If Hawthorn can defeat Melbourne this Saturday, it will mean Sam Mitchell has coached his team to victory against all 17 opponents.

Hawthorn has not defeated Melbourne since Round 4 2018, having recorded one draw and eight defeats in nine matches since then. There are six current players who played in that last win against the Demons – Luke Breust, Jack Gunston, Blake Hardwick, Jarman Impey, Harry Morrison and James Sicily. Hawthorn won by 67 points – 18.7.115 to 6.12.48 – with Breust kicking four goals and Liam Shiels getting the three Brownlow votes for his 31-disposal game.

Hawthorn has had several significant winning sequences against Melbourne, highlighted by 22 consecutive wins from 1973 to 1984 (Hawthorn’s record against any club) and 13 from 2007 to 2016. Overall, the two clubs have played 171 times, with Hawthorn winning 87, Melbourne 83 and one draw.

Hawthorn has currently won eight consecutive quarters, which is the equal 17^th highest number in the club’s VFL-AFL history. There is still a little way to go to equal the club record of 13 which has been achieved three times, in 1963, 1988 and 1989.

Jack Gunston has joined the select club of Hawks players who have kicked 500 VFL-AFL goals, but without kicking 500 goals for Hawthorn.

Gunston’s three goals on Sunday took him to 501 VFL-AFL goals, but 42 of those were kicked at Adelaide and Brisbane Lions, meaning he now has 459 Hawthorn goals. The only other Hawthorn players in this situation are Gary Ablett Snr. and Paul Salmon. Ablett kicked 10 goals in his six Hawthorn games in 1982 before going on to achieve a VFL-AFL tally of 1,031, while Salmon booted 41 of his 561 career goals for the Hawks.

There have been seven players who have kicked 500-plus goals for Hawthorn, one of whom, Lance Franklin, then added to his VFL-AFL tally at another club.

Hopefully, Gunston will become the eighth player to kick 500 goals for Hawthorn and thus return Ablett and Salmon to their status as the only Hawks with 500 League goals, without 500 Hawthorn goals.

Josh Ward’s next game will see him become the highest Hawthorn draft pick to reach 50 games since Xavier Ellis in Round 3 2010. Since Ellis was drafted at pick 3 in 2005, there were three higher picks than Ward (pick 7 in the 2021 National Draft), who did not reach 50 games – Beau Dowler (taken in the same draft as Ellis), Mitch Thorp and Denver Grainger-Barras (all selected at pick 6), playing 16, two and 28 games respectively.

Hawthorn has had many dramatic games against Melbourne, including the 1987 Preliminary Final and the ‘merger match’ in 1996, but one of the most memorable games between the clubs occurred, like this week’s encounter, in Round 9.

Hawthorn went into Round 9 1990 on the back of an indifferent 5-3 record, compared to Melbourne which was 7-1 and held top spot on the ladder. On a grey Saturday afternoon at Waverley, the mood of Hawthorn supporters soon matched the weather. The opening quarter was an unmitigated disaster for the Hawks. Not only was the team 14 points down, but Jason Dunstall had received a depressed fracture of the skull, and Dermott Brereton was both reported and out of the game with injury.

Hawthorn battled away for the next quarter and a half but then came what appeared to be the final crippling blow to the Hawthorn cause - Gary Ayres injured his leg, severely reducing his mobility. In normal circumstances, he would have left the ground but, with no fit players on the bench, all that coach Allan Jeans could do was shift him to full forward and hope he would at least keep a Melbourne defender semi-occupied. He did a bit more than that - he became the focal point of the brown and gold cause. 

Ayres kicked two goals and helped Hawthorn to the most unlikely of three quarter-time leads. The mood of Hawthorn supporters could not have been more different than it had been at quarter time, roaring their encouragement as the huddle broke up and sensing that another chapter in Hawthorn’s remarkable history was about to be written. Melbourne recorded the opening score of the final term – a behind. It was to be their final score of the match.

In a classic piece of roving, John Platten read the ball off the pack at half forward and booted a 50-metre goal. Next, Dean Anderson took a courageous mark, running with the flight of the ball, and calmly steered his set shot through. Somehow, the half-lame Ayres managed to get clear of his opponent to mark on the lead and kick a 50-metre goal off a two-step run-up. Moments later, Platten managed to steer the wet ball through from the boundary to put the icing on the cake of an extraordinary Hawthorn win – 14.8.92 to 7.6.48.

The following week’s Football Record recorded ten players in the best for Hawthorn -Collins, Pritchard, Cooper, Platten, Ayres, Condon, Tuck, P. Dear, Dipierdomenico and Anderson. In fact, all 18 players who remained after quarter time had played their hearts out and produced a famous triumph against all the odds.

Overall, in Round 9, Hawthorn has recorded 44 wins and 55 defeats from 99 games, having had the bye in 2014. Last season in Round 9, Hawthorn defeated St Kilda in Launceston which was the first Round 9 win since defeating Carlton in 2020.

10 years ago, in Round 9 2015, Hawthorn defeated Gold Coast in Launceston by 53 points – 14.9.93 to 6.4.40. Luke Breust and David Hale both kicked three goals, and Sam Mitchell got the three Brownlow votes.

20 years ago, in Round 9 2005, Hawthorn recorded an upset 54-point win against Fremantle at Subiaco – 18.16.124 to 10.10.70. Mark Williams kicked five goals, while Shane Crawford, Sam Mitchell and Luke Hodge were all outstanding.

40 years ago, in Round 9 1985, the inaccurate Hawks defeated Footscray at Princes Park by 19 points - 17.24.126 to 16.11.107. Leigh Matthews kicked six goals, with the leading disposal-getters being Terry Wallace (36) and Gary Ayres (28).

50 years ago, in Round 9 1975, Hawthorn thrashed Footscray at the Western Oval by 76 points – 20.14.134 to 8.10.58. The champions, Leigh Matthews and Peter Knights both had 29 disposals, the former also contributed six goals.

Peter Hudson holds the record for most goals by a Hawthorn player against Melbourne, kicking 16 in Round 5 1969, the second-highest figure in any game in Hawthorn history.

Hudson also holds the Round 9 record, booting 10 in a 30-point victory over Fitzroy at Glenferrie in 1968.