This week, Hawthorn plays a game on a Thursday for just the second time in club history.

The Hawks’ only previous Thursday VFL-AFL game was on Anzac Day 1963, a game notable in club history as the first time Hawthorn ever played in front of a home and away game crowd of more than 50,000.

Anzac day games were allowed in 1960 and on Thursday April 25, 1963, an expectant crowd of 55,293 went along to the MCG to see the Hawks take on Melbourne in a Round 2 match. They saw a thriller, which the Hawks lost by 4 points after storming home from 26 points behind at three quarter time. The final score was 14.16.100 to 13.18.96, with John Peck starring with 6 goals. The defeat left the Hawks 0-2 for the season, but the team went undefeated in their next nine games (8 wins and a draw) which put them on course for the club’s second Grand Final appearance.

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As well as being best-on-ground, Sam Mitchell achieved a significant milestone in the St Kilda game before the bye. By playing his 270^th game, Mitchell moved into outright 7^th on the Hawthorn’s all-time games record list. Mitchell went past two champions who share 269 games, Gary Ayres and Jason Dunstall, with now only the club’s six 300 gamers ahead of him. Another player moving into the upper echelons of the Hawks games played list is Luke Hodge, who this Thursday night will join John Platten in equal 11^th place on 258 games.

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It was a great moment in club history last week when Ken Feltscheer became the first former Hawthorn player to reach the age of 100. Feltscheer was born on 9 June 1915 and played for Neerim and Moe before coming to the city. After four games with Melbourne, he crossed to Hawthorn during the 1937 season and made his debut for the club as 19^th man against South Melbourne in Round 17. In total, Feltscheer played 43 times for Hawthorn, kicking 15 goals.

Remarkably, Feltscheer was born on exactly the same day as another of the club’s longest living former players, Phil Ryan. Ryan only passed away in January last year at the age of 98. As well as playing 52 games for the club, Ryan served the club for decades as an administrator culminating in 12 seasons as president from 1968 to 1979. The date of 9 June has certainly been a felicitous date of birth in Hawthorn history, because it is also the day when club legend Graham Arthur was born. Arthur celebrated his 79^th birthday last week, while a more recent Hawk, Rayden Tallis, turned 40 on the same day.

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In Round 17 last season, Hawthorn beat Adelaide at the Adelaide Oval by 12 points – 15.14.104 to 14.8.92. The Hawks’ current 100 per cent record against the Crows at their new home contrasts with a poor record versus Adelaide at its former home ground, Football Park. Hawthorn won just 4 of 15 against the Crows there.

Oddly, one of Hawthorn’s 4 wins against Adelaide at Football Park was by a bigger margin than any of the 11 defeats. It was in Round 9 1994 that the Hawks obliterated the Crows by 97 points – 22.13.145 to 7.6.48. The victory was built on amazing first and third quarters, in both of which Adelaide failed to score, while the Hawks kicked 8.1 and 8.5 respectively. The stars were Jason Dunstall who kicked 5 in the opening term on his way to 9, and John Platten who kicked a career-high 6 goals.

In contrast, the 2008 game was close all night, with the Hawks trailing by 1, 2, and 3 points at the breaks, before turning it around in the final term, to win 11.10.76 to 10.12.72. Luke Hodge kicked the winning goal and was rated second best for the Hawks, behind then captain, Sam Mitchell. The 2013 win was again close, being by just 11 points, with the same duo, Hodge and Mitchell, again leading the way with 29 disposals each. And you guessed it, in last year’s game Mitchell and Hodge again lead the way with 28 and 26 disposals respectively.

Given the away record, it is fortunate that in 16 home games against Adelaide, the Hawks hold a 10-6 advantage and lead 2-1 in Finals, making the overall record 17-18 after 35 games, with a current winning sequence of 4.

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Hawthorn has a good recent record in Round 12 with 7 wins in the past ten Round 12 matches. Overall, in 90 Round 12 games, Hawthorn has won 39 and lost 51. 

Five years ago, in Round 12 2010, Hawthorn continued its recovery from a 1-6 start to the season, drawing away in the last quarter to beat Adelaide by 47 points at Aurora Stadium.

15 years ago, in Round 12 2000, Hawthorn played its first-ever game at Docklands. It was a home game against Fremantle which the Hawks won by 59 points – 19.7.121 to 8.14.62.

30 years ago, in Round 12 1985, Hawthorn recorded what on paper looks like a regulation 29 point win against Geelong at Princes Park – 17.15.117 to 13.10.88 – highlighted by Peter Russo’s 28 disposals and Dermott Brereton’s 11marks and 3 goals. Except, in the gloomy weather conditions in the final quarter, the crowd of 11,393 witnessed a game of which got completely out of control as Geelong’s full-forward Mark Jackson starting striking a series of Hawthorn defenders. In the ensuing mayhem, the controversial incident involving Leigh Matthews and Neville Bruns took place.

Ten years earlier, in Round 12 1975, Matthews had been the star of Hawthorn’s 25 point win over eventual Grand Final opponent, North Melbourne. Matthews had 25 kicks and booted 5 goals as the Hawks came from behind at half-time to beat North 18.12.120 to 13.17.95. Michael Moncrieff also kicked 5 goals and Michel Tuck got 3.

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 Jason Dunstall holds the individual goal-kicking record for Hawthorn in Round 12 – with 11 at Carrara in 1987, which he later equaled against Sydney at the SCG in 1994. He also holds the record against Adelaide, kicking 9 goals on three separate occasions against the Crows – in 1993 and 1994 (both at Football Park) and in 1996 (at Waverley).