The fact that this Sunday’s game against St Kilda is Hawthorn’s first in Queensland this season stands in sharp contrast to most other AFL teams. However, it fits a recent pattern, with the Hawks only playing six games in Queensland in the past 11 seasons.

Hawthorn did not play Brisbane Lions at the Gabba from 2009 to 2015, before having a victory there in 2016, but then suffering defeats in 2018 and 2019. The Hawks have played just three games away to Gold Coast since the Suns entered the competition in 2011, winning in 2011 and 2015, but losing in 2017. 

Hawthorn has an overall 6-3 record at Metricon Stadium, previously known as Carrara. The Hawks have had some massive wins there, defeating Brisbane Bears by 95 points in 1987 and Gold Coast by 99 points in 2015. There have also been some narrow victories, with a four-point win against the Bears in 1992 and a nine-point success against the Suns in Round 24 2011, after the Hawks rested several stars on the eve of the Finals.

The shorter quarters and 17-game season will contribute to Hawthorn’s leading goalkicker in 2020 having an unusually low tally of goals. Jack Gunston’s three goals against Adelaide took him to 23 for the season, six ahead of Chad Wingard whose two goals lifted him to 17.

Gunston’s current total is six behind the lowest tally in the modern era, which was 29 by Nick Holland in the 22-game 1997 season. If Gunston fails to reach 29, it will be the lowest winning tally since the mid-1950’s when Kevin Coghlan won the award with 19 (1953), 27 (1954) and 28 (1955) in 18-game seasons.

Hawthorn and St Kilda have met 157 times with the Hawks winning 82 and the Saints 73, plus two draws. Hawthorn won 20 consecutive games against St Kilda from 1979 to 1989.

At Waverley, in Round 12 1999 against the Saints, Hawthorn recorded its greatest ever comeback victory, turning around a 63-point second quarter deficit to win by 13 points.

The margin remained much tighter when the two teams played a draw at Docklands in Round 17 2010. The Hawks led by a point at quarter-time, trailed by a point at half-time, and the scores were level at the final change and the end. The goal which brought the Saints back level beyond the 30-minute was kicked by future Hawk, Ben McEvoy. 

In the past nine seasons, the two clubs have met 10 times with the Hawks winning eight, although the Saints did win the most recent encounter by four points at Docklands in Round 4 last season.

Round 16 is Hawthorn’s most successful round, with the record of 51 wins, 43 losses and one draw, marginally ahead of Round 3 which has seen 51 wins and 45 losses.

Hawthorn won nine consecutive Round 16 matches from 1956 to 1964, a further eight from 1968 to 1975, and six from 1989 to 1994. There have been Round 16 victories for the Hawks in nine of the last 11 seasons, plus a draw with GWS in 2017. Last season in Round 16, the Hawthorn defeated Collingwood by four points at the MCG. 

10 years ago, in Round 16 2010, Hawthorn thrashed the Brisbane Lions by 75 points in Launceston – 17.16.118 to 7.1.43. Jarryd Roughead and Jordan Lewis both kicked four goals, and Shaun Burgoyne received his first Brownlow votes in Hawthorn colours, getting the three votes for a best-on-ground performance.

20 years ago, in Round 16 2000, Hawthorn recorded a comprehensive 57-point win over Collingwood at Docklands – 19.11.125 to 10.8.68. Ben Dixon kicked 6.2 from just nine disposals, supported by John Barker with four goals and Nick Holland three. Holland received the three Brownlow votes, Shane Crawford (28 disposals) the two votes and John Barker one.

30 years ago, in Round 16 1990, Hawthorn annihilated Richmond by 91 points – 25.9.159 to 10.8.68. What made this an outstanding performance was that the Hawks had had to make eight changes going into the game, with the omissions including the injured Jason Dunstall, John Platten, Greg Dear and Anthony Condon and the suspended John Kennedy. 

One of the ‘ins’ did have a big impact on the game – Dermott Brereton kicked a career high 11 goals. Gary Ayres also equalled his career high goals tally of five which had been set 11 years earlier.  Glenn Nugent made an outstanding debut gaining 21 disposals, kicking two goals and getting two Brownlow votes.

50 years ago, in Round 16 1970, Hawthorn and Footscray both went into their Waverley encounter with 7-8 records. However, the Hawks dominated from the start kicking 7.0 to 0.4 in the opening term, increasing the margin to 52 and 67 at the other breaks, before surging onto a new club record winning margin of 99 points in the 23.9.147 to 6.12.48 win.  Despite the big score, the Hawks had only five goal-kickers headed by Peter Hudson with 11 and Bob Keddie with four.

60 years ago, in Round 16 1960, Hawthorn recorded a stunning win against the reigning and eventual Premier Melbourne at the MCG. The fifth-placed Hawks were keen to see whether their late season surge could be continued against top team, Melbourne, who had put together a 14-1 record and had a percentage of 158.9. A crowd of 24,646 saw Hawthorn lead at every change and, despite failing to kick a goal in the final term, hold on for a nine-point win - 11.10.76 to 9.13.67. John Peck starred by kicking six of Hawthorn’s 11 goals.

Peter Hudson holds the record for the highest number of goals by a Hawthorn player against St Kilda, kicking 12 at Glenferrie in Round 15 1971 in a match which was a preview of the season’s Grand Final. Hudson shares with Jason Dunstall and Dermott Brereton the Round 16 Hawthorn individual goal-kicking record with 11 goals. Hudson kicked 11 in 1970, equalled by Dunstall in 1989 and Brereton in 1990.