They might be in lowly positions on the ladder now, but 40 years ago, in Round 18 1983, Hawthorn and North Melbourne met in a top-of-the-table clash.

The Hawks trailed by 10 points at three quarter time at Arden Street but came home with a 5.2 to 2.3 final quarter to win 15.7.97 to 12.18.90.

The Age commented that Hawthorn’s ‘skill factor has increased greatly in the last two years’ and highlighted the play of back pocket Gary Ayres who combined ‘strength and grace’. He headed the list of best players followed by Leigh Matthews (6 goals), Ian Paton, Rodney Eade, Russell Greene and Terry Wallace.

On Sunday, Hawthorn will be attempting to make it four wins in a row against North Melbourne for the third time this century.

The Hawks have had three consecutive victories over the Kangaroos, these occurring in Rounds 1 and 19 last season and at University of Tasmania Stadium in Round 3 this season.

Previous sequences of four wins against North this century came in 2011-13 and 2015-17. Hawthorn has not won more than four in a row against North since a run of 14 consecutive victories from 1985 to 1993.

Overall, Hawthorn has recorded 101 wins against North Melbourne, its highest number against any opponent, with 78 defeats and two draws.

Seamus Mitchell’s nomination for the AFL Rising Star consolidates Hawthorn in fourth place on the list of clubs with the most nominations. Mitchell is the 45th Hawk to be nominated since the award was introduced in 1993, which puts the club behind only Brisbane (49), Melbourne (48) and Essendon (47).

With Josh Weddle having been nominated in Round 10, it is the 15^th time Hawthorn has had two or more nominations in the same season, with this also having happened last season, with Jai Newcombe in Round 5 and Josh Ward in Round 18. Hawthorn has had three nominees in a season three times, in 1998, 2002 and 2005.

Last Saturday, Denver Grainger-Barras kicked his first goal in his 24^th Hawthorn game.

Other teammates who took a lengthy time to register their first Hawthorn goal include Sam Frost in his 48^th game, Changkuoth Jiath in his 31^st and Jack Scrimshaw in his 28^th.

The mantle for most games without a goal now passes to James Blanck (19 games) followed by Seamus Mitchell (11 games). Both have a long way to go to match Josh Gibson, who kicked his first Hawthorn goal in his 127^th appearance for the club.

This Sunday will be the first time that Hawthorn has played an opponent in a lower ladder position for almost a year. It was in Round 19 last season when the 13^th-placed Hawks played last-placed North Melbourne that this most recently occurred. Hawthorn won that game and has won five matches against higher-placed opponents since then.

Hawthorn will be playing on 16 July for the first time since 1994. That fixture was an unusual one as it was a Melbourne home game played at Princes Park and an unhappy one, as the Hawks lost by 38 points. The margin was also 38 points in the second most recent 16 July game in 1989, but a positive one as Hawthorn defeated Richmond at the MCG.

The 1983 match described above was the first Round 18 game between Hawthorn and North Melbourne. It was followed by further meetings in this round in 1990, 1992, 1994 and 1996, but Sunday’s clash will be the first for the two clubs in this round for 27 years.

Hawthorn will be returning to Docklands for the first time since the Round 11 triumph against St Kilda. That game saw the Hawks reach 50 wins at the venue from 90 games, with 39 losses and one draw. Hawthorn has played North Melbourne 14 times there, with a positive 8-6 record.

In recent seasons, Round 18 has been a good one for the Hawks, with 10 wins, a draw (in 2021) and just one defeat in the last 12 Round 18 games. Overall, Hawthorn has played 95 Round 18 matches (there were no Round 18’s in 1925, 1942 or 1943) for 42 wins, 52 defeats and one draw.

10 years ago, in Round 18 2013, Hawthorn thrashed Essendon by 56 points on a Friday night at Docklands – 22.11.143 to 13.9.87. Lance Franklin kicked eight goals and Jarryd Roughead four, while Sam Mitchell had 31 disposals and Luke Hodge had 30.

25 years ago, in Round 18 1998, last-placed Hawthorn scored a stunning upset 36-point win over fifth-placed Richmond - 10.10.70 to 4.10.34. A Waverley Park crowd of 37,297 saw Ben Dixon boot three goals, while the Brownlow votes were awarded to Paul Salmon, Craig Treleven and Daniel Harford.

90 years ago, in Round 18 1933, the final round of the season saw Hawthorn defeat Essendon by five points, not only avoiding the wooden spoon but handing it to Essendon instead. This was to remain Essendon’s most recent wooden spoon until 2016.

Hawthorn won 10.9.69 to 8.16.64, with Steve Bravo and Leo Murphy both kicking three goals. Clarrie Lonsdale and Jack Zander were among the best players. However, the hero was Jack White, who continued playing with a badly injured shoulder as Hawthorn had already used its sole reserve earlier in the game.

Lance Franklin’s 13 goals in 2012 set a new club record against North Melbourne, breaking the previous high of 10 kicked jointly by Alec Albiston (1940) and Jason Dunstall (1988).

Peter Hudson holds the Hawthorn Round 18 record with a tally of nine against St Kilda in 1970. The previous highest before Hudson had come 30 years earlier when Jim Bohan kicked eight in 1940.