Round 1 v Essendon

It’s Round 1, Roughy’s back, we’ve got four new Hawks, and the stage is set for a huge battle against the returning Dons. 

2017, let’s do this.

Full time: Despite a 13-point lead 17 minutes into the third, the Hawks can’t hold off the rampaging Bombers.

They pile on five unanswered goals to snatch victory, and our dreams of watching Roughy belt out the song in his first game as captain are shot down in flames.

Round 2 v Adelaide 

Next up: Adelaide.

The Crows sent a clear message after thrashing flag fancies GWS last week, but the Hawks are on the rebound and hungrier than ever.

FT: A tale of two halves. Hawks dominate early, before Crows crawl back and pinch the four points. 

Suddenly, we’re 0-2.

 …and an unwanted man named Owen (0-…) has decided to park himself outside the Hawks’ camp.

Round 3 v Gold Coast 

It’s hard times at Waverley, starting the season with consecutive losses for the first time since 2009. 

But, with the lowly Gold Coast to come in Round 3, we should be able to pencil in our first win on 2017, right? 

FT: Wrong. Get your eraser, and replace that W with a giant L.

An 86-point loss.

Ouch.

 
Owen 3.

Round 4 v Geelong

We, as Hawks fans, are starting to feel the burden of the media fallout.

Memes about Hawthorn’s demise flood social media channels (and sadly, Flawthorn does have an ominous ring to it). 

The Round 4 challenge is as big as they come: Geelong, at a packed ‘G, on Easter Monday. 

But, we know our boys enjoy the big occasion, and we’re hoping for something spectacular to occur.

FT: Oh, it’s something spectacular alright. But not in the positive sense of the word. 

Back-to-back 86-point defeats.

Strap in Hawks fans, it’s going to be a long season.

Owen 4.

Round 5 v West Coast

We want to stay positive, but after our first winless opening month since 1998, it’s tough. 

West Coast at the ‘G. 

Could it be?

FT: There it is! Our first win in 2017. Some Cyril magic, some Roughy finesse, and a bit of Tommy Mitchell announcing himself to the competition. The boys are back!

Catch ya later Owen, the pleasure was all yours!

Round 6 v St Kilda

The bloods rushing after a comprehensive win, and we’re ready to prove it’s not just a flash in the pan.

Saints, let’s go.

FT: It was a flash in the pan. 

Another 75-point loss.

Round 7 v Melbourne

The Dees are this year’s chargers, finding themselves within the eight after the first six rounds. 

They’ll present a big task, and after the start we’ve had, Hawks fans could be forgiven for not having 100 per cent confidence heading into this battle.

FT: After a 29-point lead at half-time, we’ve kept our noses it front to pinch victory by 3 points, and cement our second win for season 2017.

Can I get a Hellulujah?

Round 8 v Brisbane

The Lions in Tassie. While we used to be a lock in at our home down south, the loss against St Kilda has us feeling a tad queasy inside.

FT: Count on Tom Mitchell to settle the nerves. Our boom recruit helps us to a 38-point victory with another impressive 30+ touch performance. 

The fans are all like… 

…until we realise the collateral damage.

Cyril. Stratts. Chip. Fitzy.

All injured. 

Our excitement quickly turns to dismay. 

Round 9 v Collingwood

Four forced changes. Two more late changes in T.O and K.B.

We may have had the better of the Pies in our last few meetings, but tonight’s test seems like too tall an order.

HT: Blink and you’ll miss it! The Hawks booted the first six of the game in incredible fashion, and shot out to a 43-point lead half way through the second.

FT: Collingwood, goal. 

Collingwood, goal.

Collingwood, goal.

Can I stop there? You get the drift…

Pies deliver a stunning 61-point turnaround to win by 18 points.

The good news? Tommy Mitchell breaks Hawthorn’s all-time disposal record with a whopping 50 touches.

Round 10 v Sydney 

Two of the most dominant teams of the decade find themselves in unfamiliar territory. We started 0-4, and Sydney, always having to go one (or in this case, two) better, started 0-6.

But unlike the Hawks, the Swans’ injury list has diminished, and they’ve found a patch of form that’s going to be hard to beat.

FT:  ENTER: Jarryd Roughead.

