Hawthorn plays in its second top-of-the-ladder clash this month when it takes on 2nd placed Essendon on Friday night. In Round 15 the Hawks lost to then 2nd placed Geelong.
It will be only the third season in Hawthorn history when the club has been involved in top-of-the-ladder games against different opponents. In 1971, the Hawks played Melbourne and Collingwood and in 1976 met Carlton (twice) and Geelong. Interestingly, in both these seasons Hawthorn ended up playing different opponents in the Grand Final – St Kilda in 1971 and North Melbourne in 1976.
Hawthorn has previously clashed three times with Essendon in top-of-the-ladder games, winning in 1984, but losing in 1990 and 2001. Overall the Hawks have played 26 top-of-the-ladder matches, winning 17 and losing 9, a record which includes a run of 9 consecutive victories from 1977 to 1988.
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Chris and Will Langford have become the 13th father-son combination in Hawthorn history. They are already third on the list for most games played with their combined 304 games (Chris 303 and Will 1) placing them behind only the Tucks 446 (Michael 426 and Travis 20), the older Kennedys 405 (John Snr. 164 and John Jnr. 241). Other combinations with more than 100 combined games are the Hudsons, the younger Kennedys (John Jnr. and Josh), the Greenes and the Maginnesses.
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30 years ago, in Round 18 1983, Hawthorn played in a top-of-the-ladder game against North Melbourne at Arden Street. The Hawks trailed by 10 points at three quarter time, but came home with a 5.2. to 2.3 final quarter to win 15.7.97 to 12.18.90. The Age commented that Hawthorn’s “skill factor has increased greatly in the last two years” and highlighted the play of back pocket Gary Ayres who combined “strength and grace”. He headed the list of best players followed by Leigh Matthews (6 goals), Ian Paton, Rodney Eade, Russell Greene and Terry Wallace.
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Hawthorn has twice recorded sequences of six consecutive wins against Essendon – 1987-89 and 2005-08. Overall, the two clubs have played 154 times - the Hawks winning 59 and losing 95. In Round 13 2010, Hawthorn broke a three game losing streak against Essendon and also won at the MCG in Round 14 2011 and at Docklands in Round 18 last season.
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Hawthorn and Essendon have clashed at Docklands on six previous occasions for three wins each. None of the games have been close as the Hawks won by 18 points (2006), 51 (2008) and 94 (2012), while Essendon’s wins were by 83 (2000), 65 (2001) and 44 (2009). Two of the six games have attracted 50,000 plus crowds, the largest being 50,701 in 2001.
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Hawthorn played 53 games at Essendon’s former home ground of Windy Hill between 1926 and 1986, recording 18 wins and 35 losses. Until the late 1960s, Hawthorn had achieved just six wins at the venue, yet, in their last 17 games at Windy Hill the Hawks pulled off 12 wins, including six in a row from 1974 to 1979.
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Hawthorn has played 85 Round 18 matches (there were no Round 18’s in 1925, 1942 or 1943) for the poor return of 34 wins and 51 defeats. Recent seasons have been better with the Hawks winning 4 of the last 6 Round 18 games.
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Hawthorn’s most memorable Round 18 encounter with Essendon was at Windy Hill in 1982, a game best-remembered for Leigh Matthews breaking the behind post. The game also saw Hawthorn come from 19 points down at the final change to win by 18 points, in large part due to Matthews’ brilliance.
It was a crucial game between the teams which were third and fourth on the ladder (both with 12-5 records). After a strong opening term the Hawks had lost control of the game in the middle two quarters to trail 11.8 to 8.7. A Michael Tuck goal cut the margin to 13 points at the start of the final quarter and then Matthews took over. He kicked the next two goals and set up a 7.3 to 1.2 last quarter. Hawthorn won the game 15.10.100 to 12.10.82, with Russell Greene, Terry Wallace and David O’Halloran among the best players.
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Leading individual goals records by Hawthorn players against Essendon are 12 by Jason Dunstall in 1992, 11 by Leigh Matthews in 1973 and 10 by Michael Moncrieff in 1972. Lance Franklin twice kicked 9 against the Bombers in 2007 and 2008.
Peter Hudson holds the hawthorn Round 18 record with a tally of 9 against St Kilda in 1970. The previous highest before Hudson had come 30 years earlier when Jim Bohan kicked 8 in 1940.
