In Round 7, 1980, the Hawks led Carlton by two points at three quarter time - 13.15 to 13.13 - and while that was also the final margin in the Hawks favour, it fails to capture the drama of an amazing final term. Hawthorn kicked a conventional 3.2, while Carlton scored an extraordinary 1.14. To make it more amazing the one goal they kicked actually came after the final siren!
So the final score was Hawthorn 16.17.113 to Carlton 14.27.111.
The eccentric scoring in the final quarter was not the only noteworthy aspect of the clash of the Princes Park co-tenants before a crowd of 28,788. A grey day, featuring both fog and light rain, was enlivened for Hawks’ fans by the brilliance of Leigh Mathews. The following week’s Football Record featured him in its “Play of the Day” and recorded how he “baulked, dodged and threaded his way around Carlton players to score a superb goal”. The Record described the manoeuvre as follows:
“He was on Hawthorn’s half-forward flank on the stand side when he captured the ball and was under pressure from the Blues. Matthews headed for the boundary line, found his path impeded and then he made an arc as he avoided other Carlton backmen. Finally, he could see daylight after eluding his opponents and steered through a deserved goal”.
Matthews was clearly BOG, with other rated in the best were Kelvin Moore, Michael Moncrieff, Peter Murnane, Alan Goad and Robert Dipierdomenico. Moncrieff kicked 5 goals, while Matthews and Goad each booted 3.
Another feature of the day was the Hawthorn banner, which featured the topical words “Who Dares Wins” - the motto of the British SAS, who earlier in the week had ended the Iranian embassy siege in London. A photo of the banner was used on the cover of the Club’s 1980 annual report.
Hawthorn had its first scoreless quarter for four years last Saturday night. The previous scoreless quarter came against Melbourne at the MCG in Round 8, 2006 and like last Saturday night, it was also a final term. In that game, the Hawks remained marooned on 9.7, very similar to last Saturday night’s 9.9.
An ominous omen is that in the past decade Hawthorn’s scoreless quarters have tended to come in pairs - in Rounds 20 and 22 of 2004 and Rounds 7 and 8 of 2006.
Ten years ago, in Round 7 2000, Hawthorn got their stuttering campaign under first year coach, Peter Schwab, back on track with a 31 point win over the Bulldogs at the MCG. The Hawks went in with a 2-4 record compared to the Bulldogs 3-3. Hawthorn controlled the game all day, leading by 19, 18 and 21 at the changes.
The Brownlow votes reflected the promise of Hawthorn’s rising stars at either end of the ground. While the Bulldogs Brad Johnston got the 3 votes, the Hawks’ 20 year old full back Jon Hay got the 2 votes, and the 22 year old full forward Nathan Thompson got the 1 vote for his 6 goal haul.
The Hawks and Bulldogs represented different styles of play with the Hawks having a kick-handball ratio of 206-72, while their opponents had 186-124. The two teams were to meet again in Round 22 in a crucial match for their Finals’ aspirations and once again it was the Hawks who finished in front.
Brent Guerra is building one of the most successful Hawthorn careers of any player who had played for two other League clubs prior to joining Hawthorn. Guerra played 65 games for Port Adelaide and 31for St Kilda before joining Hawthorn in 2006. Guerra has already become the first such player to play in a Hawthorn Premiership team and is on track to join Tony Woods and John Barker as previous two-clubbers to play 100 games for Hawthorn.
Altogether, there have been 24 players who have previously played for two other League clubs before Hawthorn. Interestingly, 11 of the 24 debuted in the Club’s first two decades in the League, but there was then not another example until the 1980s.
Prior to its lost to West Coast at Subiaco in Round 13 last season, Hawthorn had been enjoying its best sequence of wins against West Coast. The Hawks had won the previous four encounters between the two clubs.
The sequence began with a 35 point win over the then reigning premiers at Aurora Stadium in 2007; and was followed by wins by 57 points and 71 points in 2008, and a 19 point victory at Aurora in Round 5 last season.
The only previous sequence of three consecutive wins was in 1988-89, in the Clubs’ third, fourth and fifth meetings, after West Coast had won the first two matches in 1987. The Hawks defeated the Eagles by 53 points at Subiaco in 1988 and then, in 1989, won at Subiaco by 5 points, and a month later demolished the Eagles at Princes Park by 91 points.
Hawthorn and West Coast have met a total of 36 times with the Hawks winning 14 and the Eagles 22.
Prior to its win at Subiaco in Round 21, 2008, Hawthorn had not beaten the Eagles in Perth since 1999 and had not won not at Subiaco since 1994. The 1999 win was at the WACA Ground, the last of four games which the Hawks played at the venue. The other three games saw Hawthorn lose to the Eagles in 1990 and 1998, and beat the Dockers in 1998.
Hawthorn’s Round 7 record is 39 wins, 45 losses and one draw. The draw came 45 years ago in 1963, when that year’s eventual Grand Finalists, Hawthorn and Geelong, kicked 9.12.66 apiece.
Hawthorn has only recorded one Round 7 win in the past seven seasons, that being a 65 point thrashing of Collingwood in 2008. Prior to that the last Round 7 win was in 2002 when they thrashed Geelong by 52 points. Last season, the Hawks lost to Essendon at Docklands by 44 points. The 1970s brought much Round 7 happiness - the Hawks won eight consecutive Round 7 matches from 1971 to 1978.
Round 7 produced the highest individual goal tally by a Hawthorn player ever - 17 by Jason Dunstall against Richmond at Waverley in 1992. Dunstall also holds the record for the most goals by a Hawthorn player against West Coast, kicking seven in both 1988 and 1989.
