Jordan Lewis brought up a significant milestone on Sunday when he became just the second Hawk to play 200 games in the number 3 guernsey. The only other player to do so was Leigh Matthews who played 288 games wearing the number from 1972 to 1985 (after 44 games in number 32).
In his debut season of 2005, Lewis played 19 games wearing number 40, before shifting to number 3 in 2006. Thus when Lewis played his 219th career game on Sunday, it meant he reached 200 in number 3. Lewis took over the number 3 from Jonathan Hay who is one of a number of players to have worn the number 3 in over 100 games, others being Bob Williams, John O’Mahony and Anthony Condon.
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This coming round marks the 10th anniversary of the debuts of Jordan Lewis and Jarryd Roughead in Round 3 2005.
In an amazing piece of historical symmetry, their debuts occurred in a game with uncanny similarities to their most recent game. Both were away games against Essendon at the MCG which Hawthorn lost by two points. The similarities extended further as Essendon led at every change in 2005 by 5, 30 and 6, compared to its leads of 5, 22 and 8 at the breaks last Sunday. In both cases, Hawthorn lost a player in the opening minutes of the games, Josh Thurgood in 2005 and James Frawley in 2015. In one game the final score was 77-75; in the other 78-76.
Lewis made a promising debut winning plenty of ball (21 disposals) and using it well. Roughead found it hard to get into the game early, but kicked 2 goals in the third quarter as the Hawks fought their way back into the game.
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The loss last Sunday was Hawthorn’s first by less than a goal since the ‘Hawkins goal’ game against Geelong in late 2012. In between, the Hawks won five games decided by six points or fewer. The sequence included three consecutive Preliminary Final wins, plus home and away successes versus North Melbourne and Essendon last season. In total, 222 of Hawthorn’s 1882 games have been decided by 6 points or fewer and the ledger is almost square with the Hawks winning 105, losing 107 and drawing 10.
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Hawthorn will be hoping to establish a new record, by winning against the Western Bulldogs on Sunday. The Hawks have won the past 6 meetings between the two clubs equalling a record set from 1976 to 1978.
The 6 wins since 2010 have given Hawthorn a narrow lead in the head-to-head history between the two clubs, 79-75, with 2 draws. The close head-to-head record is remarkable when, in Premierships, the Hawks lead 12-1, and are ahead 18-2 in Grand Final appearances. It is explained by the fact that while both teams struggled in their early years after joining the League, Footscray were significantly better than Hawthorn. Then, in the 1970s and 1980s when the Hawks were strong, an upset loss to the Bulldogs was always on the cards.
The two clubs have met 3 times at Aurora Stadium, all in seasons when Hawthorn went on to win the Premiership. In Round 10, 2008 the Bulldogs inflicted the Hawks’ first loss of the season by 32 points, but the Hawks were victorious by 19 points in 2013 and 62 points last season.
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Sunday’s loss ended Hawthorn’s longest ever winning run at the MCG of 13. This Sunday, the Hawks will be hoping to extend their current winning sequence of 11 at Aurora Stadium.
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Hawthorn’s debutants last Sunday, Jonathan O’Rourke and James Sicily, were players 898 and 899 in the club’s VFL-AFL history. The next debutant will get the honour of being the club’s 900th player.
Sicily shares a birthday (6 January) with 1971 Premiership player Norn Bussell. The two were born exactly 50 years apart, Bussell in 1945 and Sicily in 1995.
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Hawthorn had a remarkable Round 3 record between 1971 and 1992, winning 19 and losing just 3. The Hawks also have done well in Round 3 in the Clarkson era, winning 8 and losing just 2. Apart from the 2005 loss described above, the only other blemish was a 2010 loss to the Western Bulldogs at Docklands. This has been followed by four big MCG wins - by 63 points (Richmond 2011), 56 points (Adelaide 2012), 55 points (Collingwood 2013) and 58 points (Fremantle 2014). These past four wins have led to Hawthorn having a positive overall record in the round - 47 wins and 43 losses from 90 matches.
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The individual goalkicking record for Hawthorn in Round 3 is 11 kicked by Leigh Matthews versus Essendon at Waverley in 1973. Michael Moncrieff had a particular liking for Round 3, kicking 10 in both 1974 versus South Melbourne and 1976 versus Collingwood. Jason Dunstall holds the record against the Western Bulldogs kicking 14 goals in Round 19 1996.
