Presenting Blast from the Past!
Over the month of September, we will be taking you on a trip down memory lane as we look back at various moments in Hawthorn history that have occurred on the same date.
Today we rewind back to 1976…
Hawthorn entered the 1976 finals series seeking redemption for its loss to North Melbourne in the previous year's grand final.
North were at the foot of a run that would see the club feature in the next four grand finals.
But all that mattered for Hawthorn at that moment was revenge.
It started with a qualifying final match-up against its bitter foes.
Read: Blast from the Past - Knights' day
Leigh Matthews was 24 years old and had 148 games under his belt.
He'd already put the brown and gold on his back numerous times and this game was just another example.
Matthews absoluetly dominated.
Spending time through the midfield and forward lines, he racked up a game-high 33 possessions - 14 more than the highest Roo - as well booting seven goals and six behinds.
It was a quintessential Matthews performance of utter brilliance that day at the MCG.
The 64,000-strong crowd could do nothing but sit back and marvel at the Matthews machine in full flight.
