Hawthorn wore plain gold socks for the nine seasons from 1989 to 1997. This period was a subset of the 14 seasons from 1985 to 1998, in which the Hawks only wore the traditional white shorts in away games twice – in Rounds 2 (v Sydney at SCG) and 3 (v Carlton at Princes Park), 1993.
The other statistic regarding the gold socks is that having lost the last eight games of 1997, the loss to Brisbane has made it nine losses in a row in that attire.
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Despite losing the past three meetings, Hawthorn has a reasonable recent record against this week’s opponent, Collingwood, having won five of the past nine clashes between the two clubs.
The overall record, in the 143 matches played, still shows a significant margin in the Magpies favour – 92 to 51. However, it should be pointed out that the current Hawthorn deficit of 41 is smaller than that at the end of the 1954 season, when it had blown out to 47 (2 wins and 49 defeats). So in the past fifty-one seasons, Hawthorn holds a 49 to 43 advantage over Collingwood - plus, the small matter of having won nine Premierships to the Magpies’ two over the same period.
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Hawthorn and Collingwood have met 14 times at the MCG for seven wins apiece. The first three meetings were Finals in the 1970s, the most recent 11 have been home and away games since 1995, when first Collingwood, and then Hawthorn, moved home games to the venue.
The two teams have met twice previously at the MCG on a Friday night. Both games have been thrillers, Collingwood winning by three points in Round 20, 1995 and Hawthorn by eight points in Round 19, 2002. The 2002 season was also the last occasion that the Hawks and Magpies met twice in a season.
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The highest number of goals kicked by an individual Hawthorn player in Round 17 is 10 by Peter Hudson against St Kilda in 1977. The record for most goals against Collingwood is 11, scored twice by Jason Dunstall, in 1989 and 1990, tallies that beat Michael Moncrieff’s 10 in 1976.
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Historically, Round 17 has been one of the worst for Hawthorn. In 1979 Round 17 matches, Hawthorn has won only 31 and lost 48. In the modern era, Hawthorn lost five consecutive matches in this round from 1978 to 1982 and then fared even worse losing seven in a row from 1994 to 2000.
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On this Round
Hawthorn has never won a Round 17 game in a year ending in six, which considering Hawthorn won the premiership in two of those years is somewhat surprising. The catalogue of defeats is as follows:
80 years ago – Round 17, 1926 – Lost to St Kilda by 16 points
70 years ago – Round 17, 1936 – Lost to South Melbourne by 5 points
60 years ago – Round 17, 1946 – Lost to Melbourne by 37 points
50 years ago – Round 17, 1956 – Lost to Footscray by 43 points
40 years ago – Round 17, 1966 – Lost to Essendon by 21 points
30 years ago – Round 17, 1976 – Lost to Carlton by 31 points
20 years ago – Round 17, 1986 – Lost to Fitzroy by 51 points
10 years ago – Round 17, 1996 – Lost to Richmond by 41 points
Note – the eight defeats are to eight different opponents so defeat against Collingwood on Friday night will add a ninth to this unusual list.
Fortunately, years ending in one provided a winning conclusion to this week’s column:
45 years ago – Round 17 1961
Hawthorn 19.6.120 d. St Kilda 14.7.91
A new Glenferrie record crowd of 34,500 saw this encounter between first and third. The previous record of 31,000 had been set in Round 17 1957, the day the Hawks had clinched the Club’s first ever Finals’ berth. On this occasion the Hawks had gone one better by securing a place in the final four in Round 16. This crowd was subsequently only bettered twice - 35,500 in Round 18, 1963 and 36,000 in Round 1 1965.
St Kilda led by 10 points at quarter time, a goal at half time and scores were level at the final change. No-one was thus prepared for the Hawks burst of 8.1 to 3.2 in the last quarter. Four of the Hawthorn goals came in the first five minutes of the term and between them John Peck and Graham Arthur contributed five for the term. For the match they each finished with four, as did Garry Young. Colin Youren and Brendan Edwards were other good players.
The score of 120 was easily Hawthorn’s highest of the season and, in fact, one of only two of 100 or above.
35 years ago – Round 17 1971
Hawthorn 23.16.154 d. Footscray 4.15.39
Hawthorn recorded its eleventh consecutive win with a 115 point thrashing of Footscray at Glenferrie, having led by 13, 48 and 60 at the changes. The 10.2 to 1.1 final quarter was the most crushing.
It was the Club’s first ever 100-plus winning margin, eclipsing the previous record of 99 set against the Bulldogs the previous season.
Peter Hudson kicked nine goals and Michael Porter three, with five other players contributing two. Best players were Hudson, Kelvin Moore, Peter Knights and Bruce Stevenson.
5 years ago – Round 17 2001
Hawthorn 15.6.96 d. Carlton 13.15.93 at MCG
In the past 12 seasons Hawthorn has only won twice in Round 17 and, on both occasions it was a win over Carlton. However, even in one of the two wins the Hawks were behind when the final siren sounded.
By kicking the winning goal after the siren (to the Punt Road end of the MCG) Ben Dixon joined John Peck and Gary Buckenara in the list of those who have won games for the Hawks with a goal after the final siren.
Even before its dramatic conclusion this game had been memorable for Peter Schwab’s withdrawal from coaching duties due to heart palpitations and his replacement by Chris Connolly.
Hawthorn began well, but then lost the lead in the second term and actually trailed by 20 points at the final change. The hero in the lead up to Dixon’s goal was Daniel Chick who laid the tackle that saw the ball thumped back into the forward line with seconds remaining.
Best players for the game were Crawford, Thompson, Smith, Dixon and Greene.
