The Western Bulldogs are currently experiencing their longest finals drought since 2002-06, with the only longer periods being the club’s first 32 seasons in the competition (1925-56) and the seven seasons from 1964 to 1970.
A victory against North Melbourne in the upcoming game would mark a 4-0 clean sweep for Hawthorn in their home games at University of Tasmania Stadium, a feat last achieved in 2016. The club boasts an impressive record at the stadium with 60 wins, one draw, and just 20 losses out of 81 games.
Last Sunday’s 63-point win over Richmond marked Hawthorn’s 200th victory by a margin of 10 goals or more, compared to 169 defeats by the same margin, highlighting a positive differential. The match also saw Hawthorn achieve its largest quarter-time lead in 31 years and its highest quarter-time score in 33 years, leading by 50 points at the first break, the biggest margin since 1993.
Calsher Dear’s nomination for the Rising Star Award in 2024 makes it the third consecutive season where Hawthorn has had two nominees, reinforcing the club’s standing with 47 nominations since the award’s inception, placing them fourth behind Brisbane, Melbourne, and Essendon.
This round marks the first time Hawthorn and North Melbourne are meeting in the final round since 1988, with the two teams having also met in the final rounds of their first and 50th seasons in the VFL-AFL. Notably, 2024 will be the 17th consecutive season Hawthorn finishes above North Melbourne on the ladder, the fourth-longest streak of its kind in the club’s history.
Hawthorn has won its last five games against North Melbourne, the longest streak since a 14-game winning run between 1985 and 1993. The Hawks have secured 103 victories against North Melbourne overall, the most against any opponent, with 78 losses and two draws. At the University of Tasmania Stadium, the Hawks hold a 6-3 advantage in nine meetings.
The game is set to be played on August 24, a date on which Hawthorn has not lost for 50 years, winning their last six games played on this date, most recently against West Coast in 2019.
Hawthorn’s decision to field an unchanged team against Richmond set a new club record for the most unchanged lineups in a single season, with five instances in 2024, breaking the previous record of four set in 2006 and 2011.
Jack Gunston’s recent form, with 12 goals in his past three games, puts him in contention for his fourth Hawthorn leading goalkicker award, now with 27 goals for the season, trailing Mabior Chol (33) and Dylan Moore (31).
Hawthorn has participated in five previous Round 24 games, winning four of them. The first loss came in last season’s defeat to Fremantle. Thirty years ago, in Round 24 of 1994, the Hawks secured a 9.12.66 to 6.11.47 win against Adelaide at Waverley, finishing sixth in the first season of the top eight.
Lance Franklin set a club record against North Melbourne with 13 goals in 2012, surpassing the previous record of 10 goals set by Alec Albiston in 1940 and Jason Dunstall in 1988. Dunstall also holds the Round 24 record with six goals against Melbourne in 1992.
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