This season marks the 10th anniversary of Hawthorn playing home games in Launceston. The relationship began in Round 6, 2001 when the Hawks beat Adelaide by 13 points.

Overall, in the 10 seasons of playing home games at Aurora Stadium, the Hawks have played 28 games, resulting in 18 wins and 10 losses. This week’s opponent, West Coast, has been the opponent in five of the 28, with the Hawks holding a narrow 3-2 advantage.



In losing its only game to West Coast last season, Hawthorn achieved the comparatively rare feat of a loss to the eventual wooden spooner and a win over the eventual premier (against Collingwood in Round 22). The previous time Hawthorn had done this was in 1982 when in consecutive rounds (13 and 14) Hawthorn lost to the bottom team, Footscray, and then beat the eventual premier, Carlton.



Brent Guerra's late inclusion last Saturday night meant he became just the third individual, who had previously played at two other clubs, to reach the 100 games milestone at Hawthorn. The previous two were Tony Woods and John Barker.   

Guerra played 65 games for Port Adelaide and 31 for St Kilda before joining Hawthorn in 2006. He is also the first previous two-clubber to play in a Hawthorn premiership team.

Altogether, there have 24 players who have previously played for two other league clubs before Hawthorn. Interestingly, 11 of the 24 debuted in the Club’s first two decades in the league, but there was then not another example until Grant Fowler in the 1980s. 



Guerra was one of five Hawks to play every game in 2010, a number which also included fellow inclusion for Round 3, Xavier Ellis.  The best current consecutive games sequences belong to the other three 2010 every gamers - Jordan Lewis 45, Stephen Gilham 35 and Jarryd Roughead 26.



Hawthorn has lost its last two matches against West Coast, both at Subiaco, by 20 points in Round 13 2009 and by eight points in Round 7 last season. 

Before that, Hawthorn had been enjoying its best sequence of wins against West Coast, tasting success in the previous four encounters between the two clubs. The sequence began with a 35 point win over the then reigning premiers at Aurora Stadium in 2007; and was followed by wins by 57 points and 71 points in 2008, and a 19 point victory at Aurora in Round 5, 2009.

The only previous sequence of three consecutive wins was in 1988-89, in the Clubs’ third, fourth and fifth meetings, after West Coast had won the first two matches in 1987. The Hawks defeated the Eagles by 53 points at Subiaco in 1988 and then, in 1989, won at Subiaco by five points, and a month later demolished the Eagles at Princes Park by 91 points. 

Hawthorn and West Coast have met a total of 37 times with the Hawks winning 14 and the Eagles 23.



50 years ago, in Round 4 1961, Hawthorn won a third consecutive game beating North Melbourne by 30 points - 12.13.85 to 8.7.55. As in the previous two matches, it was set up by a dominant third quarter which saw the Hawks add 5.7 to 1.1.

Ian Law was a clear best on ground, The Age describing how “scouting the packs cleverly and using pace, strength and handball, Law played almost a lone hand in the first half trying to get the Hawks game flowing … (and) after the long interval he was equally effective in coordinating his team’s recovery”. Others in the best were S. Hay, Connell, Mort, McPherson, Arthur and Fisher. Garry Young kicked three goals, while Bill Joiner, Ian Mort and Law each contributed two.



40 years ago, in Round 4 1971, Hawthorn thrashed its eventual grand final opponent, St Kilda, by 58 points at Moorabbin. The Hawks stormed home with a 7.3 to 1.4 final term to win by 58 points, Peter Hudson kicking seven goals and Leigh Matthews three.



St Kilda at Moorabbin was also the fixture 25 years ago, in Round 4 1986, but the St Kilda of 1986 was a far cry from the 1971 model. The Saints won only two games in 1986 to gain their fourth consecutive wooden spoon however, in this game, they pushed the Hawks all the way. Hawthorn won 19.14.128 to 17.14.116. 

It was a game where both teams scored runs of goals with St Kilda scoring the first four goals of the game and another run of four late in the third quarter, while Hawthorn kicked the first seven goals of the third quarter. In a totally different pattern, the last quarter was goal for goal with the margin fluctuating between one and two goals.

Two young full forwards did well with Jason Dunstall in his 19th game kicking eight for the Hawks, while Tony Lockett in his 55th game booted seven for the Saints. 

However, neither full-forward got the three Brownlow votes, those going to St Kilda’s Warren ‘Wow’ Jones. Three Hawthorn players gained big disposal tallies - Richard Loveridge 33, Terry Wallace 29 and Gary Buckenara 28.  Other names in the best players were Rod Lester-Smith, Ken Judge, Michael Tuck and John Kennedy.



20 years ago, in Round 4 1991, Hawthorn had the bye.

The bye in 1991 means that Hawthorn has played 85 times in Round 4 in its 86 VFL-AFL seasons. The team has had 36 wins, 47 losses and two draws (in 1939 and 1996).  The Hawks won in Round 4 in the first four seasons under Alastair Clarkson, but has lost the last two, suffering a disappointing 30 point loss to Port Adelaide at the MCG in 2009 and at the same venue copping a 64 point Saturday night hiding last season.

Hawthorn took longer to win in Round 4 than in any other round. It was not until 1941 that the Club tasted success after 15 losses and one draw. The Hawks' best Round 4 sequence was eight consecutive wins from 1974 to 1981.



Jason Dunstall holds the record for the most goals by a Hawthorn player against West Coast, kicking seven in both 1988 and 1989. The record for Round 4 is the nine goals booted by Michael Moncrieff at Waverley Park against South Melbourne in 1979.