Hawthorn’s figure for players used in 2020 is the highest for 40 years.
With two rounds to go, the Hawks have already used 39 players in 2020, the most since also using 39 players in the 1980 season.
If Hawthorn use another player in 2020 and reach 40 players, it will be the first time that many players have been used since 1967. The last time the figure was higher than 40 was when Hawthorn used 42 players in 1946, while the record high is 44, the number used in both 1940 and 1942.
At the other extreme, the fewest players the Hawks have used in a season was 30 in both 1961 and 1987.
Hawthorn currently have three players who have played every game in 2020, but one of those is James Worpel, who will now miss, leaving just Tom Mitchell and Chad Wingard as the only possibilities to play every game.
Hawthorn has always had at least one player appear in every game in its 95-year VFL-AFL history, although on seven occasions only one player has done so. Four of those seven instances were in the club’s first decade in the competition, while the three more recent occasions have been 1985 (Rod Lester-Smith), 1995 (Andy Collins) and 2015 (Shaun Burgoyne).
Speaking of Andy Collins, last Sunday’s debutant Damon Greaves is the first Hawthorn player whose birthday falls on Anzac Day since Collins. Greaves was born on 25 April 2000, 35 years after triple-Premiership back-pocket Collins was born in 1965.
Greaves has also become just the third player to wear number 44 in a Senior game since John Platten retired in 1997, following Cameron Stokes who wore it in 20 games from 2008 to 2010 and Conor Glass who wore it in 10 games in 2017-18 before moving to number 13.
Greaves became the ninth individual to make his Hawthorn debut in 2020, the same number of new Hawks as in 2017. The only higher number of debutants in the Clarkson-era was 11 in 2005.
When Hawks’ skipper, Ben Stratton, recently played his 201st game for the club he broke the longstanding record for the most Hawthorn games played by a Western Australia. Ted Pool recruited from Kalgoorlie City in 1926, finished on exactly 200 games when his career ended in 1938. Other prominent Western Australians at Hawthorn have included Lance Franklin (182 games), Chance Bateman (177) and Gary Buckenara (154).
All other states have produced Hawthorn players with a higher number of games, with records as follows - Victoria (Michael Tuck 426), New South Wales (Shane Crawford 305), Queensland (Jason Dunstall 269), South Australia (John Platten 258), and Tasmania (Grant Birchall 248).
Hawthorn has won 10 of its last 12 games against the Western Bulldogs, with the blemishes being the 2016 Semi Final and Round 2 last season. Hawthorn won eight consecutive games against the Bulldogs from 2010 to 2016, the winning sequence started and ended with thrilling three-point victories, at the MCG in 2010 and at Docklands in 2016.
Overall, the Hawks hold a narrow lead in the head-to-head history between the two clubs, with 83 victories, 77 defeats and two draws. It has certainly been a long time since the Hawks played the Bulldogs, with their last meeting now almost 18 months ago, in Round 2 last season, on Sunday 31 March 2019.
At the other extreme to 2020, Hawthorn’s 2000 Olympic-year home and away season finished as early as Friday 4 August when victory against the Western Bulldogs secured the Hawks a spot in the Finals for the first time in four seasons.
A bumper Docklands crowd of 45,527. saw Hawthorn 11.15.81 defeat the Bulldogs 9.12.66. Paul Salmon was best-on-ground, Nick Holland kicked three goals, and the leading possession-getters were Daniel Harford and Tony Woods. The 2000 Hawks returned to Docklands the following Friday night and recording a thrilling nine-point win over fifth-placed Geelong in an Elimination Final.
Hawthorn has played 92 games in Round 17 for 37 wins, one draw and 54 defeats (with a bye in 2011), a deficit of 17 which is the club’s equal worst for any round, shared with Round 2.
Hawthorn won five consecutive Round 17 games from 2012 to 2016, and after losses to Geelong in 2017 and Brisbane Lions in 2018, the Hawks returned to the Round 17 winners’ list with a 31-point victory against Fremantle at University of Tasmania Stadium last season.
30 years ago, in Round 17 1990, Hawthorn overcame a sluggish start (trailing by 19 points at quarter-time and 11 points at half-time) to record a 15-point win against Brisbane Bears at Carrara – 16.14.110 to 14.11.95. Jason Dunstall and John Kennedy both kicked four goals and Andy Collins got two Brownlow votes.
60 years ago, in Round 17 1960, Hawthorn made it five consecutive wins, with a 19-point victory over North Melbourne at Glenferrie – 9.17.71 to 8.4.52. John Fisher with three goals and Morton Browne with two were the multiple goalkickers.
90 years ago, in Round 17 1930, Hawthorn reached five wins win in a season for the first time, defeating North Melbourne at Arden Street by 15 points – 9.12.66 to 7.9.51. Keith Sharpley kicked three goals, while Bert Hyde and Bill Carey both contributed two.
Jason Dunstall holds the Hawthorn individual goal-kicking record against the Western Bulldogs with 14 goals in Round 19 1996. Peter Hudson has kicked the most goals for Hawthorn in Round 17, a tally of 10 recorded against St Kilda, at Waverley, in 1977.
