The two clubs have met 10 previous times at the MCG, with the Hawks holding a 7-3 lead. The Hawks won the first four encounters between the two clubs there (including the 1971 Grand Final), lost the next three, but have now won the last three (including the 2008 Preliminary Final).
The attendance of 19,217 at Aurora Stadium last Sunday was the biggest at the venue for three seasons and the fifth biggest for a Hawthorn home game there. There have been two crowds above 20,000 - versus Richmond in 2006 and St Kilda in 2009.
Hawthorn has an outstanding record in recent decades in Round 6 games in years ending in 2.
40 years ago, in Round 6 1972, Hawthorn continued to make light of the absence of Peter Hudson, making it five wins from six matches, with a thrilling five point win over Collingwood. In front of a crowd of 29,885 at Victoria Park, scores were close all day with the Magpies leading by a point at quarter time, the Hawks by a goal at half-time and scores were level at the final change. Peter Knights kicked 4 goals for the Hawks and Peter Crimmins 3. The win saw the Hawks consolidate second place on the ladder, behind their 1971 Grand Final opponent St Kilda on percentage.
30 years ago, in Round 6 1982, Hawthorn also won against quality opposition to make it five wins from six, and this time it was enough to secure top place on the ladder. The Hawks beat North Melbourne 19.21.135 to 15.11.101 at Waverley, setting up the win with a 7.3.to 0.3 third term. Michael Moncrieff kicked 4 goals, while the list of best players was headed by David Polkinghorne and Terry Wallace. The Age match report said of the pair that “no players are more representative of the Hawthorn spirit than these two”.
20 years ago, in Round 6 1992, Hawthorn scored the same number of points as a decade earlier, 135, but this time kicked a more accurate 20.15 in beating Collingwood by 24 points, in front of a massive Waverley crowd of 72,765. Jason Dunstall kicked 9 goals, while John Platten and Darren Jarman each booted 3. Ben Allan led the disposal count with 33, ahead of Platten 28 and Jarman 26.
10 years ago, in Round 6 2002, 13th placed Hawthorn thrashed the 7th placed Kangaroos by 68 points at the MCG. The Hawks had 13 individual goal-kickers in a score of 24.11.155 with no player booting more than 3 goals. Angelo Lekkas got the 3 Brownlow votes for an outstanding 35 disposal game, with Shane Crawford getting 2 votes and third-gamer Nick Ries securing the 1 vote.
Hawthorn’s scoreless third quarter against Sydney on Sunday means that the club has had at least one scoreless quarter in each of the last three seasons. Last season the Hawks failed to register a score in the final term against Geelong in Round 12 while, in 2010, it was also the last quarter which saw Hawthorn scoreless against Essendon in Round 6.
While common occurrences in Hawthorn’s first few decades of League football scoreless quarters were very rare occurrences in the 1970s and 1980s, decades which were both high-scoring ones in the competition and successful ones for the Hawks.
When the Hawks drew level early in the final term on Sunday, it looked like the game could become one of the very rare occasion when Hawthorn has won a game, despite a scoreless quarter. This has happened on three previous occasions - against Footscray in 1952, St Kilda in 1963, and Geelong in 1996.
Jarryd Roughead’s five goals on Sunday lifted him up two places to 14th on the club’s all-time goalkicking chart. Roughead now has 259 goals, which places him ahead of Albert ‘Butch’ Prior (1941-50) who kicked 258 and John Hendrie (1972-82) with 254. Next target is 13th placed Paul Hudson who kicked 254 while wearing the brown and gold.
Hawthorn holds a narrow 75 to 71 (with two draws) lead in the head-to-head battle against St Kilda. The Saints have won seven and drawn one of the last 11 meetings between the two clubs, although the Hawks won when it mattered most - a 54 point victory in 2008’s Preliminary Final, 18.10.118 to 9.10.64. The Hawks also won last season’s Round 8 encounter, overcoming a 32 point quarter time deficit to win by 30 - 15.9.99 to 10.9.69.
Hawthorn has been drawn to play St Kilda less than any other club in recent home and away seasons. 2007 is the only season since 2001 when they have met twice, Hawthorn winning at the MCG in Round 8 and St Kilda at Docklands in Round 16.
The loss on Sunday brought to an end Hawthorn’s longest sequence of alternating results for nine years. After a win in Round 24 last season, Hawthorn’s losses in the Qualifying and Preliminary Finals, plus Rounds 2 and 4, alternated with wins in the Semi Final and Rounds 1 and 3. Back in 2002-03, the Hawks lost in Rounds 21, 1, 3, 5 and 7, while winning in Rounds 22, 2, 4 and 6. Like now, the sequence ended the wrong way with consecutive defeats.
The fact that St Kilda’s Stephen Milne became the 50th individual to kick 500 career VFL-AFL goals received plenty of publicity last weekend. Hawthorn has four players who kicked more than 500 goals while at the club - Jason Dunstall 1254, Leigh Matthews 915, Peter Hudson 727 and Michael Moncrieff 629. The list of 50 also includes two other players who kicked the majority of their goals at other clubs, but did also play for the Hawks - Gary Ablett Snr. and Paul Salmon.
Overall, in Round 6 Hawthorn has recorded 36 wins and 46 defeats (having had byes in this round in four of the seven seasons which have had byes - 1942, 1943, 1994 and 2011). Having lost at Docklands in Round 6 for three consecutive seasons from 2004 to 2006, Hawthorn got back on the Round 6 winning track with three MCG wins (2007 to 2009), before suffering a disappointing loss to Essendon at the MCG in 2010 and having the bye last season.
Peter Hudson holds the record for the highest number of goals by a Hawthorn player against St Kilda, kicking 12 at Glenferrie in Round 15 1971.
The best tally for Round 6 is 9 by Jason Dunstall in both 1992 and 1993 (against Collingwood and Adelaide respectively) and Lance Franklin (against Essendon in 2007). Hudson booted 8 in Round 6, 1970, in the club’s first ever Waverley game.
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This Saturday's match against the Hawks and the Saints is being played for the Blue Ribbon Cup, learn more.
Hear from Ryan Schoenmakers on this Saturday night's match. Read the Round 6 Match-Day Guide
