There are now only four players who have played in all 10 Finals in which Alastair Clarkson has coached Hawthorn. The four are Lance Franklin, Luke Hodge, Sam Mitchell and Brad Sewell.
Before the Elimination Final against Collingwood the number was double that, but four who had played all previous 9 missed for the first time. They were Chance Bateman, Brent Guerra, Jordan Lewis and Michael Osborne. As well as those four, there is one other individual who has played in 9 out of the Clarkson 10. That is Grant Birchall, who missed the 2010 Elimination Final against Fremantle through injury.
This Saturday will see Hawthorn playing on 22 September for just the second time in club history. The only previous 22 September game was the 2001 Preliminary Final against Essendon which Hawthorn lost by 9 points after a brave fightback from a 36 point half-time deficit.
This Saturday will see Hawthorn contest its 12th Preliminary Final. Of the 11 previous games, 8 were under the Final Four/Fives systems and 3 since the Final Eight meant two Preliminary Finals per season.
The 11 games have produced five wins and six defeats. However, on the six previous occasions when, like this year, the Hawks were the higher placed team heading into the game, the club has won five (1963, 1985, 1986, 1987 and 2008) and lost only once (1977).
Hawthorn won three consecutive Preliminary Finals from 1985 to 1987, with the third of these producing one of the most memorable of all Hawthorn Finals, as Hawthorn 11.14.80 defeated Melbourne 10.18.78, after a Gary Buckenara goal after the siren.
The Hawks trailed all day by 5 points at quarter time, 22 at both half and three quarter time. They were still 4 points behind when the final siren sounded but a 15 metre penalty brought Gary Buckenara within goal-kicking range and he put through his 5th of the day to put Hawthorn through to a 5th consecutive Grand Final.
While many in the pro-Melbourne crowd of 71,298 at Waverley were disappointed at the result, Hawthorn fans felt justice had been done after a wind change at quarter time had seen the Hawks kicking into the wind for three out of four quarters.
Lance Franklin is now fourth on Hawthorn’s Finals’ goals list after his 4 goals against Collingwood in the Qualifying Final took his tally to 38, passing Gary Buckenara (36). He is now behind only Jason Dunstall (78), Leigh Matthews (72) and Dermott Brereton (53).
Jarryd Roughead’s single goal took him to 18 Finals’ goals, equal ninth on the Hawthorn list with Alan Martello.
Franklin has also moved into elite Hawks’ company by becoming a four-time All Australian team. Others with four or more All-Australian selections include Gary Buckenara, Shane Crawford, Jason Dunstall, Chris Langford, John Platten, and Michael Tuck.
The selection of three Hawks - Franklin, Cyril Rioli and Grant Birchall - in the All Australian team is just the second time in the eight seasons under Alistair Clarkson that there have been that many. Oddly, the other season which produced three All Australians was the one where the team finished lowest - 14th in Clarkson’s first season in charge, 2005. The three that year were Trent Croad, Luke Hodge and Peter Everitt.
Subsequently, there have been three seasons (2008, 2010 and 2011) which produced two All Australians. In 2007, the sole Hawthorn All Australian was Campbell Brown, while in 2006 and 2009 the Hawks did not have anyone selected. Interestingly, another season in which Hawthorn did not have a representative in the All Australian team was the 1991 Premiership season.
Adelaide’s first ever Final was an Elimination Final against Hawthorn at the MCG in 1993. A crowd of 55,287 saw the Hawks blew several gilt edged chances to kick goals at crucial times before losing 16.14.110 to 13.17.95.
After an even opening quarter, the Crows skipped away to a 4 goal half-time lead. After some positional moves at the long interval, the Hawks came back into the game and a Dunstall goal after the three quarter time siren cut the margin to 7 points. When Hawthorn then led by 8 points at the 10 minute mark of the last quarter a win looked likely but it was not to be. Dunstall kicked 6 and other good players included Chris Langford, John Platten, Ben Allan, Jason Taylor, Paul Cooper and Anthony Condon.
The loss marked the end of the Hawthorn careers of both coach, Alan Joyce, and captain, Gary Ayres.
As in 1993, Hawthorn was behind for the majority of the 2007 Elimination Final, trailing by 19, 12 and 14 at the changes, but with just seconds to go Lance Franklin gave the Hawks a victory - 15.15.105 to 15.12.102.
Franklin kicked 7, while several midfielders were outstanding with Shane Crawford having 33 disposals, Sam Mitchell 29, Brad Sewell 26 and Luke Hodge 25.
Hawthorn and Adelaide have played a total of 32 games, with the Hawks trailing in the head-to-head 14-18. The two teams have met at the MCG on six previous occasions, sharing the spoils at 3-3. Hawthorn had wins in 2000, 2003 and in Round 3 this season, while Adelaide won the 1993 Final and games in 2004 and 2009.
Recent results have alternated with the Crows winning both games in 2009 and the sole game in 2011, while the Hawks won in 2010 and in Round 3 this season.
Chance Bateman’s career achievements have been well documented in the press since he announced his pending retirement. However, a few stats might be of interest to readers of this column.
He played a total of 177 games, including every game in the 2009 season. He kicked a total of 67 goals, with 2009 providing the season-high of 13, while his game-high was 3 which he recorded against Essendon in 2009 and Geelong in 2011. Certainly, his most memorable goal was Hawthorn’s first in the 2008 Grand Final.
Bateman’s best finish in the Crimmins Medal was 5th in 2009, and he also finished in the top ten in 2005 and 2008. He received Brownlow Medal votes in seven consecutive seasons from 2003 to 2009, accumulating a total of 30, headed by a tally of 9 in the Premiership year, 2008. One other intriguing feature of Bateman’s record is that he has played in the same number of wins and losses, 88 of each, plus one draw.
Three Hawthorn players have kicked 8 goals in a Final - Michael Moncrieff in 1978, Dermott Brereton in 1985 and Lance Franklin in 2008. The most in a Preliminary Final is 5 recorded by Jason Dunstall (v Fitzroy 1986), Gary Buckenara (v Melbourne 1987) and Mark Williams (v St Kilda 2008).
Jason Dunstall had an excellent record against Adelaide. He kicked 9 on three separate occasions - in 1993 and 1994 (both at Football Park) and in 1996 (at Waverley). He also kicked an 8 and a 7 against the Crows. The best by a current player against Adelaide is 7 - the unforgettable 7 booted by Lance Franklin’s in the 2007 Elimination Final.
