Hawthorn has recorded consecutive century losing scores for the first time in 24 years. 

In the past two weeks Hawthorn has kicked 16.7.103, followed by 15.15.105.

One has to go back to the opening two games of 1985 to find the previous instance.  Back then, the Hawks kicked 15.10.100 in a 14 point loss to Essendon and then 14.16.100 when defeated by 28 points by Geelong.

All told there have been eight instances of Hawthorn reaching the hundred in consecutive games without winning.  The fact that another of them was in Rounds 1 and 2 1979, means that 3 of 8 have been at the start of the season following a Grand Final appearance.  Another interesting statistic is that 6 of the 8 cases were between 1979 and 1985, with the two outriders being in 1940 and 2009.



Lance Franklin has now scored at least one goal in 60 consecutive games.  If he manages to goal this Sunday against North Melbourne he will join Peter Hudson in equal second for Hawthorn on the consecutive goals list, behind Jason Dunstall (72).  

Hudson’s 61 consecutive games were actually played across six seasons from Round 8, 1969 to Round 1, 1974.  In contrast, ‘Buddy’ has played 60 of a possible 62 games since his sequence started in Round 12, 2006.  Dunstall goaled in 72 consecutive games, from Round 8, 1987 to Round 8, 1990. 

As there have been only 16 instances of a player scoring in 60 or more consecutive games in VFL-AFL history, Hawthorn has done well to have three on the list, although it should be pointed out that Collingwood have three instances in the top four of the 16 with McKenna (120), G. Coventry (98) and Lee (97).



The Hawks will be playing North at Docklands in Round 3 for the third consecutive season.  In 2007 Hawthorn won by 21 points and last season by 16 points.  These two wins have seen Hawthorn square its Round 3 record at 42 wins and 42 defeats.  After 2002 it was 39-39, but the Hawks then lost Round 3 games in the three years from 2003 to 2005.  The road back to parity began in 2006, when the Hawks upset Geelong by 52 points at Kardinia Park.



While Hawthorn has never won a Premiership having lost the first two games of a season, it has twice (in 1963 and 1985) made the Grand Final having lost the first two games.  It also made the Finals, after beginning with two defeats, in 1977 and 2000.



Last week this column mentioned one of the two previous occasions when Hawthorn lost the first two games in the season after winning a Premiership – 1977.   It also happened in 1979 and has now, of course, happened in 2009.  This balances the three times when the club has had consecutive wins at the start of a post-Premiership season – in 1972, 1984 and 1987.

That leaves four seasons where the record after two rounds of a Premiership defence was 1-1.  Two of these (1962 and 1989) saw Hawthorn have a loss and then a win; the other two (1990 and 1992) saw a win and then a loss.



Lance Franklin has now scored 245 career goals meaning he needs just five more to become just the fifteenth Hawk to reach 250.



Gary Moss and Mitch Thorp each played their second games against Sydney last Saturday night, having played their first back in 2007.  Skipping a season between a debut and a second game is far from unprecedented. 

In fact, two multiple Premiership players skipped two seasons between their debuts and second game.  Robert Dipierdomenico debuted in Round 18, 1975 and did not play again until Round 1, 1978; while James Morrissey having played a solitary game in Round 19, 1984 next cracked it for a senior game in Round 2, 1987.



Hawthorn had two players kick their first goal for the club on Saturday night – Gary Moss and Jarryd Morton.  This means 610 of the 856 players to represent the club have kicked goals.



Two Hawks have reached the 100 game milestone already this season – Michael Osborne in Round 1 and Mark Williams in Round 2.  They are the 116th and 117th to do so in the club’s history.



2009 will be the eighth consecutive season in which the Hawks have been drawn to play North Melbourne twice in the home and away season.   Thus far, the Hawthorn has not managed to do the double over the Roos in any recent season.  In 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007 and 2008 the results were split, while the Roos won both matches in 2004 and 2005.  North also, won the Semi Final the sides played in 2007. 

The recent glut of meetings, plus the fact that the two clubs have met 15 times in Finals, means that the 161 games against North is the most Hawthorn has played against any club.  The next highest figure is 155 games against Carlton.

The overall record between Hawthorn and North is 86 to 73 (with 2 draws) in the Hawks’ favour with the lead completely accounted for by the Hawks’ 14 consecutive wins over North from 1985 to 1993.



The record individual goal tally for Hawthorn against North is 10 held jointly by Alec Albiston (Round 1, 1940) and Jason Dunstall (Round 22, 1988).   The record for Round 3 is the 11 kicked by Leigh Matthews versus Essendon in 1973.  Michael Moncrieff had a particular liking for Round 3, kicking 10 in both 1974 versus South Melbourne and 1976 versus Collingwood.