Fergus Greene has become Hawthorn’s 700th individual goalkicker.

The Hawks finished the 2022 season with 699 all-time goalkickers and therefore, when Greene opened his Hawthorn account in the first quarter on Sunday, he became the 700^th goalkicker for Hawthorn out of the 961 players to have represented the club in the VFL-AFL.

Greene’s feat was shortly followed by Karl Amon becoming the club’s 701^st goalkicker. The previous milestone of 600^th goalkicker was reached by Brad Sewell in Round 22 2006, and prior to that Greg Madigan became the 500^th in 1990, and Bruce Stevenson the 400^th in 1970.

Greene also became the first Hawthorn debutant to kick the first goal of a new season since Tim O’Brien in 2014.

Greene brings a couple of historic Hawthorn connections into his career in the brown and gold. His original club was Sandhurst, the club which produced two of the great stars of Hawthorn’s first Flag in 1961 – Graham Arthur and Brendan Edwards. Further, Greene’s date of birth, 20 December 1997, makes him exactly 50 years younger than another Hawthorn legend in Don Scott, who was born on 20 December 1947.

The 12 changes to the Hawthorn line-up from Round 23 2022 to Round 1 2023 was the most that the club has made for 90 years.

The only time Hawthorn has seen a bigger change from one season to the next was for Round 1 1933 when there were 13 changes. Apart from 1933 and 2023, the next highest number of changes between seasons is 10, a number which has been reached on eight occasions.

Hawthorn has won six of its last eight games against Sydney at the SCG, including thrilling wins by margins of seven (2012), five (2016), six (2017) and nine (2018).

Who could forget the exciting goals kicked by Brad Sewell (2012), Cyril Rioli (2016) and Jarryd Roughead (2017) to clinch victories, remarkably all three being preceded by goals from the maestro of the tight finish, Shaun Burgoyne. In Round 23 2018, goals from Harry Morrison, Ricky Henderson and Luke Breust took the margin from a deficit of nine to a nine-point win and clinched a top-four place.

The 17^th-placed Hawks were massive underdogs when they defeated sixth-placed Sydney at their most recent SCG meeting in Round 13 2021 by 38 points – 14.5.89 to 7.9.51. Jai Newcombe had a record 14 tackles on debut, and there were also outstanding performances from Sam Frost, Chungkuoth Jiath, Tom Mitchell and Jon Ceglar.

Overall, Hawthorn has a 16-14 advantage in games against the Swans at the SCG and a 17-15 record at the ground overall, having also beaten North Melbourne there in 1979, but lost to Gold Coast in 2021. The Hawks and Swans also played four times at Stadium Australia recording two wins apiece.

In total, Hawthorn has played South Melbourne / Sydney 170 times, recording 94 wins, 74 defeats and two draws. Hawthorn beat the Swans 13 consecutive times from 1971 to 1977, and 11 times in a row from 1981 to 1986.

Given the frequency of Hawthorn Premierships, there are only two previous occasions, before 2023, when Hawthorn has begun a season eight years after winning its most recent Flag, in 1969 and 1999. In both these cases, there were no Premiership players left with 1961’s last survivors, Graham Arthur and Reg Poole, having finished in 1968; and the last of 1991’s, Jason Dunstall and Stephen Lawrence, in 1998. So, Luke Breust playing in 2023, eight years after the 2015 Flag, is unique.

Sunday’s attendance of 68,691 was the fourth highest attendance ever for a home and away game between Hawthorn and Essendon, only exceeded by 78,294 in Round 1 2017; 77,278 in Round 22 2009; and 68,857 in Round 20 2018.

2023 is the first occasion since 2007 when the Hawks have been on the bottom of the ladder after Round 1. Furthermore, since Round 1 2007, this is only the third time Hawthorn has been on the bottom of the ladder after any completed round, the other occasions being after Rounds 3 and 4 of 2017.

Doubts had been raised about the team’s Premiership credentials after a Round 1 defeat by Geelong, but 10 years ago, in Round 2 2013, the Hawks proved they would be a force with a 50-point thumping of West Coast at Subiaco – 23.10.148 to 15.9.98. Lance Franklin kicked five goals and Cyril Rioli four, while Grant Birchall got the three Brownlow votes.

20 years ago, in Round 2 2003, West Coast was also the opponent, but this one was in Launceston and the result was much closer, a thrilling two-point win for the Hawks – 13.13.91 to 14.5.89. Jade Rawlings kicked the winning goal, one of his three for the game.

30 years ago, in Round 2 1993, Shane Crawford announced himself as a star in just his second AFL game, kicking five goals, earning the club’s first Rising Star nomination, and getting the three Brownlow votes, as Hawthorn thrashed Sydney at the SCG by 57 points – 22.17.149 to 12.20.92.

40 years ago, in Round 2 1983, Sydney was also the opponent as Hawthorn ground out a 25-point win at Princes Park – 9.16.70 to 5.15.45. Michael Moncrieff showed incredible efficiency kicking five goals from just five kicks, while Michael Tuck was BOG.

60 years ago, in Round 2 1963, Hawthorn had its first ever home and away crowd of over 50,000. A crowd of 55,293 at the MCG, saw Hawthorn come from 26 points down at the final change to lose to Melbourne by just four points.

80 years ago, in Round 2 1943, coach Roy Cazaly announced before a game against Essendon that the club’s nickname would be changing from Mayblooms to Hawks.

In playing his tenth game on Sunday, James Blanck has become just the third Hawthorn player in the last 50 years to reach a double figure games tally in number 36. Only Barry Young (13 games, 2000) and Dylan Moore (30 games, 2019-21) have done so, while another 12 players who debuted in the number 36 either changed numbers or were delisted before reaching 10 games.

Peter Hudson holds the individual goals record for Hawthorn against the Swans, twice kicking 13, in both 1969 and 1970. Jason Dunstall holds the Hawthorn Round 2 record, kicking nine twice – in 1988 versus Richmond and in 1991 against Sydney.