This week we look back at the fourth match in that previous sequence, as 25 years ago this week Hawthorn played Carlton at Princes Park in Round 10 1985.
After an even low-scoring opening term, the Hawks slammed on eight goals in each of the next two quarters to lead by 31 at the half and 67 at the final change, before cruising to a 79 point win - 22.15.147 to 10.8.68, an amazing margin given that the Carlton team included 17 past or future premiership players.
Then again Hawthorn had 18 in that category, the two exceptions being Jamie Bennett and Rod Lester-Smith. Interestingly, it was Lester-Smith who played well enough to win the three Brownlow votes, winning 27 disposals and taking 10 marks. Lester-Smith had to be good to get the three votes, as he had to outpoll Peter Knights who played a stunning game at full-forward, constantly out-marking the young Stephen Silvagni, and capping it off with nine goals, still the Hawthorn record against Carlton. Leigh Matthews, Gary Buckenara and Terry Wallace each booted three goals.
Lance Franklin’s career goal average has reached three per game for the first time. He now has 324 goals from 108 games, at exactly three goals per game. Only four Hawthorn players have finished their careers with averages of above three goals per game - Peter Hudson (5.64), Jason Dunstall (4.66), Jack Green (4.18) and Johnny Hall (3.50). It should be noted that Hall only played two games, the final two matches of 1938.
Also on Sunday, Franklin moved up another place to eighth on the Club’s career goals list passing Michael Tuck’s tally of 320. Next up the list in seventh place is Alec Albiston on 383.
Another significant win against Carlton took place 70 years ago this round. “Hawthorn wins fame at Carlton” was the newspaper headline and it honoured the fact that in its 16th season Hawthorn had finally beaten Carlton away.
After 15 seasons of VFL football, Hawthorn had still only won away to eight of the eleven opposing teams. In the space of four rounds in 1940, Hawthorn achieved overdue wins at both Princes Park and Punt Road to enhance that record.
Carlton had beaten Hawthorn 25 consecutive times until the Mayblooms triumphed in Round 5 of 1939 at Glenferrie. The timing of this win was particularly notable because Carlton were the reigning Premiers. The Blues had reversed that result comfortably in the return match later in 1939, so the Carlton home ground hoodoo was still very much in place when Hawthorn ventured there in 1940.
The 1940 season had begun in sensational style for Hawthorn with a record breaking win over North Melbourne, which saw a new Club record score and the first instance of a Hawthorn player booting 10 goals. Only one further win had followed so after nine rounds, the Mayblooms were on the bottom of the ladder. Carlton’s recent form had been patchy but as a team considered likely finalists they were expected to easily account for the visitors.
Hawthorn had the wind advantage in the opening term and Bob Williams in attack took full advantage as he slammed on four of the team’s seven goals. Meanwhile Dudley Bragg and Jack Barker were outstanding in the air in the backline, restricting Carlton to 1.3. Carlton reduced the deficit slightly in the second term but Hawthorn would have been pleased to retain a five goal half time lead. It would have been greater, but for one decision by umpire Sullivan, although he reduced the opportunity for accusations of bias by reporting Carlton’s McLean for striking Bert Mills
Regaining use of the wind, the Mayblooms completely dominated the third term, but the return of 3.9 for the quarter clearly showed that Hawthorn had wasted opportunities. Nothing, however, could diminish the fact that Hawthorn had achieved the remarkable feat of keeping Carlton scoreless in a quarter at Princes Park. One match report described how “Carlton were beaten repeatedly to marks, outpaced badly, showed little initiative and the short passing game was abominable”.
The margin of 57 points was surely unassailable, but Carlton did have the wind in the final term. They finally found some form slamming on 8.4. to 0.4. They may have got closer if not for the work of Jack Blackman who was a rock in defence stopping three successive Carlton attacks. Bob Williams finished with seven goals, while Andrew Angwin continued his outstanding form, proving a more than adequate replacement on the wing for Viv Randall who had transferred to Camberwell.
Four weeks later Hawthorn also recorded a first ever win at Punt Road, leaving Victoria Park, Collingwood as the only frontier that had not been crossed. The final crossing, in Round 13, 1960 will be the subject of a special Hawks Forever celebration later this year. For details please contact Peter Haby at the Hawks Museum on 03 9535 3000.
Hawthorn has played South Melbourne / Sydney 145 times for 79 wins, 64 defeats and two draws. Each club had periods where they dominated the other with South putting together sequences of 15 wins (1929-37) and 13 wins (1944-51), while the Hawks’ best sequences were 13 from 1971 to 1977, followed by 11 from 1981 to 1986.
Recently, the Swans had won six in a row, before Hawthorn stopped the run at the MCG in Round 15, 2008. Last season the games went with home advantage - Sydney winning by 38 points at Stadium Australia in Round 2 and Hawthorn by 11 points at the MCG in Round 11.
In the past decade, Round 10 has been Hawthorn’s hoodoo round, with nine losses from the past ten starts. None of the nine defeats have been by narrow margins, the closest being 21 points in 2006 and the heaviest 86 points in 2004.
In 2008, Round 10 saw the Hawks finally blot their copybook, after a 9-0 start to the season, with a 32 point defeat by the Bulldogs at Aurora Stadium, while last season a strong third quarter fightback was not enough as Hawthorn lost to Adelaide at Football Park by 27 points.
The sole win was in 2007 when Hawthorn scored a comfortable 34 point win over Port Adelaide at Football Park, with Tim Boyle booting five goals.
Despite the recent run of poor results, Round 10 has overall been one of the Club’s better rounds with 41 wins and 44 defeats.
Peter Hudson holds the individual goals record for Hawthorn against the Swans, twice kicking 13. He kicked 13 goals against South Melbourne in consecutive matches in Round 11, 1969 and Round 8, 1970. Both matches were at Glenferrie and on both occasions he kicked the very accurate 13.2.
The most goals by a Hawthorn player in Round 10 is a tally of nine - by Peter Knights in 1985 (see above), Paul Hudson in 1991 and Jason Dunstall in 1998, against Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon respectively.
