A win this Saturday will see Hawthorn end the equal third-longest finals drought in its VFL-AFL history. 

The current five-season period (2019-23) without appearing in the finals has equalled 2002-06, with the only longer periods without Finals being the club’s first 32 seasons in the competition (1925-56) and the seven seasons from 1964 to 1970.

Victory against North Melbourne will also mean that Hawthorn will complete a 4-0 clean sweep in its four home games at University of Tasmania Stadium for the first time since 2016. The club’s overall record at the ground after 81 games is a remarkable 60 wins, one draw and just 20 defeats.

Last Sunday’s 63-point victory against Richmond was Hawthorn’s 200^th win by a margin of 10 goals or more. The double-century of wins by 60 or more points compares to a tally of 169 defeats in that category, a healthy deferential.

The Richmond game also saw Hawthorn have its biggest quarter-time lead for 31 years and its highest quarter-time score for 33 years.

The 50-point quartertime margin was the biggest since the Hawks led by 53 points at the first change in Round 21 1993 against Adelaide at Waverley. having kicked 8.6 to 0.1. The 9.3 quarter-time score against the Tigers was the highest since Hawthorn kicked 10.3 against Sydney at Princes Park in Round 2 1991.

In fact, Hawthorn has only kicked nine or more first-quarter goals on seven occasions. The highest quarter-time score in club history was 13.3 against North Melbourne in 1982, which remains the equal second-highest opening quarter score by any team in VFL-AFL history.

Calsher Dear’s nomination for the Rising Star Award makes 2024 the third consecutive season when Hawthorn has had two nominees. It also consolidates Hawthorn in fourth place on the list of clubs with the most nominations. Dear is the 47th Hawk to be nominated since the award was introduced in 1993, which puts the club behind only Brisbane (52), Melbourne (50) and Essendon (48).

Hawthorn is meeting North Melbourne in the final round for the first time since 1988. This was the longest gap for any opponent in the final round but that mantle now passes to Brisbane (1993), closely followed by Adelaide (1994) and Melbourne (1996). The Hawks have never played Port Adelaide or GWS in the final round.

It is perhaps appropriate that Hawthorn and North Melbourne are playing in the final round of their 100^th seasons in the VFL-AFL having also done so in their first and 50^th seasons in the competition. The costliest final round game against North, was in 1943 when Hawthorn lost by one point, when even a draw would have seen a historic first Finals appearance.

2024 will be the 17^th consecutive season in which Hawthorn will finish above North Melbourne on the ladder. This is the fourth longest such streak in club history behind 22 seasons ahead of Melbourne (1968-89), 21 ahead of the Bulldogs (1971-91) and 18 in front of St Kilda (1974-91). On the flip side, Hawthorn finished below Carlton for 32 consecutive seasons (1925-56) and below Richmond for 31 consecutive season (1925-55).

Hawthorn has won its last five games against North Melbourne, its longest winning sequence against the Kangaroos since a run of 14 consecutive victories from 1985 to 1993. Overall, Hawthorn has recorded 103 wins against North Melbourne, its highest number against any opponent, with 78 defeats and two draws.

The two clubs have met on nine previous occasions at University of Tasmania Stadium with the Hawks holding a 6-3 advantage.

This week’s game is being played on an auspicious date, as Hawthorn has not lost on 24 August for 50 years. After losing to Geelong on 24 August 1974, the Hawks have won their past six on the date, most recently defeating West Coast in Perth on 24 August 2019.

Selecting an unchanged team against Richmond meant that Hawthorn has set a new club record for the most unchanged teams in a single season. The Hawks have had an unchanged team on five occasions in 2024 which breaks the previous record of four (2006 and 2011).

Jack Gunston’s 12 goals in his past three games could see him launch a bid for his fourth Hawthorn leading goalkicker award. He now has 27 goals for the season, only six behind current leader Mabior Chol (33) and four behind Dylan Moore (31).

There have been five previous Round 24s (1991-92, 1994, 2011 and 2023), with Hawthorn winning four, the first blemish coming with last season’s loss to Fremantle.  

30 years ago, in Round 24 1994, the Hawks ground out a 9.12.66 to 6.11.47 win against Adelaide at Waverley to finish sixth (in the first season of the Eight). Chris Langford got the three Brownlow votes for the third time in five rounds, while Andy Collins received one vote for his 26-disposal game. Darren Jarman, Ben Allan and John Platten were also prolific possession-getters, while Paul Hudson kicked three goals.

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). The record in Round 24 is six by Dunstall against Melbourne in 1992.