ball in attack. Forward 50 tackles are a key metric in a team's success. North and South do it better than anyone, which in-turn overwhelms opposition backlines.

The Eagles have registered 53 forward 50 tackles, the Roosters 44, both ranking inside the top-three, meaning they apply maximum heat on the opposition and force teams into turnovers. This results in intercept possessions and marks - which the Roosters are the clear standout team with a total of 270 - an inundation of entries and more opportunities for big forwards to get into better positions to score.