Reflecting on all the topical milestones and achievements, past and present, as we head into Round 2 of the 2018 season. This is 'Footy Flashbacks'....
This week Hawthorn will be attempting to win its opening three games of the season for just the fourth time in the last 30 years.
Since 1987, the Hawks have only won their first three games in 2001, 2008 and 2014.
In fact, surprisingly it is already only the fifth time in those three decades when the Hawks have won the opening two games, with 2018 joining 1993, 2001, 2008 and 2014. Hawthorn lost by two points in Round 3 1993, but in the other years victories in Round 3 led onto longer winning runs.
The Hawks were much better starters in the mid-1980s, winning at least the opening three games in five out of six seasons from 1982 to 1987.
It is 37 years since Hawthorn played Richmond with the Tigers as reigning Premiers, but the history of such encounters in the 1970s and early 1980s provide cause for optimism.
Hawthorn has won five of the last six games against Richmond when the Tigers were reigning Premiers beating them twice in the seasons following Richmond’s 1973 and 1974 Flags and sharing the spoils 1-1 in 1981 after the Tigers’ 1980 success.
The first meeting after Richmond’s comprehensive 1980 Premiership win came in Round 6 1981 and saw the Hawks triumph by 75 points – 23.16.154 to 10.19.79. An MCG crowd of 45,750 saw an even opening term before Hawthorn pulled away with a brilliant eight goal to one second quarter.
Russell Greene and Michael Tuck both kicked 4 goals, while Leigh Matthews, Peter Murnane and Colin Robertson all booted 3 majors. One of the stars of the day was young wingman, Chris Mew who, in just his 14th match, had a game-high 22 kicks, one of which was a big goal.
A record crowd for a game between Hawthorn and Richmond is surely on the cards this coming Sunday. The current record for a match between the two clubs is 66,305 set in 2015.
Given the fact that both clubs play at the MCG and both have big supporter bases, it is perhaps surprising that there have only been ten attendances over 50,000 to watch their clashes, including just two crowds over 60,000. The first 50,000-plus crowd was way back in 1970, when 55,740 attended. This was bettered by 57,572 in 1980, which remained the record until 64,324 attended in 2014, surpassed by the current record the following season.
Hawthorn and Richmond have never played against each other in a Final, despite playing in the same Finals Series on nine occasions.
Monday’s victory against Geelong was the 14th one-point win in Hawthorn history and the third versus Geelong. The previous one-point victories against the Cats were recorded at Kardinia Park in 1948 and at Waverley in 1979. In 1948, Albert ‘Butch’ Prior was the star with 5 goals in the Hawks 11.15.81 to 11.14.80 win.
In 1979, Hawthorn had lost the previous two games by a combined total of 120 points and were missing several key players including Leigh Matthews, Don Scott and Alan Martello. When the Hawks were 31 points down at half-time, fans had little cause for optimism. However, a stirring fightback saw Hawthorn win 11.13.79 to 11.12.78, with former North ruckman Terry Moore playing probably his best game in brown and gold. His namesake, Kelvin Moore, played an unusual cameo as a forward kicking two goals, while Peter Russo and Peter Knights were both excellent.
Last weekend’s success came just two seasons after the most recent one-point win versus Collingwood in Round 23 2016. Before that they had been occurring roughly once a decade – in 1987 (versus Carlton), in 1996 (in the ‘merger match’ against Melbourne) and in 2006 (against Essendon).
Monday’s win was also the first game Hawthorn has won kicking fewer goals than its opponent since the 2013 Preliminary Final also against Geelong where the final score was 14.18.102 to 15.7.97.
Hawthorn has played Richmond 156 times for 70 wins and 86 losses, the deficit being wholly accounted for by Hawthorn losing the first 21 games between the two clubs from 1925 to 1936. The Hawks’ best sequences of wins against Richmond were 16 (1985-94) and 10 (1959-64).
Round 3 has been one of Hawthorn’s best rounds, with 49 victories and 44 losses from 93 matches. The Hawks had a remarkable Round 3 record between 1971 and 1992, winning 19 and losing just three. The Hawks also have done well in Round 3 in the Clarkson era, winning 10 of 13, including six in a row from 2011 to 2016, before last season’s loss to Gold Coast.
Five years ago, in Round 3 2013, Hawthorn trailed Collingwood by a point at half-time before unleashing a 15.8 to 6.6 second half to win by 55 points – 22.13.145 to 13.12.90. The Hawks were still only a goal ahead past the half way mark of the third quarter when they delivered a stunning 12 second end-to-end goal. It featured a massive kick out from Brent Guerra, a mark and handball from Ben Stratton to Lance Franklin, who hurdled a Magpie opponent before unleashing a massive bombed goal.
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 against Collingwood.
Jason Dunstall had an amazing season against Richmond in 1992, booting a club record 17 goals in Round 7 and following it up with a further bag of 12 in Round 22. In his whole career, Dunstall kicked 111 goals against Richmond, behind only his 116 against the Bulldogs.
