HAWTHORN will celebrate 100 years of existence in the VFL/AFL with an anniversary fixture against Richmond at the MCG in round eight.
The Hawks unveiled a commemorative logo for 2025 last month to launch their centenary celebrations and will host the Tigers on Sunday, May 4 - almost 100 years to the day of the club’s inaugural match.
Hawthorn Football Club was founded in 1902 and started in the Metropolitan Junior Football Association before graduating to the Victorian Football Association in 1914 ahead of the club’s official entry into the Victorian Football League in 1925.
The club played its first ever game in the VFL against Richmond on May 2, 1925, in front of almost 20,000 fans at Glenferrie Oval.
More than 92,000 people turned up for last season’s fixture between the two sides to witness Richmond champion Dustin Martin’s 300th game.
Hawthorn’s biggest home crowd – and highest-ever home and away attendance – came when 92,935 attended in round 11, 1981 against Collingwood at Waverley Park.
The Hawks have only had one other home game north of 80,000 people and will be aiming to eclipse that mark next April.
Hawthorn broke its membership record in 2024, signing 83,823 members during a campaign where the sleeping Victorian giant awoke from its slumber.
The Hawks’ membership base hovered in the 70,000s after the three-peat before eclipsing 80,000 for the first time in 2018. They have now hit that mark five times in the past seven seasons and will be eyeing a bigger number in 2025.
After winning eight games and then seven games across Sam Mitchell’s first two seasons at the helm, the Hawks recovered from a 0-5 start to return to September by winning 15 games.
The Hawks not only played finals for the first time since 2018, but won a game in September for the first time since the 2015 Grand Final.