This Friday night Hawthorn will take the field without both Lance Franklin and Jarryd Roughead for just the second time since the pair was drafted in the 2004 National Draft.

The only previous occasion when both missed was also against Essendon in Round 22 2009 when, similar to this occasion, Roughead missed through injury and Franklin was suspended. 

Many will remember the electric atmosphere in that game, which decided the position in the eight, as an already injury-depleted Hawthorn lost Max Bailey in the opening minutes and then Brad Sewell immediately after half-time. Hawthorn had bravely built up a 22 point lead at the long interval but, being so undermanned, eventually lost by 17 points.

Of the 150 games since they were drafted (which also is the era in which Alastair Clarkson has been coach) Roughead has played 136 games and Franklin 131. Both are now behind the player taken with pick seven in the same draft, Jordan Lewis, who has played 137 games. Of the three, Roughead’s absences appear to have been the most costly for the Hawks, as the team has won only four (including last Saturday) and lost ten of the 14 games he has missed, while in Franklin’s absence the team has a 9-10 record and in Lewis’ 7-6.



In this round 30 years ago, Hawthorn also played Essendon.  The most unusual feature of the Round 14 1981 clash was its staging at the unlikely venue of the Gabba in Brisbane. It was played there because the VFL was trying to develop the code interstate and thus played matches between Victorian teams in both Sydney and Brisbane from 1979-81. 

Unfortunately, the Hawks lost the match by 18 points, reversing their success at Windy Hill in Round 4. It was a high-scoring game with the Hawks kicking 20.13.133 to Essendon’s 22.19.151. The unlikely leading goal-kickers were Peter Murnane (five) and Rick Davies (four).

Other Round 14 clashes with Essendon produced wins in 1969 and 1974, and a loss in 1985.



Hawthorn and Essendon played at the Gabba before they met at the MCG. The first MCG clash between the two clubs was the 1983 grand final which the Hawks won by 83 points. Hawthorn exceeded that winning margin when, in their Round 20 1992 MCG clash, they thrashed the Bombers by 160 points, kicking 32.24.216 to 8.8.56.

In total, the two clubs have now met 23 times at the MCG, with Hawthorn winning nine and Essendon 14.  Five of the 23 were finals. The 18 home and away fixtures have three times produced attendances of over 60,000 with 77,278 (2009), 61,006 (2010) and 60,594 (1997).



Hawthorn has twice recorded sequences of six consecutive wins against Essendon - 1987-89 and 2005-08. Overall, the two clubs have played 152 times - the Hawks winning 57 and losing 95. In Round 13 last season, Hawthorn broke a three game losing streak against Essendon. 



Lance Franklin has kicked more goals (42) against Essendon than against any other opponent. Against the Bombers, he has twice kicked a career-high nine goals and last season produced his most memorable career goal against them. His next highest is 33 against Collingwood, followed by 31 against both Geelong and Richmond.

Last Saturday, Franklin kicked his 300th career behind.



50 years ago, in Round 14 1961, Hawthorn played in a match The Herald’s Alf Brown described as one of the best he had seen for years. 

After a week off in the second week of the split round, it was a wonderful goal by one of the two players returning from the Brisbane Carnival, Ian Mort, which secured Hawthorn’s win at Fitzroy, 13.16.94 to 12.15.87.

This result, combined with Melbourne’s loss to Essendon at the MCG, saw the Hawks go to the top of the ladder for the first time in the 1961 season. Top position on the ladder had until this time been a rare occurrence in the Club’s history, the only previous instances being after Round 1 1940 and after five separate rounds in the first half of the 1957 season.

After a strong second quarter, Hawthorn was able to maintain a nine point lead at the final change. However, Fitzroy fought back and late in the term a 65 yard Owen Abraham drop kick goal levelled the scores. With the scores remaining level, Fitzroy conceded an unnecessary behind, which set the scene for Mort’s winning goal

Several Hawthorn defenders had outstanding games with Les Kaine described as being in “magnificent form” as he “held up countless attacks”, Cam McPherson “beat a string of opponents”, while Sted Hay’s close-checking tactics kept Abraham in check.  Further up the ground Law, Youren, Edwards and Peck did well.



40 years ago, in Round 14 1971, top team Hawthorn scored a 19 point win against lowly Geelong at Kardinia Park. The Hawks set up the win with a 6.6 to 1.0 opening term and extended their lead to 43 points at the long interval. They then withstood a Geelong comeback in the third quarter which cut the margin to just 17 points at the final change before punching out a 15.13.103 to 13.6.84 win. Peter Hudson kicked seven, Leigh Matthews three, while the captain and vice-captain, David Parkin and Peter Crimmins each contributed two goals.



20 years later, in Round 14 1991, Hawthorn produced an almost identical opening term as in 1971, this time outscoring Melbourne 6.6 to 1.1, largely maintaining the advantage all game and winning 19.13.127 to 11.11.77.  Paul Hudson and Tony Hall each kicked 4 goals and got Brownlow votes, but the three votes went to Darren Jarman for a 34 disposal game.



Hawthorn has played 84 matches in Round 14 (having had byes in 1993 and 1994), with a record of 38 wins and 46 losses. Hawthorn won ten consecutive Round 14 matches between 1967 and 1976.

After four consecutive Round 14 losses from 2004 to 2007, the Hawks have now won two of their last three matches in the round, with a 57 point victory against West Coast at the MCG on a Friday night in 2008 and the three point win against the Bulldogs at the MCG last season. 



Leading individual goals records by Hawthorn players against Essendon are 12 by Jason Dunstall in 1992, 11 by Leigh Matthews in 1973 and 10 by Michael Moncrieff in 1972.  While it is 14 years since a Hawthorn player kicked 10 goals in a game, the last three bags of 9 have been against Essendon - by Jason Dunstall in 1998 and Lance Franklin in both 2007 and 2008.

The Round 14 individual goal-kicking record for Hawthorn is 12, kicked by Peter Hudson against Footscray at Glenferrie in 1968.