A win on Sunday will give Sam Mitchell a more successful coaching debut than many of his illustrious Hawthorn predecessors have managed.

One of the oddities of the club’s history is that of Hawthorn’s five Premiership coaches only Allan Jeans, in Round 1 1981, began with a win.

Whether you count John Kennedy’s sole game as a fill-in coach in 1957, or when he was appointed coach in 1960, the opening game was a loss, although he did crack a win when he returned after a three-year absence in 1967. Kennedy’s protégé, David Parkin, suffered a 10-goal thrashing by North Melbourne in his first game in charge in 1977.

Later, Alan Joyce suffered defeats at the start of both his spells as Hawthorn coach in 1988 and 1991, while Jeans’ return in 1989 also saw a Round 1 defeat. Alastair Clarkson’s coaching debut at the SCG in Round 1 2005 saw a comprehensive 63-point defeat by Sydney and he also lost his first game when he returned after a five-game absence in 2014.

The only non-Premiership coaches to have coached Hawthorn in more than 100 games, Jack Hale and Peter Schwab, also began with heavy losses.

This Sunday, Hawthorn will be trying to record five consecutive Round 1 victories for just the second time in club history.

The wins against Collinwood (2018), Adelaide (2019), Brisbane Lions (2020) and Essendon (2021) have put the current Hawks in equal second with the teams which won four in a row from 1981 to 1984 and behind only the 1990s Hawks who won six consecutive Round 1 games from 1992 to 1997.

This round marks the 50^th anniversary of one of the most devastating days in Hawthorn history – the day ‘Huddo’ did his knee.

In Round 1 1972, much of the day went as planned, as the Hawks unfurled the 1971 Flag and beat Melbourne by a comfortable 29-point margin – 15.14.104 to 10.15.75. Yet, the day will always be remembered as the one when Peter Hudson badly injured his knee shortly before half-time, having already kicked eight goals. He memorably returned by helicopter for one game late in 1973, played two games in 1974 and a full season in 1977.

More happily, John Hendrie made his debut in Round 1 1972, and he went on to be an integral part of Hawthorn’s Flags later in the 1970s.

Hawthorn will be playing North Melbourne in Round 1 for the first time in 45 years.

The previous occasion was the day David Parkin made his coaching debut for the Hawks. Hawthorn began the game by racing out to a 32-point quarter-time lead but had surrendered it by half-time and a disastrous last quarter saw Hawthorn lose 23.14.152 to 13.14.92. Peter Hudson in his first game since early 1974 kicked four goals and Leigh Matthews booted three.

Oddly, the seven previous Round 1 games against North have come in clusters with four between 1935 and 1942, and three between 1973 and 1977. Hawthorn holds a 4-3 advantage, highlighted by 1940 when Hawthorn kicked a then club record score of 25.11.161 and won by 72 points. Alec Albiston became the first Hawthorn player to kick 10 goals in a game.

Overall, Hawthorn has played North Melbourne more than any other opponent, with the 178 meetings between the clubs being comfortably ahead of the 169 games the Hawks have played against their next most common rivals, Carlton and Sydney. Hawthorn has won 98 times against the Kangaroos, lost 78 and drawn two. Hawthorn’s best winning sequence against North Melbourne was 14 from 1985 to 1993.

This Sunday, 20 March will become the equal third earliest date on which Hawthorn has played a regular season game. The Hawks also began on 20 March last season, with the only earlier ones being 13 and 19 March, the dates on which the Hawks played their opening two matches in the Olympic year of 2000, when the whole season was played earlier than usual.

10 years ago, in Round 1 2012, Jack Gunston came on as the substitute in his Hawthorn debut and instantly showed his class with a superb goal from the boundary as Hawthorn beat Collingwood, to reverse the result in the previous season’s Preliminary Final. Hawthorn won 20.17.137 to 16.19.115, with Lance Franklin kicking five goals and Sam Mitchell having 32 disposals. As well as Gunston, there were two other Hawthorn debutants that night – Jarrad Boumann and Broc McCauley.

30 years ago, in Round 1 1992, Hawthorn confirmed its superiority over Geelong, coming from 28 points down at half-time to win 21.15.141 to 18.13.121 at Waverley. Jason Dunstall kicked 12 goals and Darren Jarman was the best of the midfielders.

40 years ago, in Round 1 1982, the Hawks had two debutants – Western Australian half-forward Gary Buckenara who booted three goals, and rover Richard Loveridge, who had 23 disposals and kicked two goals.  The Hawks only led by four points at half-time and were made to work hard for their 31-point win over St Kilda at Moorabbin – 17.17.119 to 12.16.88.

Lance Franklin’s 13 goals in 2012 set a new club record against North Melbourne, breaking the previous high of 10 kicked jointly by Alec Albiston (1940) and Jason Dunstall (1988).

Jason Dunstall holds the club record for Round 1 having kicked 12 goals against Geelong in the opening rounds of both 1990 and 1992. Others to reach double figures in Round 1 were Alec Albiston (10 in 1940), Peter Hudson (10 in 1968) and Leigh Matthews (11 in 1981).