Sam Mitchell's status as one of the AFL's greatest ball magnets has been solidified, with the Hawthorn star now outright second on the list of all-time 30-plus possession games.
By full time in Hawthorn's narrow win over the Saints last weekend, Mitchell's hands reeked of leather with the veteran having found the Sherrin a career-best 44 times.
Mitchell's day out against St Kilda marked the 109th time he had produced a 30-plus possession game, lifting him above Dane Swan and only behind St Kilda great Robert Harvey (118). It continued an astonishing run of form for the almost untaggable player, who looks likely at some stage this year to eclipse Harvey's mark to be the most prolific midfielder in history.
Did you know? Since the start of 2006, Mitchell has averaged more than 28 disposals per match.
It's not just the amount of ball Mitchell wins that is so impressive; it's the damage he does with it. Swan has been criticised at times for his ineffective use of the ball, but Mitchell's effectiveness is first class. Over his career he has an effective disposal percentage of 74 percent, an elite standard for an inside midfielder and one that's been consistently topped only by Swan's teammate Scott Pendlebury.
But unlike Pendlebury - or any other midfielder since statistics in this category have been kept - Mitchell has recorded 11 seasons with a disposal average above 24 per match and a disposal effectiveness exceeding 70 percent.
The table below highlights the disposal effectiveness level the past six Brownlow Medal winners achieved, none of whom managed to crack the 70 percent mark.
Mitchell is so damaging also because of his clearance work, the hallmark of his game. Agile, strong through the core, and deceptively quick off a couple of steps, he's been winning the football at stoppages throughout his career -- which is impressive for someone who looks as though he rarely breaks from walking pace.
Since his debut in 2002, Mitchell has averaged 5.6 clearances per match; no current 200-game player can boast such a healthy record over such a lengthy period of time.
Did you know? Only twice in his career has Mitchell failed to register a clearance in a match: on debut against Richmond in 2002, and against Adelaide in 2009.
Not only has Mitchell's consistency shone through seasons within matches, he also displays reliability on both sides of his body. Last year he elected to kick with his non-preferred foot 46 percent of the time; no player in the league attempted it as often. He's a natural right-footer, although you'd struggle to be certain as his left is just as precise.
The ambidexterity in his game is an ability that few players possess, and it's become his greatest weapon in a sport in which players are forced to move the ball quickly in the face of fierce pressure and tackling.
The four-time premiership winner has also been a prolific Brownlow Medal vote accumulator over the journey, polling at least 13 votes in nine seasons; no other player in history has managed this under the traditional 3-2-1 scoring system.
Did you know? Mitchell has polled 204 career Brownlow votes, the fifth most in history and the most without ever winning the award.
Four matches into 2016, and Mitchell is showing no signs of slowing down as he leads the way for an injury-depleted Hawthorn side.
Mitchell will play his 300th match in 2016 (barring injuries and suspensions he will achieve the milestone in round 16 against Port Adelaide) and he should finish the home-and-away season third on the all-time games list for Hawthorn -- behind only legends Michael Tuck and Leigh Matthews.
He's one of many stars who have inspired Hawthorn's recent dominance, but it's hard to suggest he hasn't been their most important, influential and damaging player.