If the Hawthorn can win its 12th Premiership on Saturday, it will become the equal 4th most successful club in VFL-AFL history.
The Hawks will be behind only Carlton (16), Essendon (16) and Collingwood (15), and equal with Melbourne on 12. Those four clubs all had a 28 season head-start on the Hawks as they entered the League at its inception in 1897, while Hawthorn did not join until 1925. It is interesting to reflect that at the end of 1960, when Hawthorn was still without a Flag, Collingwood had already won 13, Melbourne 11, Essendon 10 and Carlton 8.
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If Hawthorn wins, coach Alastair Clarkson will joins the club’s coaching greats, John Kennedy Snr. and Allan Jeans, on 3 Premierships, while Luke Hodge will become just the third player to captain multiple Premiership teams after Michael Tuck (4) and Don Scott (2). Hodge will play his 250th game in the Grand Final and will join Scott in having a major milestone in a Grand Final. Scott played his 200th in the 1976 Grand Final.
Also this week Josh Gibson will play his 100th game for Hawthorn, the 10th individual to reach the milestone having begun his career at another club. The list is headed by Russell Greene (180 Hawthorn games), Joel Smith (163) and Brent Guerra (159) and also includes Gibson’s current teammate Shaun Burgoyne (111).
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Last Saturday’s win against Port Adelaide was the 10th time Hawthorn has won a Final by 6 points or fewer, an outstanding record given that the club has lost just 4 by that margin. Port provides 2 of the 10, with others on the list being Geelong (3), Adelaide (2), St Kilda, Fitzroy and Melbourne.
Hawthorn has also now won its past five matches decided by 6 points or fewer. The last occasion the Hawks lost a game in this category was the infamous Hawkins game against Geelong in Round 19 2012. Since then, Hawthorn has won the past three Preliminary Finals by 5, 5 and 3, and, in addition, beaten North Melbourne by 3 points in Round 5 2013 and Essendon by 4 points in Round 2 this season.
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Will Langford will play in a Grand Final earlier in his career than his father Chris. This Saturday will be Will’s 20th game, while Chris first Grand Final in 1985 was his 55th game. Chris was also slightly older being 22 years and 270 days, while Will’s age will be 22 years and 86 days.
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Hawthorn has played three previous Grand Finals on 27 September, with a 2-1 record. In 1975, the Hawks were beaten by 55 points by North Melbourne, but beat Carlton by 42 points in 1986 and defeated Geelong by 26 points in 2008.
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While Sydney won the only previous Grand Final between the two clubs, Hawthorn holds a 4-2 advantage in Finals. Hawthorn won at Waverley in 1987, Docklands in 2001 and at the MCG in 2011 and 2013, while Sydney recorded wins at the SCG in 1996 and the MCG in the 2012 Grand Final.
Hawthorn and Sydney do not have a long history of playing at the MCG, having met there for the first time as recently as 2001. The two clubs have met 14 times at the venue with the Hawks holding a 9-5 advantage, including winning 7 of the last 8. Overall, Hawthorn has played the Swans 157 times, recording 87 wins, 68 defeats and two draws.
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Before 2012, only two former Hawks had played against the club in a subsequent Grand Final, David Flintoff doing so for Melbourne in 1988 and Gary Ablett for Geelong in 1989. In the past three seasons there have been a spate of new instances with Josh Kennedy in 2012 and Luke McPharlin and Zac Dawson last season. Now on Saturday, Ben McGlynn and Lance Franklin will join the list, and Kennedy will become the first ex-Hawk to play twice against his old club in a decider.
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The most goals kicked by a Hawthorn player in a Grand Final are the 8 by Dermott Brereton in the78 point loss to Essendon in 1985. Jason Dunstall kicked 7 in 1988, plus 6 in 1986 and 1991. Others to kick 6 were Leigh Matthews in 1983 and Paul Abbott in 1988. Peter Hudson holds the individual goals record for Hawthorn against the Swans, twice kicking 13 - in Round 11 1969 and Round 8 1970.
