Hawthorn’s nine goals against Sydney last Friday night came from nine individual goalkickers, a new club record for the most team goals without a multiple goalkicker.
The previous club record for most goals without any player kicking more than one goal was recorded against Adelaide in Round 2 1999 when there were eight individual goalkickers in a score of 8.8 at Waverley Park. There have been a further two instances in Hawthorn history of no multiple goalkickers in seven-goal scores, one against Geelong in 1925 and the other against North Melbourne in 1979.
Last week’s game was the first since 2007 when the Hawks have not had a multiple goalkicker, a longer period than all other clubs had gone without an occurrence. In that Round 14 2007 game against Adelaide at Football Park, Hawthorn only managed 4.7 in a much heavier 71-point loss. However, there was one similarity between the two games 12 years apart, Jarryd Roughead was one of the Hawks’ goalkickers on both occasions.
The VFL-AFL record for most team goals when no player gets more than one goal is 12 recorded by Melbourne versus North Melbourne in the 1998 Preliminary Final.
Hawthorn has now had the same margin, a 19-point defeat, for three games in a row. This is only the second time in club history this has happened. The other instance occurred as recently as 2016 when, in Rounds 3 to 5, the Hawks won three consecutive games by three points, defeated Western Bulldogs, St Kilda and Adelaide.
In its history, Hawthorn has won 14 games by one point. Remarkably, three of those 14 victories were recorded in Round 15 in years ending in nine.
80 years ago, in Round 15 1939, Hawthorn recorded its first one-point win since joining the League, doing so in a home game at Glenferrie versus Fitzroy. Hawthorn won, despite inaccurate kicking, 10.20.80 to 12.7.79. Alec Albiston and Bob Williams both contributed four goals.
60 years ago, in Round 15 1959, the Hawks secured their fifth one-point success in the club’s history, kicking an accurate 10.3.63 to overcome South Melbourne 8.14.62 at the Lakeside Oval. Noel Voigt and Graham Arthur both kicked two goals for the Hawks.
40 years ago, in Round 15 1979, Hawthorn defeated Geelong 11.13.79 to 11.12.78, the ninth one-point win. The Hawks had suffered bad losses in the previous two rounds, were missing several players headed by Leigh Matthews and Don Scott, and in this game were behind by 31 points at half-time. However, a five goal to one third quarter got the Hawks right back into the contest.
Michael Tuck kicked three goals and Kelvin Moore in an unlikely cameo as a forward got two. The following week’s Football Record listed the best players as Alle De Wolde, Terry Moore, Robert Dipierdomenico, David O’Halloran, Kelvin Moore and John Kennedy.
This Saturday, Hawthorn will be trying to avoid losing four matches in a row for just the fourth time in the past decade. In that time, the Hawks lost four in a row in late 2009, six in a row early in 2010 and another six in a row in 2016-17.
If Hawthorn scores between 50 and 100 this week it will equal the club record of doing so in the first 14 games of a season, which previously happened in 1961.
The Hawks and Eagles have played each other 50 times since the latter entered the competition in 1987. The head-to-head sees the Hawks trailing 23-27. This record which would be level if Hawthorn had not lost the first two encounters in 1987 by 12 points and one point, in a year when the Hawks made the Grand Final and the Eagles did not make the Five.
Hawthorn had won its last nine home games against West Coast, until the loss by 15 points at Docklands in Round 10 last season. Prior to that the previous home defeat was at the MCG in 2006. The nine consecutive home wins came at the MCG (4 times), University of Tasmania Stadium (4 times) and Docklands (once). In addition, Hawthorn won the 2015 Grand Final against West Coast at the MCG.
In total, the two clubs have met seven times at the MCG with Hawthorn having six wins, all by significant margins ranging from 25 points (2012) to 80 points (2001). The only defeat was in 2006 by the narrow margin of ten points.
Round 15 has historically one of Hawthorn’s best rounds, producing 49 wins, 2 draws and 42 defeats. Hawthorn had won three consecutive Round 15 games before losing last season against GWS Giants.
In the 27 seasons from 1970 to 1996, Hawthorn’s Round 15 return was remarkably good, with 24 wins and only 3 losses.
30 years ago, in Round 15 1989, Hawthorn defeated Richmond by 38 points at the MCG – 22.10.142 to 15.14.104. A crowd of just 17,894, the second lowest for a clash between the clubs at the MCG, turned up for the Sunday afternoon encounter. Jason Dunstall kicked eight goals, while Robert Dipierdomenico was in outstanding form accumulating 26 disposals and booting three goals.
Jarryd Roughead set a new club record of eight goals against West Coast in Launceston in 2014, passing Jason Dunstall, who had kicked seven against the Eagles in both 1988 and 1989.
The best individual return for a Hawthorn player in Round 15 is 12 goals, recorded by Peter Hudson in a 23-point Hawthorn win at Glenferrie in 1971 against their subsequent Grand Final opponent St Kilda.
