This Saturday night Adelaide Oval will become the 29^th venue at which Hawthorn has played a VFL-AFL game.

The Hawks will be looking to improve on a generally poor record when playing at a venue for the first time, having won just 5 of the 28 previous such games. Having lost at all 12 of the original grounds in debut appearances in 1925-26, the club also suffered defeats at its next six new venues (Kardinia Park 1941, Toorak Park 1942, Yarraville 1942, Euroa 1952, Moorabbin 1965 and Waverley 1970). 

Hawthorn finally won a venue debut game at the SCG in 1979 against North Melbourne. Since then, the Hawks also won first-up at Carrara, North Hobart, Docklands and York Park (now Aurora Stadium), but lost at the Gabba, Subiaco, WACA Ground, Football Park and Stadium Australia.

Big margins have also often been associated with these games with the Hawks winning by 157 points (North Hobart), 95 (Carrara), 59 (Docklands) and 51 (SCG), but losing by 143 points at the MCG in 1926 and 86 in the first game at Football Park in 1991.

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Hawthorn won 5 of 13 ‘away’ games against Port Adelaide at Football Park, the victories coming in 2000, 2007, 2011, 2012 and 2013. The Hawks also beat Port in an away Final in 2001. This is the 6th consecutive season has played away to Port Adelaide, losing in 2009 and 2010, before winning the last three.

Overall, Hawthorn and Port Adelaide have met 27 times with the Hawks winning 12 and losing 15. Hawthorn is currently on its best ever winning streak against the Power having won the past five encounters.

Hawthorn’s most significant win over Port Adelaide was in the 2001 Semi Final at Football Park. Few gave the Hawks a chance but, in a memorable final quarter, the Hawks fought back from 17 points down to win by 3 points. John Barker and Daniel Harford kicked crucial late goals, while around-the-ground Mark Graham starred, helping to both set-up and save the win. Since the current version of the Eight was introduced in 2000, the 2001 Hawks remain one of only two Elimination Final winners to beat a Qualifying Final loser in the second week of the Finals.

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For the second time in five rounds Hawthorn is playing in a top of the table clash. After losing the match against Geelong in Round 5, the Hawks will be keen to avoid becoming the first Hawthorn team since 1963 to lose two such games in the one season. The 1963 Hawks lost to Essendon in Round 12 and Geelong in Round 18. Overall, Hawthorn has an outstanding matches between the top two teams during the home and away season, winning 18 and losing just 11.

Port will become the 10^th different team which Hawthorn has played in a top-of-the-ladder game joining Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Geelong, Melbourne, North Melbourne, Richmond, Sydney and West Coast.

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Hawthorn’s Round 10 record is currently just positive with 45 wins and 44 defeats. In the decade between 2000 and 2009, Round 10 was Hawthorn’s hoodoo round, with just one win, coming in 2007 when Hawthorn beat Port Adelaide at Football Park. Things have improved in the past four years, beating Sydney (2010), Western Bulldogs (2011), North Melbourne (2012) and Melbourne (2013).

That 2007 win was the last time Hawthorn and Port Adelaide met in Round 10. The Hawks trailed by 21 points at quarter time, but then won the last three quarters to record a 17.7.109 to 10.15.75 win. The standout players were Tim Boyle with 5 goals and Sam Mitchell with 35 disposals.

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25 years ago, in Round 10 1989, Hawthorn beat West Coast by 5 points at Subiaco. Jason Dunstall kicked 7 goals and Tony Hall booted 4, but the star of the day was Gary Buckenra who had 39 disposals, took 12 marks and kicked a goal.

40 years ago, in Round 10 1974, David Parkin played his 200^th game. The former captain had returned to the senior team the previous week for his first game of the season and was combining his playing duties with the role of assistant coach. The Hawks marked the milestone with a solid 31 point win. Leigh Matthews was outstanding, accumulating 25 kicks and 3 goals.

50 years ago, in Round 10 1964, Hawthorn dashed out to a 5 goal quarter time lead and retained that margin for most of the game, before having to survive a final quarter Collingwood surge to win 15.8.98 to 13.11.89. It was the third time that the Hawks had won at Victoria Park, a big turnaround from the period from 1925 to 1959 when Hawthorn failed to win there at all.