With the game in the balance, the skip marks and shoots from 50 to deliver his Hawks the win (with a little help from one Shauny Burgoyne of course.)

That felt goooooooooood.

Round 11 v Port Adelaide

Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval. We all know any travel to our west is an arduous task, but we’re still coming off a high from that epic Sydney victory.

HT: 9 goals to 0.

I think we’ll just stop there.

Round 12 v Gold Coast

Memories of Round 3 are still fresh, and last week’s demolishing isn’t doing us any favours.

FT: Another loss, but a respectable one. After finding themselves 32 points down heading into the final term, a Jack Gunston-led fightback saw the boys back with seven points with minutes to go.

Still - no win… but baby steps.

Round 13 - BYE 

All of a sudden, we’re half way through the season, and our win tally sits at 4-8.

Time to take a breath.

Round 14 v Adelaide

Ladder leaders Adelaide at the ominous Adelaide Oval. 

After Round 11, if Hawks fans had our way, we’d never return again.

But, here we are. And the boys have got a job to do.

FT: Would you believe me if I said the 17^th placed Hawks knocked off the first placed Crows at their home ground? If I told you Blake Hardwick kept Eddie Betts to just one goal? That Daniel Howe kept Rory Sloane quiet? That Ryan Burton gathered more disposals than his direct opponent, Adelaide skip Taylor Walker, as well as booting two goals while playing in defence?

Well you should.

In the words of Alastair Clarkson (or was it Bruce?), “hard times come, hard times go”.

And after what we saw from our young brigade, we reckon the latter might be coming (or going) sooner than predicted.

Round 15 v Collingwood

Feeling good after our travel to AO, and you just get the feeling that something has shifted. 

We want to keep up momentum, while the Pies desperately need a victory after consecutive tough losses. 

Who wins this one?

FT:

Round 16 v GWS

The Giants have stolen top spot, and they’ll be hoping for some breathing room after dealing with the Hawks.

 But we’ve beaten a top side before, and we can do it again.

 
(almost) FT: Scores are tied, with seconds on the clock.

It enters Hawthorn’s 50, and Ryan Burton (with footy smarts beyond his years) goes to punch it through.

The umpire claims the siren’s gone, but I didn’t hear it?

Decision?

Draw.

It’s hard to know whether to be happy or sad.

Round 17 v Geelong 

The game we’ve all been waiting for. HODGEY’S 300^th.

Back at the ‘G against the Cats, and, well, they don’t come much bigger than this.

(Almost) FT: Memories of the 2016 qualifying final are bubbling to the surface. Seconds left on the clock, four points in it, and Issie has marked inside 50.

He rocks back, sends it sailing with a huge kick and it….

Misses.

 
But hey, we’ve taken it to the top 3 sides, and finished with a win, a draw, and a three-point loss.

It’s not all bad.

And we still love you, Iss.

Round 18 v Fremantle

A meeting with Bradley Hill’s Dockers, over in the west.

Can we continue our ascent towards finals?

FT:

YES.

Round 19 v Sydney

It would have been impossible to predict at the start of the season, but Sydney looms as our biggest task yet.

Since Round 6, the Swans have lost just one game. By one goal. To us.

They’re the in-form side of the competition, and it’s going to take some kind of effort to topple them.

FT: #Toppled. 

Another game, decided by one goal.

Our finals hopes are alive yet.

Round 20 v Richmond

Well, until Richmond come along.

Outplayed for four quarters by a quality side.

That puts a dint in the September expectations.

Round 21 v North Melbourne

But, however faint, our finals hopes are still alive. We just need three more wins, and a few other losses to fall in place. 

FT: Win number one, tick.

Round 22 v Carlton

Scratch that, it’s over.

A seven-point loss to the Blues, and Hawthorn’s finals hopes are diminished once and for all. 

Round 23 v Western Bulldogs

One last chance to give our Hodgey and Gibbo the send off they deserve. 

We can’t make finals, but we can still have a say in who does.

FT: It’s a ripper.

The perfect farewell, as we watch our two premiership heroes sing the song for one last time. 

What a year.

We said goodbye to club champions, while welcoming an exciting new generation of players.

The future is looking bright at Hawthorn, and we've got a feeling that more times like these aren't too far away.