IT’S normally a pretty fierce game when Hawthorn and Essendon meet, as Hawks Captain Luke Hodge can attest to. 

The 258-game veteran has achieved and seen plenty on and off the field in his 14 seasons as a Hawk.

But there’s one game against the Bombers that still stands out in his mind, a game that has helped shape Hawthorn as a club.

It was mid-2004 – Hodge’s 35^th AFL game – and one now infamously referred to as the ‘Line in the Sand’ match.

“We had a horrendous run against Essendon, they beat us ten times in a row I reckon,” he said.

“Then it got to a stage mid-2004, they used to physically beat us up and we tried to make a stand.

“They still flogged us on the scoreboard, but the next time we played them they beat us by three points and after that we had 10 wins in a row.”

Trailing by 32 points at the major break, a different Hawks outfit emerged after half-time.

Eighteen players from the two clubs faced the tribunal, with four Hawks and one Bomber receiving suspensions, and a combined $70,700 in fines being received by players from both sides.

The final margin was 74 points in the Bombers’ favour, but Hodge said it was a turning point for the Hawks.

“That’s probably the main one that sticks in my mind – just the fact that it was a stage where we said we’ve had enough, you can beat us on the scoreboard but you’re not going to beat us physically,” he said.

“(It was) more of a mental thing for us. 

“Once we stood up to them, the next time we had confidence we could do it again, this time without the suspensions that we had that time.”

The next time the Hawks played the Bombers, in Round 3 2005, the Bombers held off to win by just two points.

The Hawks won the following match later that year, by 13 points,  and have won 12 of the clubs’ 15 meetings since. 

“Getting so close the next time and after that we started to build faith in our game style, faith in the way we played and we had a really good run until earlier this year,” Hodge said.

The Line in the Sand game hasn’t factored into the Hawks preparations for Saturday, but the rivalry is still as strong as ever between these two proud clubs’ supporters according to Hawthorn’s on-field general.

“Internally you focus on the last time you played them, or your last four games,” he said.

“They beat us at the MCG in Round 2, which we were very disappointed with and want to make up for.

“On the footy field you have a rivalry with every team, and with Essendon we’ve got a big history, but I guess the supporters are the ones that really hype up the rivalry.

“Every supporter I know (says) if you’re going to win one game a year, it’s to beat Essendon… and I can tell you whenever we play Essendon, you speak to their supporters and all they want to do is beat Hawthorn.”

Hawthorn will take on Essendon at the MCG on Saturday at 1.40pm.