This week marks the 60^th anniversary of one of the most important victories in Hawthorn history.

It was on Saturday 17 August 1957 that victory against Essendon guaranteed Hawthorn a position in the Finals for the first time.

A new ground record crowd of 31,000 packed into Glenferrie saw the Hawks lead by seven points at half-time, and then extend the lead to 18 points at three quarter time. The tension was almost unbearable as Essendon made a final surge, but led by captain, John Kennedy, the fanatical Hawthorn players seemed to be holding them.

When first year player Bill Shelton kicked Hawthorn’s first goal of the final quarter it tightened the brown and gold grip on the match and, after Graham Arthur added another the result was beyond doubt. Hawthorn won 13.7.85 to 9.10.64. 

When the siren sounded, the jubilant Hawthorn players raced over to their coach Jack Hale and shouldered him across the ground to the dressing room, with the Hawthorn stand roaring its appreciation. History had been made. Phil O’Brien had been the star of the day with his six goals and one match report described how “his speed, elusiveness and clever position play made him a constant threat to Essendon”. Other good Hawthorn players included Allan Woodley, Brian Falconer, Brendan Edwards, Maurie Young and Ron Cabble. 

Two weeks later Hawthorn got to play its first ever Final, a First Semi against Carlton at the MCG. The Hawks won 10.11.71 to 6.12.48, in a game often best-remembered for the massive hail storm which hit the ground at half-time. 

The Sporting Globe concluded that Hawthorn was now in a position to “reap the benefits of the early foundations and the battle to exist”. Few could have imagined that, inspired by the efforts of the 1957 Hawks, the next sixty years would see Hawthorn win 13 Premierships, five more than the next most successful club in that period.

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Most readers would be aware that legendary umpire and commentator, Harry Beitzel, died earlier this week. It was Beitzel who umpired the game against Essendon which secured Hawthorn a position in the Finals for the first time. 

Well, he umpired some of it. As if the day did not have enough tension, play had to be stopped for a significant period at the eight minute mark of the second quarter, when Beitzel injured his leg. Despite treatment from trainers, it became obvious he could not go on and he had to be replaced by emergency umpire Trimble.

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If Hawthorn beats Carlton this weekend, it will take the winning sequence against the Blues to 15, which will be the club’s equal fourth longest winning sequence against any opponent. Hawthorn’s list of consecutive wins against other clubs is headed by 22 consecutive wins against Melbourne from 1973 to 1984, followed by St Kilda (20), Richmond (16) and Fitzroy (15).

The most recent loss to Carlton was way back in in Round 6 2005, in Alastair Clarkson’s first season as Hawthorn coach. The only current Hawk to have played in a losing Hawthorn game against Carlton is Luke Hodge. The current era provides a marked contrast to the record of Hawthorn’s first 200-gamer Ted Pool who played against Carlton 19 times without ever celebrating a win.

Prior to the current winning sequence, Hawthorn’s previous record winning run against the Blues was seven from 1984 to 1986. Overall, Hawthorn has won 62 and lost 102 of its 164 games against Carlton.

Read: Silk equals second most games by an Indigenous player

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Josh Gibson, who announced his retirement this week, shares the honour of winning the Hawthorn Best & Fairest in multiple Premiership seasons with just two other players. Leigh Matthews won the award in 1971, 1976 and 1978, while Jason Dunstall did so in 1988 and 1989.

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Hawthorn has recorded some massive victories against Carlton at Docklands, with wins by 100 (2007), 78 (2008) and 138 (2015). Hawks games against Carlton at Docklands have twice attracted crowds of over 50,000, with the biggest crowd being 53,459 in 2007.

In 2011 the two clubs met in the same round, on the same date and at the same venue as this week’s game. The crowd of 52,052 saw the Hawks keep Carlton to just one goal at half-time. However, the Blues fought back after half-time, reducing Hawthorn’s winning margin to just 12 points – 10.18.78 to 8.18.66. A magnificent running goal from first-year Hawk Isaac Smith sealed the win. 

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Round 22 was first contested in 1970 and, in the 47 seasons since, Hawthorn has won 31 and lost 16. Hawthorn won six consecutive Round 22 matches from 2010 to 2015, before a loss to West Coast last season. For the majority of its existence Round 22 was the final round but in 1991, 1992 and 1994, and from 2011 onwards there have been further rounds played.

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Hawthorn’s great goal-kickers never managed big bags against Carlton. Peter Hudson, Leigh Matthews and Jason Dunstall all had a top score of seven goals against the Blues – in 1968, 1978 and 1989 respectively. The best individual tallies for Hawthorn against the Blues are nine by Peter Knights in 1985, eight by Garry Young (in a losing side) in 1959 and another eight by Jarryd Roughead in 2009. 

However, both Hudson and Dunstall regularly kicked large tallies of goals in Round 22. Hudson kicked 11 (1970), 10 (1971) and seven (1977), while Dunstall booted 12 (1992), 11 (1989) and 10 (1988, 1993 and 1996).

Read: Clarko climbing up the coaching ranks