If the Hawks win this week, they will finish with an 18-4 record, which has only been exceeded by the 19-3 results in 1971, 1988 and 1989 and equalled by another 18-4 in 1986. It should be noted that the 1961 Hawks also lost only four games but, in an 18 game season, that meant they finished 14-4.
This year’s team shares something else in common with their 1961, 1988 and 1989 predecessors - their stellar seasons came off the back of Round 1 losses. The 1971 and 1986 teams both began with wins.
Whatever happens in Round 24, the third placed team in this AFL season will have accumulated more premiership points than any previous team finishing in that position.
Until now, the best record of any third placed team (since the introduction of the 22-game season in 1970) has been 15 wins, one draw and six losses (66 points), achieved twice - by Richmond in 1980 and Carlton in 1982. Interestingly, both these teams both went onto win the flag, two of just ten teams to have won a premiership from third since 1897.
The completion of Round 24 could also see a Hawthorn player top the goal-kicking table at the end of the home and away season for the 13th time. Currently holding a lead of nine, Lance Franklin is in the box seat to win his second Coleman Medal.
Previous Hawks to top the list have been Peter Hudson (1968, 1970, 1971, 1977); John Peck (1963, 1964, 1965); Jason Dunstall (1988, 1989, 1992); Leigh Matthews (1975) and Franklin himself (2008).
If Hawthorn does secure its 13th leading goal-kicker it will join Collingwood as the club which has produced the most leading home and away goal-kickers in the 87 seasons since Hawthorn joined the competition in 1925. Others to have produced significant numbers in that period are Essendon and Geelong both with 11, while the rest are headed by St Kilda with six.
In the past 86 seasons, the leading goal-kicker in the home and away season has lost his position in the finals on nine occasions. Hawthorn has never been involved in one of these changes, however, Collingwood has been involved on three occasions, twice losing a lead and once gaining it. With Franklin’s closest rival now being Travis Cloke of top team Collingwood, there is some chance of such an occurrence in 2011.
The 2011 Hawks should finish with either the third or fourth best percentage in the Club’s history. The top two percentages of 153.7 (1971) and 153.2 (1989) look unassailable but certainly, with the Hawks percentage currently at 146.3, they are some chance of knocking off the current third place holder which is 147.1 (1987).
Hawthorn takes perfect opponent and round records into this week’s game, but has twice blotted its copybook at the venue.
Hawthorn has, of course, only played Gold Coast on one previous occasion, in Round 13 this season at Aurora Stadium, and that game saw a comfortable 71 point win - 19.15.129 to 8.10.58.
Hawthorn has competed in the three previous Round 24s in 1991, 1992 and 1994.
In 1991, the Hawthorn thrashed Essendon at Waverley by 80 points, a margin big enough to secure second place on percentage ahead of Geelong. The Brownlow votes went to Chris Mew (3), Tony Hall (2) and John Platten (1). It set up a qualifying final against top-team West Coast in Perth, a game which saw the Hawks score a memorable upset win.
The following year, Round 24 saw the Hawks win a high-scoring game against Melbourne at the MCG - 22.17.149 to 20.10.130. Jason Taylor achieved the only three-vote performance of his 80 game Hawthorn career, as he had 19 disposals, took eight marks and kicked four goals from centre half forward. The win lifted Hawthorn into the six, jumping from seventh to fifth overtaking St Kilda (which had the bye and remained in sixth) and Carlton which lost to West Coast in Perth and thus missed out on a spot in the Finals.
In contrast to 1992, the game in Round 24 1994 was low-scoring as the Hawks ground out a 9.12.66 to 6.11.47 win against Adelaide at Waverley Park. Chris Langford got the three Brownlow votes for the third time in five rounds; a remarkable period given that he only received two other BOGs from the umpires in the rest of his stellar career. Hawthorn finished as one of four teams on 52 points, but with the worst percentage, the Hawks were in the highly vulnerable 6th position in the newly introduced McIntyre Final Eight.
This will be the seventh occasion when the Hawks have played on the Gold Coast.
The six previous matches have all been against Brisbane - five away games against the Bears between 1987 and 1992, and one ‘home’ game against the Lions in 2006.
The Hawks have won four and lost two at the venue. After thrashing the Bears by 95 points in the first appearance at the ground in Round 12 1987 most of the other games were close, with wins by 24 points (1988), 15 points (1990) and four points (1992) and a shock loss by 16 points in Round 20 1989. On that occasion the Hawks had something of an excuse having an endured an uncomfortable journey to Queensland during the pilots’ strike.
In Round 7 2006, the Hawks were also at a distinct disadvantage being drawn to play a home game against Brisbane at Carrara. It certainly showed early, as the Hawks failed to score in the opening term and, in fact, did not do so until half-way through the second quarter when Brisbane was already 7.4. Given that situation, the final margin of 40 points was almost respectable. Sam Mitchell had 26 disposals and Brent Guerra 25, while Mark Williams kicked five goals.
With last Saturday’s game against the Bulldogs recognising the 1961 Premiership team there was something of a coincidence when the third quarter scores bore some similarity to the 1961 Grand Final against the same opponent. In the 1961 Grand Final, the Hawks added 6.6 to 1.1 in the third quarter; the 2011 team managed to restrict the Bulldogs to the same 1.1, but could only add 4.6 themselves.
Speaking of the 1961 Hawks, the book Gold’n Brown Jubilee: The Story of the 61 Hawks celebrating their achievements was released at a function at Leonda last Thursday. The book, which includes a commemorative DVD, can be purchased from HawksNest Online.
Queensland is certainly an appropriate location for Hawthorn to wear its new away jumper for the first time, because the very first time that Hawthorn wore a change jumper in a league game was at the Gabba in Round 18 1997 against the Brisbane Lions.
The record for most goals by a Hawthorn player against Gold Coast is currently four, shared by Luke Breust and Shane Savage, while the record in Round 24 is six by Jason Dunstall against Melbourne in 1992.
