For the first time since 2019–20, the Hawks hope to win four games in a row this weekend.
Hawthorn will attempt to win four straight games this Saturday for the first time since 2019–20, when the team won the final three games of 2019 and the opening game in 2020.
When the Hawks won the final six games of the home and away season in 2018, it was the last time Hawthorn had four straight victories in a single season. Hawthorn did, however, go six games without a loss in 2021–2022. They won the first two games of 2022 after concluding the previous season with three victories and a draw.
Hawthorn has an amazing record in close games at University of Tasmania Stadium, which was maintained with their narrow triumph over GWS on Saturday.
With this six-point victory, Hawthorn has now won eleven games in Launceston by six points or less; at the ground, they have only lost three (and drawn one) games by that margin. Hawthorn has a 16–6 win–loss record in games at University of Tasmania Stadium decided by 12 points or less.
With his best-on-ground performance against the Giants, Will Day has become the ninth player in Hawthorn’s history to win a perfect 10 coaches’ votes in a game for the team.
Before this past Saturday, Day’s greatest score was nine votes, which he achieved in Round 15 of 2021 against the same opponent. This is an impressive statistic considering that Dylan Moore’s first perfect ten last week also came against Adelaide, the same opponent against whom he had previously scored nine votes.
Luke Hodge, the captain of Hawthorn Premiership, was born on June 15, 1984, and he turns 40 on Saturday.
Hodge only ever played for Hawthorn on his birthday; on a Friday night in 2007, he celebrated turning 23 with a 100-point rout of Carlton at Docklands.
The current record attendance for a Richmond and Hawthorn home and away game is 70,701, set in Round 3 of 2018. There has only been one Final between the two clubs, which took place in 2018 and drew 91,446 spectators.
Although there has been a lot of discussion about reaching 300 games this week, Hawthorn has the highest number of players in that category. Hawthorn currently has eight 300-gamers, and Richmond will tie the Western Bulldogs for second place with seven when Dustin Martin hits the mark.
With the same lineup from last week, Hawthorn will have chosen an unchanged squad three times in 2024, having previously done so in Rounds 2 and 5. Thus, 2024 now joins 2006, 2011 and 2017 as current seasons in which three or more teams remain the same during the entire year.
Although Hawthorn has enjoyed several extended victory streaks against Richmond, including as 16 (1985–94) and 10 (1959–64), the Hawks are currently behind the Tigers 71–93, with one draw. The fact that Hawthorn lost its first 21 games against Richmond is primarily to blame for the gap.
Hawthorn has a 4-1 record against the Tigers in Round 14 matches, with wins of 101 points (1986) and 58 points (2001) in the clubs’ most recent meetings.
In 95 games played in Round 14, Hawthorn has a record of 46 wins, 49 defeats, and a bye in 1993, 1994, 2022, and 2023. In its early years, the club’s performance in Round 14 was dismal until it defeated Fitzroy in 1937. John Kennedy’s coaching career truly took off when Hawthorn won 13 of 14, including all 10 in his second stint from 1967 to 1976. In addition, the Hawks won nine straight Round 14 games between 2010 and 2018.
Ten years ago, in Round 14 2014, Hawthorn defeated Collingwood by a score of 29 points to make it four straight victories under interim coach Brendon Bolton (17.13.115 to 13.8.86). With four goals, Luke Breust was nominated for three Brownlow awards.
Hawthorn crushed St Kilda at Moorabbin forty years ago in Round 14, 1984, winning by 104 points (19.20.134 to 4.6.30). With a career-high 35 disposals and 12 marks, Gary Ayres had a magnificent game and deservedly won three Brownlow votes. Leigh Matthews, on the other hand, was somewhat unfortunate to receive only one vote despite his 37 disposals and five goals.
Fifty years ago, in Round 14 1974, the Hawks, who were in fourth position, went to Windy Hill to play Essendon, who were in seventh place. Hawthorn easily won by 80 points, 23.17.155 to 11.9.75, with a second half score of 13.6 to 2.5. Peter Crimmins, Don Scott, Michael Tuck, Alan Martello, Leon Rice, Des Meagher, and Geoff Ablett all scored four goals apiece, while Charlie Grummisch matched his career high of five goals.
In 1992, Jason Dunstall had a fantastic season playing against Richmond, setting a club record with 17 goals in Round 7 and adding another 12 goals in Round 22. Dunstall scored 111 goals against Richmond in his career, second only to his 116 goals against the Bulldogs.
The record for Hawthorn Round 14 individual goals is held by Peter Hudson, who scored 12 goals at Glenferrie against Footscray in 1968.
