Luke Breust’s excellent debut on Sunday brought back memories of the debut of another Hawthorn forward wearing number 47. 

It was 29 years ago, in the 1982 First Semi Final, that an 18 year old redhead named Dermott Brereton kicked five goals on debut wearing number 47 against North Melbourne at the MCG.  He wore the number again in the following week’s Preliminary Final loss to Carlton, before shifting to number 23 in 1983.

In the intervening 29 years, the number has only be worn in only one other senior game, Round 2 1996, by ex-Swan, Leon Higgins, in his sole senior appearance in the brown and gold.



There is an interesting link between Higgins and Breust in that both originally hail from southern NSW - Tocumwal and Temora respectively.  With Matt Suckling (Wagga Tigers) and Isaac Smith (originally from Cootamundra) also in the team on Sunday, there was an equal record high three NSW representatives in a Hawthorn team.



Something will have to give when Hawthorn play Sydney this week.  Hawthorn has won its past four Round 9 games, but has lost its past four games against Sydney at the SCG (plus another at Stadium Australia).  The four consecutive Round 9 wins have been against West Coast in Launceston in 2007, Melbourne at the MCG in both 2008 and 2009, while last year the Hawks scored a stunning 50 point upset win against Carlton at Docklands.



The 32 point deficit at quarter time last Sunday brought back memories of Hawthorn’s clash with St Kilda at Waverley in 1999.  Then, the Hawks trailed by a massive 51 points at quarter time, and indeed by 63 points early in the second term, before coming back to win by 13 points. 

Other big quarter time deficits Hawthorn has overcome to win include 38 points versus Geelong in 1946 (to win by 31), 37 versus North Melbourne in 1987 (winning by 22) and 33 against Melbourne in 1979 (also winning by 22). 



This week Shane Savage became the 29th Hawthorn player to receive a Rising Star nomination since the award was introduced in 1993.  The only seasons which have failed to produce a Hawthorn nominee were 2004 and 2007.  The past seasons have produced one nominee each - Gary Moss in Round 5 2009 and Ben Stratton in Round 14 last season. 



Hawthorn last won at the SCG in 2003, beating the Swans by 17 points.  Just three Hawks players remain from that game - Luke Hodge, Sam Mitchell and Michael Osborne.  Hodge and Mitchell, who had made their debuts together, early the previous season, were both playing their 27th games and already their quality was becoming apparent as Mitchell got the three Brownlow votes and Hodge two.

Prior to the 2003 success, one has to go back to 1994 to find another Hawthorn win against Sydney in Sydney.  Overall, the Hawks record at the SCG stands at 11 wins and 12 losses, but one of the wins was against North Melbourne, so the record against Sydney is 10-12.

After the Swans moved to Sydney in 1982, the Hawks won the first five encounters between the two clubs at the SCG.  Then after a couple of defeats, the Hawks won another four in a row to take the record to 9-2, before the tide turned after 1994.



Hawthorn’s best win at the SCG came 25 years ago, in 1986.  The clash of first and second on the ladder proved to be a mismatch as Hawthorn handed out a 98-point football lesson to the Swans - 27.9.171 to 10.13.73.  Monday’s Sun commented that “it was the Hawthorn of old - fast, furious, mean and very aggressive”. Particular features of the performance were the tackling, and the run-on style, especially in running the ball out of defence. 

A new record Sydney crowd of 39,763 saw all the Hawks’ forwards got among the goals with Jason Dunstall and Dermott Brereton each kicking five, Peter Curran four and Gary Buckenara three.  Best players included Peter Russo, Buckenara, Richard Loveridge, Michael Tuck and Robert Dipierdomenico.  Dipierdomenico got the three Brownlow votes; votes which helped him win the Medal a few weeks later. 



Hawthorn has played South Melbourne / Sydney 147 times for 80 wins, 65 defeats and two draws.  Each club had periods where they dominated the other with South putting together sequences of 15 wins (1929-37) and 13 wins (1944-51), while the Hawks’ best sequences were 13 from 1971 to 1977, followed by 11 from 1981 to 1986. 

Recently, the Swans had won six in a row, before Hawthorn stopped the run at the MCG in Round 15, 2008.  For the last two seasons the games have been won by the home team - Sydney winning by 38 points at Stadium Australia and Hawthorn by 11 points at the MCG in 2009, while last year the Hawks snuck home by two points at the MCG in Round 10, but lost by 44 points at the SCG in Round 19.



Hawthorn has played 86 matches in Round 9 for 39 wins and 47 defeats.



50 years ago, the 1961 Hawks went into their Round 9 encounter with Geelong at Kardinia Park with a 4-4 record.  No-one knew it that day, but the hard fought nine point win they achieved that day was the first of a sequence of 12 consecutive victories which was to culminate in the 1961 Grand Final.

After Geelong seized a two goal break at quarter time, the next two quarters were close and tight, with one match report commenting that “the Hawks were playing better football, but were losing their advantage once they crossed the centre line as their forwards missed some easy shots”, but when Garry Young dribbled a goal through close to the three quarter time siren, the Hawks had a lead which they never subsequently surrendered.

Making up for his slow start to the season, Colin Youren was best-on-ground, while John Peck, in his new role as full-forward kicked six out of Hawthorn’s 10 goals.



The 1971 Hawks produced a stunning performance in Round 9 beating reigning Premiers, Carlton, in front of 30,151 on their own Princes Park ground - 14.12.96 to 4.12.36.  Peter Hudson kicked 5 and Leigh Matthews 4.



In 1991, Hawthorn went into its Round 9 Waverley Park clash with Essendon in fifth place, while the Bombers were sitting second.  A poor third quarter saw the Hawks surrender an 18 point half lead to trail by seven points at the final change, before steadying to win 15.13.103 to 13.9.87.

In Jason Dunstall’s absence the leading goal-kickers were Paul Dear with four and Paul Hudson three.  The two Hawks subsequently awarded Brownlow votes were John Platten (32 disposals) and Matthew Robran (10 marks).



Peter Hudson holds the individual goals record for Hawthorn against the Swans, twice kicking 13.  He kicked 13 goals against South Melbourne in consecutive matches in Round 11, 1969 and Round 8, 1970. Both matches were at Glenferrie and on both occasions he kicked the very accurate 13.2.  Hudson also holds the Round 9 record, booting 10, in a 30 point victory over Fitzroy at Glenferrie, in this round in 1968.