THIS Saturday, Hawthorn will play its 50^th game at Aurora Stadium.

In 49 previous games in Launceston, the Hawks have put together an imposing record of 38 wins and only 11 losses, including victory in the last 16 matches and in 23 of the last 24.

The first AFL game at Aurora Stadium was back in Round 6 2001 when the Hawks prevailed by 13 points against Adelaide - 16.8 (104) to 12.19 (91) – the win set up by a nine-goal second quarter. John Barker kicked three goals, while Daniel Harford and Tony Woods were the leading possession-getters with 26 disposals each.

From that solitary game in 2001, the Hawks played two home games per season in Launceston from 2002 to 2005, three in 2006, and four each season from 2007 onwards. The biggest attendance was 20,971 versus Richmond in 2006, while the smallest was 10,513 against GWS in 2013.

It is appropriate that Hawthorn plays Fremantle in the 50^th game, as the Dockers have been Hawthorn’s most common opponent at Aurora Stadium. This will be the ninth meeting between the two clubs at the venue, with Hawthorn winning all eight of the previous encounters.

*****

The early rounds of 2016 have seen both Luke Breust and Cyril Rioli enter the top 20 Hawthorn career goalkickers. Breust has now kicked 241 career goals which has him in 18^th place and Rioli is in 20^th place with 235 goals. The two individuals they have displaced from the top 20 are Peter Crimmins (231) and Ted Pool (230).

*****

Kaiden Brand has joined the select group of Hawthorn players who were born on a day when Hawthorn played, Brand was born on 8 April 1994, a date when Hawthorn took on North Melbourne in a Friday night game at the MCG. The Hawks lost that night by 127 points, the third heaviest defeat in club history. Fortunately, the result was better in Brand’s debut last Friday night.

Brand continues a trend which has seen the majority of births of future Hawks on game days coincide with losses. The rarer list of future Hawks born on dates when the team won includes Norm Maginness, Colin Youren, Simon Minton-Connell, Michael Collica and Stuart Dew.

*****

Hawthorn holds a commanding 24 to 8 advantage in the head-to-head tally against Fremantle. The Hawks have twice recorded six consecutive wins against the Dockers, from 1998 to 2001 and from 2011 to 2014. Last season the two clubs met in Round 15 at Aurora Stadium with Hawthorn winning by 72 points – 17.13 (115) to 6.7 (43). Luke Breust kicked four goals, while Sam Mitchell, Grant Birchall and Luke Hodge all had more than 30 disposals. They met again in the Preliminary Final at Subiaco with the Hawks scoring a magnificent 27-point victory.

*****

The Round 8 record shows Hawthorn breaking even with the wins and losses all tied-up at 45 apiece (with a bye in 1992). The Hawks won seven Round 8 games in succession from 2007 to 2013, before losing to Sydney in both of the past two seasons, at Stadium Australia in 2014 and at the MCG last season.

However, some of the recent Round 8 wins have not come without a struggle. Twice the Hawks have been 32 points behind at quarter time but recovered, beating Port Adelaide by 15 points in 2008 and St Kilda by 30 points in 2011. Then there was Round 8 2010 when a Sam Mitchell tackle in the dying seconds secured a season-saving three point victory against Richmond at the MCG.

*****

30 years ago, in Round 8 1986, Hawthorn supporters had the strange experience of having Leigh Matthews in the opposing camp. Having retired as a player at the end of the 1985 season, Matthews had taken on a role as assistant coach of Collingwood, but by Round 4 he had been elevated to the senior coaching role. Now a month later, the two clubs met at Waverley in front of 26,032 with the Hawks recording a comfortable 45-point win – 15.14 (104) to 8.11 (59).

The win was made more meritorious by the fact that by the start of the final quarter Hawthorn had only 17 fit players. Both Rod Lester-Smith and Colin Robertson were finished for the day, and while Peter Russo remained on the field injury meant he was unable to run or kick effectively. Hawthorn had several outstanding performers headed by Terry Wallace, Gary Buckenara and Robert Dipierdomenico. And as if the novelty of Matthews coaching Collingwood was not enough, Hawthorn fans also had to adjust to seeing Dermott Brereton spend most of the game at centre half back rather than centre half forward.

*****

50 years ago, in Round 8 1966, Hawthorn played its last game at Fitzroy’s old home ground at Brunswick St. Hawthorn won by 19 points – 11.14 (80) to 8.13 (61). This was Hawthorn’s fourth win in five games at the venue in the 1960s, but it had been slim pickings there in earlier decades with the only wins coming in 1926, 1951 (by one point) and 1956, with a draw in 1939. Hawthorn’s overall record at the ground was seven wins, one draw and 21 losses in 29 games.

*****

Peter Hudson holds the Round 8 Hawthorn goalkicking record, with 13 goals against South Melbourne at Glenferrie in 1970. Mark Williams holds the record for most goals by a Hawthorn player against Fremantle, kicking eight against them in Round 1 2006 at Aurora Stadium.