With two wins at University of Tasmania Stadium already this season, Hawthorn has kept intact the cub’s amazing record in Launceston.

Victory against the Western Bulldogs will make it 13 winning Launceston seasons for the Hawks since they last had a losing one there in 2005, while defeat on Sunday will make it a fifth drawn season in that period (joining 2007, 2009, 2021 and 2022). There were no games in Launceston in 2020.

Hawthorn’s overall record in 77 games at University of Tasmania Stadium is 56 wins, a draw and just 20 defeats.

Saturday’s win against Collingwood was Hawthorn’s first victory against a ladder leader since it defeated Geelong in Round 18 2019. In the meantime, Hawthorn had a draw against ladder-leader Melbourne in Round 18 2021.

Hawthorn’s second century score of the season has put the club back in positive territory in centuries for and against in its 99 VFL-AFL seasons.

As described in last week’s Footy Flashbacks, St Kilda’s 100-plus score in Round 20 tied up Hawthorn’s centuries for and against at 703 apiece. However, the Hawks’ century against Collingwood has seen Hawthorn take the lead for just the second time in its VFL-AFL history, 704 to 703. The one previous occasion when Hawthorn took the lead was in the 2014 Qualifying Final against Geelong.

Hawthorn stayed ahead for almost nine years, at one point in late 2018 stretching the lead as high as 21, still a far cry from the largest deficit which was 194 during the 1968 season.

James Worpel will this week become just the fourth member of the current Hawthorn team to play 100 games for the Hawks, joining Luke Breust, who reached the milestone in 2015, Blake Hardwick (2021) and James Sicily (2022). Worpel will be the 146^th Hawthorn player to reach the 100-game milestone.

Hawthorn won eight consecutive games against the Bulldogs from 2010 to 2016, the winning sequence started and ended with thrilling three-point victories. In recent seasons results have been mixed, with the most recent victory against the Bulldogs coming in Round 22 2021 when the Hawks defeated the Bulldogs by 27 points in Launceston. Since then, the Bulldogs defeated the Hawks twice last season and by 29 points at Docklands earlier this season.

Overall, the Hawks hold an 84-81 advantage in the head-to-head rivalry between the clubs, with two draws (in 1996 and 1999).

Round 22 first appeared on the fixture in 1970 and has been contested every year since, except in the Covid-shortened 2020 season. For most of its existence Round 22 was the final round of the home and away season, but in 1991-92, 1994, and since 2011, there have been further rounds played.

Hawthorn has won 34 and lost just 18 of its Round 22 games. The Hawks were victorious in six consecutive Round 22 matches from 2010 to 2015, and a further three up to 2021, before losing to Richmond in Round 22 last season.

10 years ago, in Round 22 2013, Hawthorn came from 26 points down in the second quarter to defeat North Melbourne by 14 points – 17.15.117 to 15.13.103. A Docklands crowd of 33,039 saw the Hawks’ forwards among the goals, as Lance Franklin kicked five, Jarryd Roughead four and Luke Breust three. Luke Hodge received 10 Coaches’ votes.

20 years ago, in Round 22 2003, Hawthorn scraped home to victory against Richmond by just four points – 11.12.78 to 11.8.74 – after leading by 29 points late in the second quarter. Nathan Thompson kicked five goals to finish with 38 for the season, while Shane Crawford and Sam Mitchell were the leading disposal winners. It proved to be the final Hawthorn game for Daniel Harford, Jade Rawlings and Brett Johnson.

30 years ago, in Round 22 1993, Hawthorn thrashed Brisbane at the Gabba by 57 points – 24.19.163 to 15.16.106. Jason Dunstall’s 10 goals earned him the three Brownlow votes, with Ben Allan receiving two votes for his 25-disposal game.

40 years ago, in Round 22 1983, the Hawks needed victory against ninth-placed Geelong at Kardinia Park in Round 22 to guarantee the double-chance. Leigh Matthews. Gary Ayres and Gary Buckenara were all out injured, but the result was not in doubt as the Hawks raced to a 32-point quarter-time lead and finished with an 80-point victory – 24.13.157 to 11.11.77. Colin Robertson equaled his career high of 33 disposals and Michael McCarthy kicked five goals.

50 years ago, in Round 22 1973, Hawthorn defeated South Melbourne at Glenferrie by 37 points – 16.20.116 to 11.13.79. Michael Moncrieff kicked six goals and Leigh Matthews was best-on-ground. Footy Flashbacks will talk more about this game in the final column of the season.

Both Jason Dunstall and Peter Hudson regularly kicked large tallies of goals in Round 22. Hudson kicked 11 (1970), 10 (1971) and seven (1977), while Dunstall booted 12 (1992), 11 (1989) and 10 (1988, 1993 and 1996).

Dunstall also holds the Hawthorn individual goal-kicking record against the Bulldogs with 14 goals at Waverley in Round 19 1996.