Footy Flashbacks – Round 21 2013
Forty years ago, in 1973 also played Collingwood in Round 21 - a game which will always be remembered for Peter Hudson arriving at Waverley by helicopter.
Hudson had not played since injuring his knee in Round 1 1972 but, in desperate need of a boost to keep its Finals hopes alive, coach John Kennedy summoned Hudson from running his hotel in Hobart to come to Melbourne and play. Hudson had to stay on duty at his hotel on Friday night, so could only fly to Melbourne on the Saturday morning. Then the only way to guarantee he would get from Tullamarine to Waverley in time to play was by helicopter.
A crowd of 48,312 saw Hudson begin the game well with 3 early goals and, despite needing treatment on his knee, he kept playing and kicked 8 outstanding goals. However, the Hawks, having skipped away to a 16 point quarter time lead, could not sustain the advantage against top team Collingwood. Scores were level at 10.5 apiece at half-time, but Collingwood gradually gained the ascendancy to win 16.10.106 to 13.10.88. At the same time, St Kilda’s win against North Melbourne ended Hawthorn’s chances of making the Five.
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Taylor Duryea will this week set a new record for the number 41 jumper at Hawthorn. He has currently played 16 games in the jumper, which is equal with Darrin Pritchard who wore the number in his first season in 1987, before moving to number 18 in 1988. Other players to have worn 41 at Senior level in the past forty years include Glenn Harrison (10 games in 1975-76), Richard Taylor (2 in 1992) and Tom Murphy (1 in 2005).
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Sam Mitchell is poised to move from 13th to 11th on the all time games played for Hawthorn list in the next couple of weeks. He has currently played 239 games, and over the next couple of weeks he will pass Robert Dipierdomenico (240) and John Kennedy Jnr (241). He will not get the opportunity to enter the top ten until next season as the current holder of 10th place is John Platen on 258.
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In the 36 years prior to the Hawks’ inaugural premiership year, 1961, they had only beaten Collingwood four times in 61 games and could only look enviously at Collingwood’s 13 Premierships. From 1961 onwards, the boot has been on the other foot, with the Hawks holding a 56 to 39 advantage in the head-to-head, and also having won 10 Premierships to the Magpies 2 in the last 53 years.
This means that currently, after 156 games, Hawthorn has won 60 and Collingwood 96. Hawthorn’s longest winning sequence against Collingwood is six, which has been achieved three times (1982-84, 1985-88 and 1989-92).
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Since it was first contested in 1970, Round 21 has been one of the best rounds for Hawthorn, with 31 wins and only 12 defeats. From 1982 to 1994, Hawthorn won 13 consecutive Round 21 matches. The Hawks have also won the last seven in the round beating North Melbourne (2006), Western Bulldogs (2007), West Coast (2008), Richmond (2009), Fremantle (2010), Port Adelaide (2011) and Gold Coast (2012). The margins in these seven games have been healthy too being 22, 84, 71, 42, 116, 165 and 64.
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10 years ago, in Round 21 2003, the Hawks continued their improved late season form beating Carlton by 74 points at the MCG. A particular highlight was keeping the Blues scoreless in the final term. Nathan Thompson booted 6 goals, with Angelo Lekkas (3) and Richie Vandenberg (2) being the other multiple goalkickers. Shane Crawford and Joel Smith were both outstanding.
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20 years ago, in Round 21 1993, Hawthorn blew Adelaide away with a stunning 8.6 to 0.1 opening term in front of 26,540 at Waverley. Given the start the rest of the game was something of a let-down as the Crows gradually made the score respectable only losing by 27 points – 17.13.115 to 13.10.88. Jason Dunstall kicked 8 goals and Ricky Nixon 2, while Ben Allan (32 disposals), Darren Jarman (31) and Paul Cooper (28) dominated the midfield.
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30 years ago, in Round 21 1983, Hawthorn thrashed Melbourne at Waverley by 115 points – 25.22.172 to 8.9.57. The leading goalkickers make a handy list as Michael Tuck kicked 6, Dermott Brereton and Terry Wallace each booted 4, while the 31 year old pair of Leigh Matthews and Peter Knights each contributed 3. As well as his 4 goals, Wallace gathered an amazing 44 possessions – 35 kicks and 9 handballs.
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The big guns, Peter Hudson and Jason Dunstall, share Hawthorn’s Round 21 individual goal-kicking record, with Hudson kicking 9 in 1970 and 1971 and Dunstall the same tally in 1986 and 1989. Lance Franklin kicked 8 in this round in 2011.
Dunstall also holds the Hawthorn record for most goals in a game versus Collingwood, having booted 11 in both the 1989 and 1990 seasons. Next best was Michael Moncrieff’s 10 in 1976.
