70 years ago this month, Hawthorn suffered one of the most heartbreaking losses in the club’s history. A one point loss to North Melbourne cost the club a first-ever Finals appearance.

The wartime season of 1943 had already been a momentous one for Hawthorn. In May, the club’s coach Roy Cazaly had announced to the players that they would no longer carry the nickname Mayblooms but would henceforth be known as the Hawks. Whether it was the influence of the new nickname or not, the season saw Hawthorn put together a winning season in the VFL for the first time.

The Hawks went into the final round in 5^th position, but only out of the Four on percentage, being on the same points as Carlton (2^nd), Richmond (3^rd) and Fitzroy (4^th). With Carlton and Fitzroy playing each other, all Hawthorn needed to do was beat second bottom team North Melbourne at Arden Street and a first-ever Finals appearance would be guaranteed. The occasion seemed to overawe the Hawks as in the first half they failed to kick a single goal, trailing by 25 points at the long interval. However, Hawthorn roared back after half time with 6.0 to 2.2 in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to just 3 points at three quarter time. With the game at their mercy the Hawks kicked 1.8 (and four out of bounds) in the final term.

Trailing by a point late in the game, the Hawks had the ball deep in attack. A draw would have been enough to see Hawthorn make its first ever Finals’ appearance but, despite Tommy Lahiff’s injunctions to rush a behind, his team-mates kept trying to kick a winning goal. They lost 7.16.58 to 8.11.59.  Jim Bohan was outstanding for Hawthorn with 4 of the team’s 7 goals. The loss meant Hawthorn had to wait until 1957 to make a Finals’ appearance.

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The crowd of 71,533 at last Friday night’s last home game for the season pushed the average attendance at Hawthorn home games in 2013 to 38,419. This is the third highest in the club’s history behind 2008 (39,976) and 2009 (39,571). The average attendance at the six MCG home games was 56,183, while that at all nine MCG games (home and away) was 58,122.

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Currently sharing the honours at the top of the goalkickers, Jarryd Roughead has the chance to become the sixth Hawk to be the League’s leading goalkicker at the end of the home and away season. If he succeeds, he will join John Peck, Peter Hudson, Leigh Matthews, Jason Dunstall and Lance Franklin.

Even if Roughead fails to win the Coleman Medal, he is a strong chance to be the leading goalkicker for the complete season as his two main rivals, Josh Kennedy and Jeremy Cameron play for clubs who will not be participating in September. Last season, Franklin became the equal leading goalkicker for the season in the Grand Final, sharing the honour with Matthew Pavlich neither of whom won the Coleman Medal.

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The 167 games Hawthorn has played against North Melbourne is the highest tally Hawthorn has played against any club. In those games, the Hawks have recorded 91 wins, 2 draws and 74 losses.  The next highest number of games that Hawthorn has played against an opponent is 160 against Carlton.

The two clubs have met 7 times at Docklands, with the Hawks holding a narrow 4-3 advantage, including the last three. The last time Hawthorn played an away game against North was at Docklands in Round 3 2009 with the Hawks winning by 54 points. Since then the lack of away games means Hawthorn has played 5 consecutive home games against North (4 at Aurora and one at the MCG earlier this season), winning 4 of them.

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Josh Gibson and David Hale are in a very select group of players to have come to Hawthorn after beginning their careers at North Melbourne. The only other examples before them were Terry Moore, Andrew Demetriou and Anthony Rock. There has been much heavier traffic in the other direction with 11 players heading from Glenferrie to Arden Street. They include such big names as Alec Albiston in earlier days and in more recent times Nathan Thompson, Lance Picioane and Jonathan Hay.

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Round 22 was first contested in 1970 and, in the 43 seasons since, Hawthorn has won 28 and lost 15. In the Clarkson era, Hawthorn holds a 5-3 lead in Round 22 games, including wins in the past 3 seasons, versus Collingwood (2010), Carlton (2011) and Sydney (2012). Only in 1991, 1992, 1994, 2011 and 2012 has a Round 22 not been the final round.

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The three previous Round 22 meetings between Hawthorn and North Melbourne all took place at Princes Park, with North winning in 1974 and Hawthorn in 1985 and 1988.

25 years ago, in Round 22 1988, Hawthorn thrashed North by 95 points – 28.16.184 to 13.11.89. Jason Dunstall kicked 10 gaols, John Kennedy 5, Dermott Brereton 4 and Gary Buckenara 3. Buckenara also racked up 34 disposals, closely followed by Tony Hall with 33.

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The 13 goals Lance Franklin kicked last season set a new record for Hawthorn against North breaking the previous high of 10 kicked jointly by Alec Albiston (1940) and Jason Dunstall (1988). Both Peter Hudson and Dunstall regularly kicked large tallies of goals in Round 22.  Hudson kicked 11 in 1970, 10 in 1971 and 7 in 1977, while Dunstall contributed 10 in 1988, 11 in 1989, 12 in 1992, 10 in 1993 and 10 in 1996.