The late Paul Dear has become just the third player in Hawthorn’s VFL-AFL history to have both a brother and a son play for the club.

Paul’s older brother Greg played 137 games for the club from 1985 to 1993 and son Calsher made an impressive debut last Sunday.

The previous two Hawthorn players to have both a brother and a son represent the club were Harold Albiston, with champion brother Alec and son David; and Maurie Considine, with brothers Bernie and Frank, and son Paul.

Paul and Calsher Dear have entered the Hawthorn father-son combined games played list in ninth position, with 124 games between them. The three-generation Kennedy and Maginness families feature twice in the top eight, with the other four family names being the illustrious ones of Tuck, Langford, Hudson and Greene.

There is a nice pattern to the first career goals of the Dear family.

Uncle Greg kicked the first goal of his Hawthorn career in his third game; father Paul kicked his first goal in his second game; and now Calsher has bettered them both, by kicking his first goal in his first game, with the bonus of also adding a crucial second major late in the game. All three family members kicked their first goals in winning teams.

Calsher Dear’s inclusion in the team last Sunday meant that four of the 23 players came from Beaumaris FC, the others being Jack Gunston, Jack Scrimshaw and Cam Mackenzie. Dear likes sharing with teammates, as he also shares his birthday of 4 August with Dylan Moore and Bailey Macdonald.

This Saturday, the Hawks will be starting the quest to continue the club’s amazing record at University of Tasmania Stadium for another season, with Hawthorn last having a losing Launceston season way back in 2005. Since then, there have been 13 winning seasons (including a 3-1 record last season) with the balance drawn. Hawthorn’s overall record in 78 games at University of Tasmania Stadium is 57 wins, one draw and just 20 defeats.

Hawthorn is having its first Launceston game in a later round than in any other season when it has played in Tasmania. The latest previous start was in Round 8 2004 (although that was a later date). The Hawks first played in Launceston in 2001, and have played there every year since, except in the Covid-impacted 2020 season.

Connor Macdonald will this week play his 50^th game, an impressive effort doing so just missing four games since his debut in Round 1 2022, playing 20 of a possible 22 games in 2022, 21 of 23 last season and every game so far in 2024.

The only Hawk to reach 50 games from debut without missing a single Hawthorn game was David O’Halloran, who played 74 consecutive games from Round 1 1976 until he was injured in the 1978 Second Semi Final. Allan Woodley and Ian Law are Hawthorn players credited by the AFL with also playing over 50 games from debut, but that is because they include State games in consecutive games records (although not in actual games records).

Hawthorn has only won one of its last seven games against St Kilda, but the one victory was a memorable come-from-behind 10-point victory at Docklands in Round 11 last season. The Saints then got revenge, inflicting a 29-point defeat on the Hawks in Round 20.

The two clubs have met on four previous occasions at University of Tasmania Stadium for two wins apiece, the Hawks winning in 2016 and 2018, but suffering defeats in 2009 and 2017.

Overall, Hawthorn and St Kilda have met 163 times with the Hawks winning 83 and the Saints 78, plus two draws. The Hawks’ second longest winning sequence against any club was 20 versus St Kilda from 1979 to 1989.

The Hawks’ only Round 9 success in recent seasons was in 2020 when they defeated Carlton at Perth Stadium by 31 points. That ended a sequence of four consecutive Round 9 defeats, but it has been followed by three further losses, to North Melbourne (2021), Richmond (2022) and Melbourne last season. Overall, in Round 9, Hawthorn has recorded 43 wins and 55 defeats from 98 games, having had the bye in 2014.

30 years ago, in Round 9 1994, Hawthorn continued their stunning revival with a 97-point thrashing of Adelaide at Football Park – 22.13.145 to 7.6.48. Remarkably, the Crows failed to score at one end of the ground, being held scoreless by the Hawks in the first and third quarters. In one of the greatest games of his illustrious career, John Platten had 37 disposals and kicked six goals.

40 years ago, in Round 9 1984, after leading the Princes Park encounter by only nine points at the final change, Hawthorn defeated North Melbourne by 57 points – 21.17.143 to 13.8.86. John Kennedy Jnr. kicked a career-high seven goals but Michael Byrne secured the three Brownlow votes for an outstanding game in the ruck with 12 marks and 27 disposals.

50 years ago, in Round 9 1974, the Hawks were, like this week, taking on the Saints. Hawthorn had lost its previous four games against St Kilda, but this time cruised to a comfortable 47-point victory – 18.15.123 to 10.16.76. In the absence of Leigh Matthews and Michael Moncreiff who were both playing for the State team, Charlie Grummisch came into the team, kicking four goals, while John Hendrie was best-on-ground. Former captain and now assistant coach, David Parkin, played for the first time in 1974.

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 Round 9 record, booting 10 in a 30-point victory over Fitzroy at Glenferrie in 1968.