HAWTHORN and Geelong have established one of the great modern rivalries of football over the last eight years, and another chapter will be added to that rivalry tonight.

We decided to delve back into the stats and see what we could find.

Win/loss record
Aside from the much talked about 11-game losing streak the Hawks had between 2009 and 2013, Hawthorn has done well against the Cats in recent times.
Five of the last seven encounters between the two sides have gone the way of the Hawks, by an average of 32 points.
Four of those games have been finals, with the Hawks again having the better of Geelong by winning three.

Margins
Since 2008, it has been almost a given that matches between these two modern heavyweights would come right down to the wire.
But it hasn’t been the case in recent times.
In the last four games between Hawthorn and Geelong, the margin at the final siren has been at least 30 points.

Average scores
Hawthorn has clearly had more firepower than Geelong in the most recent times, averaging 102 points per game opposed to the Cats’ 86 over the last seven times the two sides have played each other.
Leading disposal winners
Sam Mitchell’s record against the Cats is exceptional, and it’s what has prompted many people to talk about whether Geelong will opt to tag him tonight.
In his last seven games against Geelong, Mitchell has collected a total of 213 disposals – an average of just over 30 per game.
Jordan Lewis and Grant Birchall also find plenty of the ball when playing the Cats, with 170 and 155 disposals respectively in their last seven games against Geelong.

Leading goal kickers
Hawthorn prides itself on being able to spread the load in their forward half and find multiple avenues to goal, but Jack Gunston and Luke Breust have done the most damage in front of goal against the Cats.
They have booted 16 goals apiece in their last seven games playing against Geelong, and kicked at least one major in each match.
Another dangerous forward for the Hawks is Cyril Rioli, who bobbed up with a bag of six against the Cats in Round 20 last year.