This Saturday, Hawthorn has the chance to complete a clean sweep of Launceston games in a season for the tenth time.

Since the club’s first game in Launceston in 2001, the Hawks have played home games at University of Tasmania Stadium in every season except 2020.

Hawthorn won the sole game in 2001, both games in 2003, all three games in 2006 and, since moving to the four-home-game model in 2007, has completed undefeated seasons in 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2024.

Hawthorn also has the opportunity to complete a 10-game winning sequence in Launceston for the second time. The Hawks last tasted defeat at University of Tasmania Stadium against Adelaide in Round 6 2023 and has won nine in a row since then. The previous time Hawthorn reached 10 consecutive victories, it was then extended to 19 from 2012 to 2016.

Hawthorn has won its last four games against Port Adelaide at University of Tasmania Stadium. After suffering losses to Port at the venue in 2002 and 2007, the Hawks have subsequently won in 2008, 2012, 2018 and 2019.

The Round 11 2018 game was a thriller as the Hawks came from 24 points down at quarter-time to win by three points – 9.10.64 to 9.7.61 – with Jarryd Roughead kicking the winning goal. Tom Mitchell got three Brownlow votes for his 28 disposals and two goals but was not among the five Hawks in the Coaches’ votes, which were headed by Shaun Burgoyne and James Sicily both with nine.

Overall, Hawthorn and Port Adelaide have played 41 times, with the Hawks winning 17, while the Power’s 24 wins include the past four encounters, all of which were at Adelaide Oval.

Hawthorn’s greatest winning margin against any opponent in its first 100 VFL-AFL seasons, 165 points, and its highest score this century, 31.11.197, were recorded against Port Adelaide at the MCG in Round 21 2011. The Hawks had 15 individual goalkickers headed by Lance Franklin with eight and Cyril Rioli six, with Sam Mitchell also outstanding with 33 disposals and two goals.

The crowd of 49,460 at Perth Stadium last Saturday was a new record attendance for a home and away game between Hawthorn and Fremantle, breaking the previous record of 43,583 for the rematch of the previous season’s Grand Finalists at the MCG in Round 3, 2014,

This means that in the past two seasons, Hawthorn has now set new home and away attendance records against six clubs, having done so against Richmond and Carlton last season, followed by Essendon, Geelong, Brisbane Lions and now Fremantle in this campaign.

The crowd against the Dockers was the second biggest for Hawthorn at the new Perth venue, behind a crowd of 55,859 against West Coast in Round 23 2019.

Last Saturday’s defeat in Perth means that three of the past five games between the Hawks and Dockers have been decided by a 13-point margin, similar to the recent Hawthorn record versus Adelaide where three of the past seven games have been decided by three points, with all three of those results occurring in Launceston.

Three points has also been the margin in the three Finals in which Hawthorn has played Port Adelaide with victories by that margin in a Semi Final in 2001 and Preliminary Final in 2014, but defeat in last season’s Semi Final.

Playing on this Saturday’s game date, 19 July, has generally not been a happy experience for Hawthorn, with only two wins (both against Melbourne, in 1975 and 2003), compared to 10 defeats.

There was a Round 19 from 1945 to 1949, in 1952, and from 1968 to present, except for the Covid-affected 2020 season, plus Hawthorn had a bye in Round 19 1991.

This means Hawthorn has played 61 games in Round 19, recording 34 wins and 27 losses, with the longest winning sequences being six (1985-90) and five twice (1978-82 and 2014-18). Last season, the Hawks thrashed Collingwood by 66 points at the MCG in Round 19. This is the first occasion when Hawthorn will have played Port Adelaide in Round 19.

10 years ago, in Round 19 2015, Hawthorn trailed eventual Grand Final opponent West Coast at every change before storming home to win by 14 points – 13.10.88 to 11.8.74. Luke Breust kicked three goals, and Sam Mitchell was best-on-ground.

40 years ago, in Round 19 1985, a Princes Park crowd of 15,822 saw Hawthorn defeat Collingwood by 32 points – 15.6.96 to 8.16.64. A pair of 33-year-olds, Leigh Mathews and Peter Knights kicked four and three goals respectively. Russell Morris headed the list of best players.

50 years ago, in Round 19 1975, the Hawks thrashed Geelong by 118 points at Princes Park, in the process kicking a new club record score of 25.23.173. Michael Moncrieff kicked seven goals and Barry Rowlings four, with Geoff Ablett and John Hendrie also among the best.

80 years ago, in Round 19 1945, Hawthorn claimed a sixth win for the season against a North Melbourne team which was poised to play Finals for the first time. The Hawks won by seven points – 11.11.77 to 10.10.70 – with Albert ‘Butch’ Prior kicking four goals and Don McVilly outplaying North star Les Foote.

Lance Franklin recorded the highest goals tally by a Hawthorn player against Port Adelaide with eight at the MCG in 2011.

Jason Dunstall holds the individual goal-kicking record for Round 19, setting it in 1996 when he kicked 14 against Footscray at Waverley on a Saturday night.