This Sunday, Hawthorn can record four consecutive wins against Richmond for the first time in more than 30 years.

The current sequence of three victories (two wins in 2024 and one last season) is the longest since 2009-11, but Hawthorn has not won four consecutive games against Richmond since the end of the club’s longest winning sequence against the Tigers, 16 consecutive victories from 1985 to 1994.

The Hawks trail the Tigers on the overall head-to-head 74 to 93, with one draw from 168 games, the deficit of 19 being the result of Hawthorn losing its first 21 matches versus Richmond.

Jarman Impey is now one game away from equaling the club record for the most games wearing the number 4 guernsey.

Since becoming a Hawthorn player in 2018, Impey has played 161 games, one fewer than Peter Russo, who wore number 4 in all 162 games of his Hawthorn career from 1978 to 1988.

This round marks a decade since the ever-reliable Blake Hardwick made his first appearance in the Hawthorn team.

Hardwick made his debut 10 years ago, in Round 19 2016, against Carlton in Launceston, a game Hawthorn won by 19 points – 10.14.74 to 7.13.55. Wearing number 37, Hardwick had eight disposals, laid three tackles and kicked a behind.

After his debut, Hardwick did not play his second game until Round 4 the following season, but incredibly, since then, he has only missed three games, one in 2020 and two in 2021. This means he has played 214 of a possible 217 games from his second game onwards and has an overall tally of 215 games from a possible 227 since his debut. He has currently played 118 consecutive games.

Jack Gunston’s three goals against Carlton took him to 551 goals in his Hawthorn career, just two behind Luke Breust, who sits seventh on the all-time Hawthorn goalkickers list with 553 goals.

Gunston’s goals also saw him draw back level with Nick Watson on 39 goals in the 2026 season. Never in Hawthorn history have there been joint leading goalkickers so, if history is a guide, there will be separation before the end of the season.

It does not need to be much separation, as on five occasions, there has been a one goal margin in the final club goalkicking, most recently in 2024 when Mabior Chol finished one goal in front of Dylan Moore.

The debut of Ollie Greeves against Carlton means that Hawthorn has now used 38 players in 2026, which is a higher number than the club has used in any previous season in which it has made the Finals. The record until now has been 37 players used in 1996. The most players used in a season in which Hawthorn ultimately won the Premiership was 35 in 2014.

The fact that Carlton only scored 6.3.39 last Saturday night means that Hawthorn has restricted the Blues to consecutive scores of under 10 goals in the past four games between the two clubs. The only other instance of this against Carlton happened more than six decades ago, from 1962 to 1964.

Hawthorn has played 62 games in Round 19, recording 35 wins and 27 losses, with the longest winning sequences being six (1985-90), followed by five twice (1978-82 and 2014-18). In 2024, the Hawks thrashed Collingwood by 66 points at the MCG in Round 19 and last season defeated Port Adelaide in Launceston by 38 points.

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

20 years ago, in Round 19 2006, Hawthorn recorded a comfortable victory over Carlton at the MCG, winning by 23 points – 17.11.113 to 13.12.90. Lance Franklin kicked six goals for the second time in his second season, receiving seven Coaches’ votes, an equal tally with Sam Mitchell who had 29 disposals.

30 years ago, in Round 19 1996, Jason Dunstall kicked the second highest tally of his career, 14 goals, as the Hawks beat Footscray by 67 points – 20.12.132 to 10 5.65 - on a Saturday night at Waverley. Dunstall kicked four goals in each of the first, third and last quarters. Paul Salmon and Richard Taylor were also excellent players.

40 years ago, in Round 19 1986, Hawthorn thrashed Sydney by 98 points in a top-of-the-table clash at the SCG. The Hawks won 27.9.171 to 10.13.73, with Dermott Brereton and Jason Dunstall both kicking five goals, Peter Curran four and Gary Buckenara three. Peter Russo and Robert DiPierdomenico were prominent in the list of best players.

50 years ago, in Round 19 1976, the Hawks found themselves in unexpected trouble when they trailed South Melbourne at Waverley by three points at the final change. Hawthorn eventually won by 14 points - 13.19.97 to 12.11.83. Kelvin Matthews was the leading goal-kicker with five goals, while his older brother Leigh had the most disposals with 30.

Jason Dunstall had an amazing season against Richmond in 1992, booting a club record 17 goals in Round 7, and following it up with a further bag of 12 in Round 22. In his whole career, Dunstall kicked 111 goals against Richmond, behind only his 116 majors against the Bulldogs. Dunstall also 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 (see above).