The 2023 Hawks achieved a 35-year best last Sunday.

By keeping West Coast to a score of just 4.2.26, Hawthorn conceded the lowest score since the 1988 Hawks restricted Brisbane to 2.5.17 at Princes Park in 1988.

Sunday’s score was the fourth lowest Hawthorn has ever conceded behind the 17 in 1988, 21 in 1964 and 24 in 1931.

Hawthorn’s own score of 22.10.142 was its highest for seven years. The most recent higher score was when the Hawks kicked 23.13.151 against Essendon at Docklands in 2016.

Last Sunday’s 116-point victory was the 28^th time Hawthorn has won a game by 100 points or more, compared to 19 losses by over 100.

It is striking that in Hawthorn’s first 46 seasons in the League the club did not win a single game by over 100 points and lost 13 matches by that margin. In the last 53 years, Hawthorn has won 28 and lost just six by 100 points or more.

It is now 18 years since the Hawks last lost by more than 100 points (versus Port Adelaide in Round 13 2005), with 11 victories by 100 points or more coming since then.

Josh Weddle’s nomination for the AFL Rising Star consolidates Hawthorn in fourth place on the list of clubs with the most nominations. Weddle is the 44th Hawk to be nominated since the award was introduced in 1993, which puts the club behind only Brisbane (48), Essendon (47) and Melbourne (47).

Weddle’s nomination means that Hawthorn has had at least one nominee in 27 of the 31 seasons in which the award has existed. The only years when there were no young Hawks nominated were 2004, 2007, 2012 and 2014. Hawthorn had two nominees last season with Jai Newcombe in Round 5 and Josh Ward in Round 18.

This week, Luke Breust will move into outright tenth position on the Hawthorn games list. He is currently sharing the spot with Gary Ayres and Jason Dunstall on 269. Breust also needs just four more goals to become just the seventh Hawk to reach 500 career goals.

This Saturday, Hawthorn will be trying to avoid losing six consecutive games to St Kilda for the first time since the 1960s. Hawthorn last beat the Saints in Round 22 2018, and since then have lost five times (three at Docklands, one at the MCG and one on the Gold Coast).

The current losing sequence has a way to go to match the eight consecutive Hawthorn losses to St Kilda from 1964 to 1969, which is the equal second worst, behind a run of 11 successive defeats from 1933 to 1940. On the other hand, Hawthorn won 20 consecutive games against St Kilda from 1979 to 1989, the club’s second-best winning run against any opponent.

Overall, Hawthorn and St Kilda have met 161 times with the Hawks winning 82 and the Saints 77, plus two draws.

This Saturday’s game at Docklands is being played on the anniversary of Hawthorn’s first Docklands game. On Saturday, 27 May 2000, Hawthorn’s inaugural Docklands game was against Fremantle and produced a comfortable Hawthorn win – 19.7.121 to 8.14.62.

Round 11 has historically been one of Hawthorn’s less successful rounds, with 38 wins, two draws and 56 defeats from 96 games (with byes in 2013 and 2015). Hawthorn’s most recent Round 11 win was in 2018, a three-point success against Port Adelaide at University of Tasmania Stadium.

20 years ago, in Round 11 2003, a young Campbell Brown displayed the courage which would become a hallmark of his career. Brown took a courageous mark in the dying stages as Hawthorn broke a run of four consecutive defeats, with a five-point triumph over Adelaide at the MCG – 11.9.75 to 10.10.70. Captain Shane Crawford and youngster Sam Mitchell were outstanding with 33 and 32 disposals respectively.

50 years ago, in Round 11 1973, Hawthorn comfortably accounted for bottom team South Melbourne at Waverley winning by 41 points – 17.17.119 to 11.10.76. Wayne Bevan kicked five goals and Leigh Matthews, with Matthews also heading the list of best players.

60 years ago, in Round 11 1963, Hawthorn had also played the bottom team, in this case Fitzroy, with the Hawks victorious by 33 points – 9.17.71 to 6.2.38. David Albiston kicked three goals and Colin Youren was best-on-ground.

80 years ago, in Round 11 1943, Hawthorn recorded its second ever victory over Collingwood, defeating the Magpies by 25 points at Glenferrie – 16.14.110 to 12.13.85. Wally Culpitt kicked four goals, while Toomy Lahiff and Bob Williams both contributed three, with Jack Barker rated Hawthorn’s best players by most critics.

Peter Hudson holds the record for the highest number of goals by a Hawthorn player against St Kilda, kicking 12 at Glenferrie in Round 15 1971 in a match which was a preview of the season’s Grand Final.

Hudson also holds the Hawthorn Round 11 record with 13 goals against South Melbourne at Glenferrie in 1969.