Hawthorn will be hoping to improve its record at Giants Stadium when it plays GWS on Sunday.

In six games versus GWS at three other venues (MCG, Launceston and Manuka Oval) Hawthorn has won five and drawn one, but at Giants Stadium there have been three losses from three attempts – by 10 points (2015), 75 (2016) and 11 (2018). 

When the Hawks lost at Giants Stadium in its first two appearances, it became the first non-Victorian venue at which Hawthorn had lost its first two games. Since Hawthorn first played at a non-Victorian ground in 1979, it has won its first matches at six grounds and at six other venues won at the second opportunity after a first-up loss. Hopefully, it will be fourth time lucky at Giants Stadium this week.

Hawthorn’s four-point win against North Melbourne continued the club’s excellent recent record in games decided by six points or fewer. In the past five seasons, Hawthorn has played in 21 such games for the strong record of 15 wins, one draw and just five losses. This recent positive run has seen Hawthorn go ahead in the overall record in these games, with 120 wins, 113 losses and 11 draws.

Breust set to miss a month of footy after surgery

Another feature of last Sunday night’s game was Hawthorn keeping North Melbourne scoreless in a quarter for the first time since 1964.

With all the current talk about the state of the game, it worth noting that in Round 15 1964 at Glenferrie, not only were North scoreless in the third quarter, Hawthorn managed just 0.1 in the second quarter and 0.2 in the last. Four third quarter goals were the crucial factor as the Hawks won 7.7.49 to 5.8.38, helped by John Peck’s three goals.

There have been many wonderful tributes paid to John Kennedy Snr. in recent days. To emphasise his impact on Hawthorn, it is worth remembering the extent to which the club had struggled before his arrival at the start of 1950.

Between joining the VFL in 1925 and the end of 1949, Hawthorn had finished in the bottom three positions on the ladder on 21 occasions in 25 seasons, and only once finished higher than eighth. Wins averaged fewer than four per season with just 99 victories and three draws from 449 games, including only beating Collingwood twice and Carlton three times.

Kennedy’s arrival was no instance panacea, as Hawthorn went through his first season as a player without a win. However, the rise began through the 1950s culminating in a first Finals appearance under Kennedy’s captaincy in 1957.

Kennedy was acting coach for one game in 1957 (when Jack Hale had a car accident on the way to the ground), before being appointed coach for the 1960 season. As with his playing career, Kennedy’s early results were not good, with five defeats at the start of 1960, but Kennedy’s belief in his methods soon paid dividends as the Hawks were a fast-finishing fifth in 1960 and Premiers for the first time in 1961.

Hawthorn has played 94 games in Round 5 for 41 wins and 53 losses (having a bye in 1993). The Hawks won their Round 5 games from 2015 to 2017, before losing to North Melbourne in 2018 and Geelong last season.

20 years ago, in Round 5 2000, Hawthorn scored an upset 39-point win against Port Adelaide, in a Sunday night fixture at Football Park. The Hawks won 16.17.113 to 11.8.74, after leading by 14 points at both quarter and half time. Trent Croad starred with six goals, ably supported by Mark Graham, Shane Crawford, Michael Collica, Richard Taylor and Daniel Harford.

Hawthorn gave a debut to 20-year old Steven Rode, a 201 cm ruckman, who wore number 39 and became Hawthorn player number 797. With limited game time, he had three kicks, two marks and four hit-outs. It proved to be his only AFL game, thus becoming just the second Hawk, after Matthew Bourke in 1989, to play his complete Senior career outside Victoria.

30 years ago, in Round 5 1990, Hawthorn recorded a comfortable 30-point win against North Melbourne at Princes Park – 16.12.108 to 10.18.78. Dermott Brereton took 12 marks and kicked six goals in a brilliant display for the Hawks, while teammate Anthony Condon got the three Brownlow votes for an outstanding 31 disposals and one goal. Equal-highest possession-getter with 22 disposals for the defeated North Melbourne team was Alastair Clarkson.

2020 is just the fifth season in which Hawthorn has begun with a Round 1 win, lost in Round 2, but then won the next two games. The four previous instances were in 1943, 1974, 1990 and 2006. The good news is that Hawthorn won in Round 5 in three of those four seasons, the one exception being 1974. 

Hawthorn has won four of its last five games played on 5 July. The wins were against South Melbourne (1975), St Kilda (1986), Western Bulldogs (2003) and Collingwood on a Friday night last season. The one blemish was a loss to Adelaide on Sunday 5 July 1998.

Peter Hudson holds the Hawthorn Round 5 individual goalkicking record having kicked 16 goals against Melbourne at Glenferrie in Round 5 1969, only two fewer goals than what remains the League record of 18 booted by Melbourne’s Fred Fanning in 1947. Jarryd Roughead holds the Hawks’ individual record against GWS kicking six in 2012 at the MCG.