THIS round we celebrate the anniversaries of the debuts of a number of great Hawthorn players, including such famous names as Brendan Edwards, Peter Crimmins and John Platten.
The history of significant debutants in the opening round of years ending in '6' stretches back 90 years to Round 1 1926, when the club’s first 200-game player, Ted Pool, made his debut.
A prime example was 60 years ago, in Round 1 1956, when Brendan Edwards played his first game. It was not a great day for Edwards, as not only did Hawthorn lose to Collingwood, he ruptured a thigh and did not return until Round 11. However, he then had an outstanding 1957 season, being judged the best player in the club’s first ever final series and was best-on-ground in the Hawks first-ever premiership in 1961. One of his 1961 premiership teammates, Les Kaine, also made his debut in Round 1 1956.
It was 50 years ago, in Round 1 1966, that the late great Peter Crimmins represented Hawthorn for the first time, in another loss to Collingwood. Crimmins made a promising debut, gathering 13 kicks and booting two goals. There were six Hawks debutants in Round 1 1966 and remarkably four of them went on to be premiership players in 1971, with Des Meagher, Michael Porter and Ray Wilson joining Crimmins in that team.
There were further future Premiership players debuting 40 years ago, in Round 1 1976, when David O’Halloran and Peter Murnane, began their careers in Hawthorn’s 22-point win against St Kilda at Moorabbin.
Thirty years ago, in Round 1 1986, one of Hawthorn’s all-time greats, John Platten made his debut. The opponents at Waverley that Easter Monday were Carlton, who had been on a massive recruiting spree bringing in Kernahan, Bradley and Dorotich (plus Motley who debuted the following week). The Blues were warm favourites before the game and skipped away to an early lead. However, Hawthorn gradually got on top to win 17.11 (113) to 11.11 (77). Platten received two Brownlow votes for his outstanding 24 disposal and one-goal game.
And 10 years ago, in Round 1 2006, Hawthorn had two new players – Brent Guerra and Grant Birchall. Guerra had already played AFL football for Port Adelaide and St Kilda, but he came into his own in the Hawthorn backline, playing 159 games, including the 2008 and 2013 flag-winning teams. Birchall has had a remarkable ten seasons, playing 216 games and being a member of four premiership teams.
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One of the saddest events of the summer was the passing of former Hawthorn player and coach Ken Judge, at just 58 years of age.
Judge played 72 games and kicked 158 goals from 1983 to 1986 and was a member of the 1983 premiership team - and it was 20 years ago, in Round 1 1996, that Judge coached the Hawks for the first time.
The game was a clash between the bottom two teams of 1995, Fitzroy and Hawthorn.at the Lions then home ground of the Western Oval. Things looked extremely ominous for the Hawks at half-time as they trailed by 23 points. Fortunately, the Hawks responded and kicked eight goals to two after half-time to win by 21 points – 13.14 (92) to 11.5 (71). John Platten and Shane Crawford were the stars, each accumulating 27 disposals.
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This Easter marks the 10th anniversary of Hawthorn’s most recent away game against Geelong at Kardinia Park.
Easter fell in mid-April in 2006 so it was in Round 3 that the Hawks made the Easter Saturday trip down the highway.
Geelong were early season flag favourites but, after leading by seven points at half-time, the young Hawthorn team slipped away to a 21-point three quarter time lead and then blew the Cats away to win 15.11 (101) to 7.7 (49), a stunning 52-point upset win.
The Brownlow votes went to Luke Hodge, Sam Mitchell and Richie Vandenberg – the current and future captains of the club.
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By beating Geelong on Easter Monday last season, Hawthorn ended a remarkable sequence of alternating Round 1 results which stretched back more than a decade.
The Hawks had won their last six Round 1 games in even-numbered years beating Melbourne (2004, 2008 and 2010), Fremantle (2006), Collingwood (2012) and Brisbane Lions (2014). In contrast, the Hawks had lost their last six opening round games in odd-numbered seasons against Melbourne (2003), Sydney (2005), Brisbane Lions (2007), Geelong (2009) Adelaide (2011) and Geelong (2013), before breaking the cycle with the 2015 victory.
The consecutive wins in 2014-15 were the first for the Hawks in opening rounds since a six-game winning sequence from 1992-97.
That in turn was part of another odd sequence of Round 1 results from 1987 to 1997. In that 11 season period, Hawthorn won eight Round 1 games and lost three, with the 3 losses being in 1988, 1989 and 1991, the three years out of the 11 when the team went onto win the Flag.
In total, in Round 1 the Hawks have won 39 and lost 52 of the 91 games they have played.
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The Hawthorn individual goal-kicking records for Round 1 and against Geelong are identical - Jason Dunstall who kicked 12 in Round 1 of both 1990 and 1992, both times against Geelong.
Others to reach double figures in Round 1 were Alec Albiston (10 in 1940), Peter Hudson (10 in 1968) and Leigh Matthews (11 in 1981), while the only other double figure tally against Geelong was by Wally Culpitt (10 in 1944).
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