Friends of the Hawks Museum would have read in the latest edition of the museum’s annual newsletter the story, ‘This Photo Continues to Tell Many a Story’.

How many Hawk fans know that the Club won a Premiership in 1941?  The above team photo of the 3^rd 18 (under 20), also known as the Colts, were victorious.  Who were their opponents?  That information had been lost to the mist of time until Robert Holmes Jnr visited the museum.

Robert came to see if he could get a copy of the team photo that included his father, Bob, who played in the 1941 3^rd 18 Premiership.  Inspired by his visit, Robert searched Trove on-line to find out more.  He was in luck, unearthing a copy of the Argus newspaper from September 16, 1941 that listed the Victorian Junior Football Awards.  He discovered that Hawthorn won the A Grade Premiership with the prize being 10 pounds ($20) and the VFL Shield when they defeated Fitzroy Colts, who received 5 pounds ($10) in prize money.  Unfortunately, the scores were not published.

This is where James Nicolas stepped in.  James, a Glenferrie Gold Life Patron of the Hawks Museum, is a very keen student of football history having written a book on the story of his local football club, Canterbury - A History 1881 – 2013.  He is also an avid researcher for the Hawks Museum, spending hours in his local library reading newspapers from a bygone era, such as the Hawthorn Standard, which has only recently become available through Trove on-line. 

Scouring the newspapers for 1941, James struck gold, or should we say Brown ‘n Gold!  The September issues gave a brief account of Hawthorn’s first flag.  What follows is the match report that gives the score, the goal kickers and lists the best players.  Many a Club member from the 1940s and 1950s will fondly recall these aspiring players.

The Hawthorn Standard September 1941

Third Eighteens Grand Final - Hawthorn v Fitzroy

The above match was played as a curtain raiser at South Melbourne Ground on Saturday last.  Fitzroy had beaten Hawthorn a few weeks ago in one of the semi-finals, it was fairly close for the first quarter but after that Hawthorn went ahead, mainly through better kicking, and ran out easy winners, final scores being

Hawthorn 10.14.74 points Fitzroy 3.12.30 points

Goal-kickers: Hester (4), Amey (2), Cole (2), Bennett, and Cotter (1). 

Hawthorn’s best players were Matheson, Bains, Amey, Worrall, Duxon, Cotter, Hester and Coombs.

This is the first premiership flag won by a Hawthorn team, and the fact that it was won by an under 20 team gives high hopes that it may be followed in the near future by a senior pennant, when “Tich” Utting’s boys graduate to the Firsts.  The Club cannot speak too highly of the excellent work of this coach, also T. Wall, the secretary.  They have been an inspiration to the boys, and it is to be hoped that they can carry on with the good work next year.

James also passed on an interesting observation of assessments of the ongoing story of Hawthorn:

“One thing I have noticed from the old local papers is that it dispels the myth that pre 1950s the area was lukewarm in its support of the team.  The paper was parochially behind the Club and year after year there were passionate letters by supporters into the paper about how the team were going, or what could be done to improve the team or the Club.  They were fanatically behind the Club. Whilst our supporter base in those days was not huge, they were loyal and committed to improving the club and were very united.  This comes across loud and clear”

The museum offers it’s sincere thanks to James for finding the long-lost information on the Club’s first flag and the actual scores.    

Find out how you can become a ‘Friend of the Hawks Museum’ by clicking on the link to the History Pages.