The Hawks posted the highest score (64 points), conceded the least points (78) and had the smallest losing margin (14) against the unbeaten runaway competition leaders.

At the halfway mark of the regular season, the Pies are averaging 145 points and conceding only 46.

In a fascinating and honest appraisal of the club's strongest rivals, Cresswell laid out his plans, which included Todd Bryant's outstanding tagging role in restricting Morris Medal contender Joe Richards to only six touches.

"I thought our match-ups worked today (Saturday) and if anyone's going to beat Wangaratta, they really need to cut out five or six and make it a 13-on-13, 12-on-12 so to speak, that kept us in the game for long periods," he revealed to Radio 3NE.

The Pies have the best list in the league, with Richards, Abraham Ankers and Jackson Clarke headlining a sensational midfield.

The club has three former AFL forwards in coach Ben Reid (Collingwood), Michael Newton (Melbourne) and Callum Moore (Richmond, Carlton), whiile the defence is led by representative players Jamie Anderson, Dylan Van Berlo and Michael Bordignon.

Van Berlo injured a hamstring in the first quarter and was forced off, while Reid didn't play with a tight quad.

"I thought Jace McQuade on Moore was brilliant, as was Will Nolan on Ankers," he offered.

'Maybe opposition teams will be able to work on those match-ups now."

Ankers was limited to six possessions, while Moore had only nine.

The Pies now face their biggest test away to second-placed Yarrawonga on Saturday, so it will be intriguing if the Pigeons elect to use similar tactics.

"In the last quarter we had 14 inside 50s to (their) six, but we weren't smart enough in front of the footy," Cresswell reasoned.

"We talk about shape around the contest, behind the ball, in front of the ball, their defence is as good as anyone, (it's like) soccer where they defend space and don't defend the opposition that much.

"We wanted to make them accountable to a man, I thought we were pretty good until halfway through the third (quarter) when we lost our shape.

"I won't mention names, but we started to jump up through the middle of the ground looking for kicks and when we went to go forward, we were severely outnumbered."

However, the one aspect all clubs have to limit is elementary errors, particularly coming out of defence where a team simply doesn't have enough time to fix the problem before the Magpies swoop with their classy players.

"I thought coming out of our 50 with our kick ins, I reckon we gave them six or seven goals," Cresswell explained.

IN OTHER NEWS:

The Hawks hopes of upsetting the visitors received a huge boost when Werribee defender Nathan Cooper was allowed to play, just three days after contesting a VFL win over Richmond on Wednesday night, but he hurt his hamstring.

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