Hawthorn has won its past three matches against the Brisbane Lions.

The Hawks defeated the Lions by 28 points at the MCG in Round 1 2020, the first round played without a crowd due to the pandemic.

Then in the past two seasons, the Hawks have recorded victories at University of Tasmania Stadium, by 12 points in Round 20 2021, and by five points in Round 10 last season.

A common factor in the 2020 and 2021 games was outstanding performances by Chad Wingard, gaining three Brownlow votes in the 2020 game and two votes in 2021, and he again made a big contribution last season with three goals.

Overall, Hawthorn and Brisbane have played 53 times, with the Hawks winning 33 and losing 20. Hawthorn won eight consecutive games against the Lions from 2010 to 2017, but then lost four games in 2018-19, before winning the most recent three games.

This weekend’s game will be a rare meeting of Hawthorn and Brisbane Lions at the MCG, with University of Tasmania Stadium having been the predominant venue for recent games between the clubs.

In fact, 12 of the last 17 clashes between the clubs have been in Launceston, with only three at the Gabba and just two matches at the MCG (2012 and 2020).

In total, there have been seven games between Hawthorn and Brisbane at the MCG with the record 5-2 in the Hawks’ favour, including the most recent four.

Hawthorn’s score of 14.12.96 last Saturday against Port Adelaide was the club’s highest losing score for eight years. The most recent higher losing score was 14.14.98 against GWS in 2015, a game the Hawks lost by 10 points.

Hawthorn also conceded a score of 150 last Saturday for the first time in seven years, since conceding 24.14.158 in 2016, also against GWS, in a 75-point defeat.

Saturday’s debutant Bailey Macdonald shares a couple of things with his teammates.

He shares his 4 August birthday with Dylan Moore (Moore is five years older) and like Tyler Brockman, Macdonald has begun his AFL career wearing number 42.

With this coming weekend seeing the first football on a King’s Birthday holiday since 1951, it is interesting to reflect on when Hawthorn last played on the King’s Birthday.

This was in 1946 when Hawthorn defeated North Melbourne by 25 points at Glenferrie.

In the 71 Queen’s Birthday Mondays from 1952 to 2002, Hawthorn played on the Monday holiday on 26 occasions, but the most recent of those was back in 1995 when, against Sydney at Waverley, Hawthorn recorded a comfortable 42-point victory – 17.11.113 to 9.17.71.

The highlight of the game was Shayne Stevenson kicking a goal while hobbling on one leg.

He had a good excuse to be hobbling as the leg was subsequently confirmed as being broken.

In the 1980s, Hawthorn defeated Collingwood at Waverley twice on the Queen’s Birthday Monday drawing a record crowd of 92,935 in 1981 and 62,339 in 1984.

In 1985, Hawthorn played a memorable draw at the MCG against North Melbourne on the holiday Monday, in a game which saw John Kennedy Snr. coach against the Hawks for the first time.

This weekend, 1970s Hawks star, John Hendrie, turns 70.

Hendrie was born on 11 June 1953 and debuted for Hawthorn as an 18-year-old in Round 1 1972.

Known as ‘Bomber’, Hendrie kicked 254 goals in 197 games, playing in the 1976 and 1978 Flags, and was best-on-ground in the 1976 Grand Final.

He finished equal third in the 1975 Brownlow Medal.

The Hawks have played 96 matches in Round 13 for 44 wins, 51 defeats and one draw (in 1926) and two byes.

Hawthorn had an unbeaten run of seven wins and two byes in Round 13 from 2010 to 2018.

Hawthorn’s most recent Round 13 win was in 2021 when the club recorded a stunning upset 38-point win against Sydney at the SCG – 14.5.89 to 7.9.51.

Hawthorn has an outstanding modern-day record in Round 13 matches in years ending in 3, with a six-game winning streak stretching back to 1963.

10 years ago, in Round 13 2013, Hawthorn recorded an 11^th consecutive win for just the third time in the club’s VFL-AFL history.

The Hawks defeated West Coast at Docklands by 20 points - 19.9.123 to 16.7.103. Jack Gunston and Jarryd Roughead both kicked five goals.

20 years ago, in Round 13 2003, the Hawks defeated Fremantle in Launceston by 30 points – 15.8.98 to 10.8.68.

Angelo Lekkas booted a career-high four goals and Shane Crawford got the three Brownlow votes for his 31-disposal game.

30 years ago, in Round 13 1993, Hawthorn came from 20 points down at half-time to win a Friday night MCG top-of-the-ladder thriller against North Melbourne - 12.11.83 to 11.14.80.

Jason Dunstall kicked six goals, while Ben Allan and Glenn Nugent were outstanding.

40 years ago, in Round 13 1983, Hawthorn comfortably accounted for Sydney at the SCG by 32 points – 15.20.110 to 11.12.78, with Gary Buckenara kicking four goals and Terry Wallace best-on-ground.

50 years ago, in Round 13 1973, Hawthorn came from 40 points down at half-time to beat Melbourne by seven points at the MCG – 15.22.112 to 15.15.105.

Leigh Matthews kicked four goals and Gerard McCarthy three, while Alan Martello was the Hawks’ best.

60 years ago, in Round 13 1963, the second-placed Hawks recorded a crucial 22-point win against fourth-placed Melbourne at Glenferrie – 13.6.84 to 8.14.62.

John Peck and Rod Olsson both scored four goals.

Jason Dunstall holds the club individual goal-kicking record against Brisbane, with 11 goals in the first ever match between the two clubs at Carrara in 1987.

Dunstall shares with Peter Hudson the Round 13 goal-kicking record, with Hudson booting nine against Fitzroy in 1971, which Dunstall equaled against Geelong in 1988.

They are followed by bags of eight from Peter Knights (1972), Mike Moncrieff (1980) and Simon Minton-Connell (1995).