The Hawks enjoyed success in its first games against the Brisbane Bears (1987), Fremantle (1995), Port Adelaide (1997) and Gold Coast (2011), but lost to West Coast (1987) and Adelaide (1991).
While Hawthorn’s first games against Adelaide (Round 1 1991) and West Coast (Round 5 1987) were early in the season, those against all the other new teams have been well into the expansion clubs’ debut seasons - Round 12 (Brisbane Bears), Round 13 (Gold Coast), Round 14 (Port Adelaide) and Round 15 (Fremantle and GWS).
To date, the later season meetings have produced comfortable Hawthorn wins by 95 points (Brisbane), 44 (Fremantle), 32 (Port Adelaide) and 71 (Gold Coast).
In three of those debut games, ex-Hawks have played for the expansion teams and, in all cases, those players had played in premiership for the brown and gold.
Michael McCarthy was in the 1987 Brisbane Bears team; both Ben Allan and Greg Madigan were in the Dockers 1995 line-up; while last year, Campbell Brown lined up against the Hawks for Gold Coast.
This Sunday will be the first time Hawthorn has played its first match against a new club at the MCG.
To date, the venues for first games have been Glenferrie, Princes Park and Waverley, while Junction Oval, Princes Park, Arden Street, Corio Oval, Lake Oval, Brunswick Street, Carrara, Football Park and Aurora Stadium have all hosted one.
There is a chance that the attendance on Sunday will be the second highest for Hawthorn’s first game against a new opponent.
It is unlikely to exceed the 44,902 at Football Park versus Adelaide in 1991, but, after that, the current second highest crowd is 29,886 against Port Adelaide at Waverley in 1997, and the third, a crowd of 20,000 at Richmond and Hawthorn’s first league game in 1925.
10 years ago this round, in Round 15 2002, Luke Hodge recorded the first Brownlow vote of his career.
It was to be the only one of his debut season and, to prove how similar their careers have been, Sam Mitchell recorded his first and only vote of his debut season in Round 22 of the same season.
Hodge secured his vote in a game of fluctuating fortunes against the Bulldogs on a Friday night at Docklands.
The Hawks trailed by 32 points during the second quarter, but stormed back to hit the lead by a point at half-time, with goals to Campbell Brown, Daniel Chick, Nathan Thompson and Shane Crawford all coming in a rush before the break.
The Hawks then fell behind again by 9 points at three quarter time but a 7.3 to 2.1 final quarter secured a 23-point win - 17.14.116 to 14.9.93.
There were differing views about who was Hawthorn’s best player, with contenders including Shaun Rehn, Jade Rawlings, Nick Holland, Crawford and Hodge.
The umpires awarded Richie Vandenberg three votes and Adrian Cox two. Surprisingly, they left out the Bulldogs’ Brad Johnson, who most in the media thought was also close to best on ground.
20 years ago, in Round 15 1992, Hawthorn also had a come-from-behind win.
Half way through the last quarter, in front of 7,573 at Carrara, Hawthorn trailed the Brisbane Bears by 21 points, but ended up kicking the last four goals including the winner from a Tony Hall set shot from 40 metres out.
Coach Alan Joyce deserved much credit for the win as in the last term he made the bold move of throwing Andrew Gowers into the ruck. While Gowers lost the first couple of hit-outs contested, he gradually got on top and generated some much needed run and enthusiasm around the ground.
The margin was never more than a goal at any change, with the Hawks a point behind at quarter time, a point ahead at half-time and trailing by three points at the final change.
Hall’s final goal was his fourth, while Jason Dunstall also booted four.
Dean Anderson and Scott Maginness were the leading possession-getters with 29 each. The win, while hardly a great one considering the Bears were on the bottom, meant Hawthorn jumped two spots and back into the six.
25 years ago, in Round 15 1987, Hawthorn thrashed Richmond by 57 points at Princes Park - 19.20.134 to 11.11.77.
Russell Morris and John Platten each booted four goals, while clear best on ground was reigning Brownlow medallist Robert Dipierdomenico who accumulated 21 kicks and 14 handballs and laid six tackles out of a team total of 30.
30 years ago, in Round 15 1982, Hawthorn also beat Richmond, but this was a more notable win as the Tigers were on top of the ladder.
An MCG crowd of 48,338 saw Hawthorn begin poorly, trailing by 25 points early in the second quarter but gradually take control to win 22.14.146 to 17.14.116.
Michael Byrne kicked five goals, while the best players were Richard Loveridge, Terry Wallace and Geoff Ablett.
40 years ago, in Round 15 1972, a stunning 8.6 to 1.1 opening quarter put Hawthorn on track for a 30-point win against Geelong and the club’s highest score against Geelong since 1944.
Bob Keddie kicked five goals and Alan Martello three, while the following week’s Football Record listed the best players as Crimmins, Martello, Rice, Matthews, Beck, Meagher and Heath.
Hawthorn has won 45 matches in Round 15, the club’s equal highest number for any round (with Round 16).
In the 27 seasons from 1970 to 1996, Hawthorn’s Round 15 return was 24 wins and only three losses. More recently, Hawthorn has won its Round 15 games from 2007 to 2009, but in 2010 lost to Geelong by two points and last season were beaten by Collingwood by 41 points.
The best individual return for a Hawthorn player in Round 15 is the 12 goals recorded by Peter Hudson in a 23-point Hawthorn win against St Kilda at Glenferrie in 1971
