Lance Franklin’s six goals last Saturday took him to seventh place on the Hawthorn career goals list. 

Franklin now has 384 career goals, one ahead of Alec Albiston’s 383, kicked in his 170 game career from 1936 to 1949.  Those still ahead of Franklin are Jason Dunstall (1254), Leigh Matthews (915), Peter Hudson (727), Michael Moncrieff (629), John Peck (475) and Dermott Brereton (427).

Jarryd Roughead has also moved up the career goals chart in 2011 from 18th to 16th.  His eight goals for the season have taken him to 245, ahead of Mark Williams (242) and Nick Holland (239).



The last six home and away clashes between Hawthorn and Geelong have been decided by less than two goals.  The Hawks won byfour4 points in 2007, while the Cats have won the past five, by 11 points (2008), 8 and 1 (2009), and nine and two (2010).

In total, Hawthorn and Geelong have played each other 145 times, with Geelong holding a ten win lead in the head-to-head 77 to 67 (with one draw).  At the MCG, the record is 7-4 in Geelong’s favour.



Never in Hawthorn history have two better players debuted together than Sam Mitchell and Luke Hodge in Round 5, 2002 against Richmond.  Both have captained the Club, both won two Crimmins Medals and have played an almost identical number of games (Mitchell 177, Hodge 176).



This round’s game against Geelong will be just the second occasion when Hawthorn has played a VFL-AFL game on a Tuesday. The one previous occasion was on Anzac Day 1989 when the Hawks beat Richmond by 44 points at Waverley - 15.20.110 to 9.12.66. 

A crowd of 41,347 saw the Hawks draw away, after an even first half in which the margin had been one point to Richmond at quarter time and one point the other way at half time.  Andy Collins got the three Brownlow votes, Tony Hall had 32 disposals and Jason Dunstall kicked eight goals.



In this Anzac Day round, we should remember the eight Hawthorn players who lost their lives in World War Two - Jack Drake, Alf Giblett, Alex Nash, Richard Pirrie, Jack Price, Len Thomas, Max Wheeler and Gus Young.



There was sad news last week with the passing of former Hawthorn player Lance Wilkinson.  Wilkinson was featured in this column in 2009 on the 60th anniversary of his debut in the same match as his lifelong mate, Tom Allsop.

Wilkinson was a rover in his early days, but came into his own as a wingman in the early to mid 1950s, being part of a regular Hawthorn centre line of Pearson-O’Mahony-Wilkinson.  He played 116 games and booted 18 goals.  He gained selection for Victoria, for which his employer, the State Bank, magnanimously gave him leave from his Saturday morning shift, on the condition that he made up the time later.



50 years ago, in Round 5 1961, one of the most costly cases of inaccuracy in the club’s history was the principal cause of Hawthorn’s one point loss to Essendon at Glenferrie.  The Hawks kicked 9.21.75 to Essendon’s 12.4.76!

Despite the difficulty in converting, the Hawks led for most of the game, until a couple of quick goals to Essendon put them three points in front, late in the final term.  The Hawks had two more good chances, but kicked further behinds.

Another notable feature of the game, apart from the one-point result and Hawthorn’s inaccuracy, was the fiery third quarter, the most dramatic moment of which came when Essendon’s Greg Sewell flattened Ron Nalder.  Nalder collapsed in the rooms after the game and spent a couple of days suffering from severe concussion.



40 years ago, the 1971 Hawks were almost as inaccurate in Round 5 as their counterparts had been ten years earlier.  However, in this case, it was not costly with the Hawthorn score of 12.21.93 easily accounting for the winless bottom team South Melbourne’s 6.9.45.

The decisive quarter in the match was the third when the Hawks outscored the Swans by 5.7 to 0.1 to extend the half time lead of 17 to 53 at the final change.  The VFL Park crowd of 16,205 saw Peter Hudson kick five (to take his season tally to 22), while Kevin Heath, Alan Martello and Leigh Matthews each booted two.

The win kept Hawthorn in second place on the ladder behind the other team with a 5-0 record, Melbourne, which had a percentage of 166.8, compared to the Hawks’ 152.6.



25 years ago, in Round 5 1986, it was Hawthorn’s opponent, Fitzroy, with the inaccurate goal-kicking.  However, the Lions’ 13.26.104 was enough to secure an upset win over the fast-finishing Hawks, who kicked 13.12.90, in front of 13,311 at Victoria Park.

There was a strong breeze favouring the Yarra Falls end, and while it did not seem to affect the scoring in a scrappy first half, which saw Hawthorn trail by six points at half-time, it certainly affected the second half.  Fitzroy exploded into action with an 8.10 to 2.2 third term to lead by 50 points at the final change.  The Hawks stormed back with the first seven goals of the final term, before the Lions finally got the steadier. 

David Parkin, in his first year as Fitzroy coach, stationed Gary Pert at the end favoured by the wind for all four quarters of the game and he dominated the game with 13 marks and 29 disposals (although he failed to secure a Brownlow vote). 

Parkin also had the Lions handballing much more than Hawthorn, leading that stat by 144 to 67.

With Russo and Kennedy late withdrawals through injury, it opened the way for Chris Wittman to make his debut and he acquitted himself well, including kicking an excellent goal in the last quarter.  He was listed fourth in the best players behind Lester-Smith, Robertson and Tuck.



20 years ago, in Round 5 1991, Hawthorn 16.11.107 lost to Footscray 17.16.118 at Waverley, despite Jason Dunstall booting nine goals.  After trailing by 24 points at quarter time and 20 at the long interval, the Hawks fought back well to tie the match up at 13.8 apiece at the final change, but could not sustain the effort in the last quarter.



Hawthorn has played 85 games in Round 5 for 37 wins and 48 losses (having a bye in 1993).  In the Clarkson era, Round 5 games have all been reasonably close, with wins over Essendon in 2006 (by one point), Brisbane Lions in 2008 (12 points), and West Coast in 2009 (18 points), while in 2005 the Hawks lost to North by 19 points, to the Bulldogs by 17 points in 2007 and last year lost to North again by 12 points in Launceston.



Round 5 produced what was then the highest, and remains the second highest, individual goal tally in Hawthorn history, when Peter Hudson kicked 16 against Melbourne at Glenferrie in 1969.  The individual goal-kicking record for a Hawthorn player versus Geelong is 12 by Jason Dunstall in 1990 and 1992, while Wally Culpitt kicked 10 against them in 1944.



Anyone interested in introducing their children to the history of Hawthorn should consider taking them to the Hawks Museum at Waverley in the remaining days of these school holidays. 

While there, you can also become a Friend of the Hawks Museum.  Any inquiries please ring Peter Haby on 03 9535 3075 or email hawksmuseum@hawthornfc.com.au

When at the Museum make sure you purchase your copy of Mud, Muscle and Blood: The Story of the 1957 Hawks, the first Hawthorn team to contest a Finals Series.