The Club holds the AFL record with 16 individual goal-kickers, achieved in Round 14 2000 against St Kilda - that day the Hawks kicked 27.9.171 equalling a record set by Essendon in 1988, also equalled by West Coast in 2005. The only other occasion the Hawks have kicked more than 13, was in the massive victory against Port Adelaide in Round 21 last season, when 15 individuals kicked goals.
The first time the Hawks had 13 goal-kickers came in Round 8 1976 at Princes Park, when the Hawks kicked 20.16.136 in a 56-point win against South Melbourne. The only multiple goal-kickers were Michael Moncrieff 4, Leigh Matthews 3, Allan Goad 2 and Barry Rowlings 2, while nine others booting singles.
The next two were games that were memorable for other reasons - Round 10 1979 - Hawthorn’s first ever game outside Victoria (at the SCG), and Round 2 1985 - Jason Dunstall’s debut.
This month marks the 25th anniversary of the first meeting between Hawthorn and West Coast, which took place on 25 April 1987 at Princes Park - the Eagles recorded an upset 12-point win. When the two teams met later in the season for the first time at Subiaco, the Eagles were able to back up the result, this time by one point. The results were something of an aberration in the context of the overall season, as the Hawks made the Grand Final, while West Coast finished outside the final five.
That first loss at Subiaco has set something of a pattern as Hawthorn has struggled to beat the Eagles on their home ground, winning just five times in 25 years, and only once since 1994. Though, it should be noted that matches between the two clubs at Subiaco have been far from annual events.
The Hawks did beat the Eagles at the WACA Ground in Perth by two points in a late-season thriller in 1999, one of many games in that season where Shane Crawford was best on ground.
The only recent Hawthorn success at Subiaco was in 2008, when the Hawks tuned up for the Finals with a 71-point victory - Campbell Brown and Lance Franklin kicked four goals, while several midfielders chalked up over 30 disposals.
There has perhaps been no more stunning turnaround from week-to-week in Hawthorn history than when the Hawks ventured to Subiaco to play West Coast in Round 5 1994. The Hawks had lost their previous three matches by a combined total of 268 points and thus, were given no chance against the high-flying Eagles.
However, the return from injury of Jason Dunstall, Chris Langford and Jason Taylor transformed the team and, after a slow start, the Hawks stunned the home crowd by taking complete control - winning 19.15.129 to 8.10.58.
Already in 2012, two new venues (Bellerive and Blacktown) have seen AFL football for the first time, bringing the total number of grounds on which VFL-AFL football has been played since 1897 to 41.
Hawthorn has played at 28 of the 41 venues, the missing 13 being (total VFL-AFL games played in brackets) - East Melbourne (225), Manuka (26), TIO Stadium (10), Coburg (9), Motordrome (3), Brisbane EG, Albury, Yallourn, Bruce Stadium, Cazaly’s Stadium, Adelaide Oval, Bellerive and Blacktown (all 1). Skoda Stadium will join the list later in 2012.
The attendance at the MCG on Sunday was a record for a Hawthorn home game against Adelaide. The crowd of 33,524 eclipsed the previous record of 32,583 set in 2009.
Hawthorn has not won in Round 4 in a year ending in 2 since 1952. In fact, that nine-point win over South Melbourne at Glenferrie is the only time Hawthorn has won a Round 4 game in a year ending in 2.1932 saw a 63-point loss to Carlton; 1942 a 46-point loss to Melbourne; 1962 a 13-point defeat by Carlton; 1972 a 19-point loss to Fitzroy; 1982 a 61-point thrashing by Carlton; 1992 a 10-point loss to St Kilda (after trailing by 48 at quarter-time) and 2002 a 41-point defeat by Collingwood.
More positively, Hawthorn has had a good record in Round 4 in the Clarkson era, winning five of seven. Overall, Hawthorn has played 86 times in Round 4 in its 87 VFL-AFL seasons, winning 37, losing 47 and playing two draws (in 1939 and 1996).
Hawthorn took longer to win in Round 4 than in any other round. It was not until 1941 that the club tasted success after 15 losses and one draw. The Hawks best Round 4 sequence was eight consecutive wins from 1974 to 1981 and has won 5 of 7 in the Clarkson era, including last year’s win against West Coast.
Hawthorn has not lost a game on 21 April for 50 years. Back in 1962, it was the season opener that saw the previous seasons' grand finalists - Hawthorn and Footscray playing a rematch. The Grand Final result was reversed, as Hawthorn lost by 33 points.
Hawthorn has only played on the date four times in the intervening half century, recording wins against Geelong (1979), Sydney (1985), Brisbane (1990) and Carlton (2006).
2012 is the 10th season Hawthorn has begun its wear with a win-loss-win record. The previous nine occasions have seen five wins and four losses in Round 4. Longer term, this start has produced three finals appearances (1974, 1990 and 1992), but never a grand final appearance. Let’s hope 2012 can change that.
Jason Dunstall holds the record for the most goals by a Hawthorn player against West Coast, kicking 7 in both 1988 and 1989. The record for Round 4 is the nine goals booted by Michael Moncrieff at Waverley Park against South Melbourne in 1979.
