10 reasons why the Carlton rivalry always matters
Tell the young kids of today that Carlton was once Hawthorn’s great rival and they don’t believe you.
The problem with too many Hawk fans is they think that Geelong and Sydney are Hawthorn's big rivals, and perhaps Essendon as well. Ashley Browne is here to remind them why beating Carlton will always be special.
1. Jack Hale
The tough 1938 Carlton premiership rover took over as Hawthorn coach in 1952 and injected steel, a love of the jumper and a hatred of losing into the club. He is one of the unsung heroes at Hawthorn. And he inspired a young John Kennedy and shaped his early football philosophies.
2. The 1957 first-semi final
After 32 years of futility, the Hawks made the finals for the first time and beat Carlton by 23 points at the MCG. They led comfortably at half-time and held on in the slop in the second half in treacherous conditions after a half-time hail-storm. There was great rejoicing afterwards as Hawthorn became the last team to win a final.
3. 1969: Carlton 30.30 (210) d Hawthorn 12.10 (82)
For the next 10 years, this was the highest score in League history. Carlton rubbed the Hawks noses in it that afternoon at Princes Park, and for several seasons afterwards, better Hawthorn teams than this one could not defeat the Blues.
4. Co-tenants or unwanted guests?
Hawthorn had several suitors when it left Glenferrie Oval at the end of 1973 and chose Princes Park as its new home ground. It never really felt like home for many Hawks, not even when the club built its own grandstand in 1977 meaning it didn’t have to use the Carlton rooms. Despite all that, the club had great success there and won seven flags in the 18 years the club called it home. The Blues were a great team for much of the same time as well, meaning the games between them at Princes Park were torrid affairs.
5. Parko changes camp
Hawks icon David Parkin was sacked as coach at the end of 1980 and within days was snapped up by the Blues. It added another element to the great rivalry between the clubs and initially, the Hawks had great trouble beating the Blues, with Parkin knowing exactly how to break down his former club . The best player on the ground in Carlton-Hawthorn matches receives the David Parkin Medal.
6. 1982: A four-part drama
It started in the first game when Leigh Matthews crashed heavily into Ken Hunter, right in front of the Carlton Social Club. Parkin was so incensed he wrote a letter to Matthews and their friendship was strained for a time. The Hawks won the return match, inspired by Matthews who refused to let the trainers wipe the blood from his face after he was king-hit by a Carlton player as retaliation for the Hunter clash. The Blues won the qualifying final easily but the aftermath was again fiery, with Hawk defender David Polkinghorne breaking the so-called ‘players code’ and dobbing in Blues star Wayne Johnson at the tribunal, causing him to be suspended for two games. Without Johnson, they beat the Hawks again in the preliminary final.
7. 1986: John Platten becomes a Hawk
The shaggy-haired South Australian rover signed what was called back then a Form Four, which bound him to Hawthorn should he join the VFL. But then came the Blues and their infamous brown paper bags and they signed him to a subsequent agreement, one they thought would lure him to their side of Princes Park. It ended up going to the Supreme Court where the Hawks emerged victorious. As fate would have it, the Blues and the Hawks opened the season at Waverley with the Hawks winning by six goals, an especially sweet victory. Instant fan-favourite Platten would get two Brownlow votes in his first game for Hawthorn.
8. The 1986 Grand Final
The Blues had upset the Hawks in the second semi-final and were warm favourites to win again in the flag decider. But in what was arguably Allan Jeans’ finest day as coach of the Hawks, he threw the magnets around with Gary Ayres blanketing David Rhys-Jones and Rodney Eade successfully tagging Craig Bradley. The Hawks went man-on-man all over the ground and it worked beautifully. Jason Dunstall kicked six goals in the 36-point win.
9. The Blues get their revenge
The flag was probably won in the final round of the home and away season when Stephen Kernahan’s after-the-siren goal against North at Waverley lifted the Blues to the top of the ladder. By Grand Final day, so blazingly hot that Michael Tuck wore short sleeves and with Jason Dunstall not playing and Brereton injured early on, the Hawks had no petrol tickets left and were well beaten by 33 points.
10. Bud gets the ton, Fev does not
A delightful kick from Cyril Rioli to Lance Franklin in the opening term of the final home and away game of the season at Telstra Dome gifted the Bud his 100th goal for the season, and the Hawks won comfortably. Brendan Fevola needed eight goals to get the century, but despite their large lead, the Hawks stacked the backline in the final term, double-teamed Fevola and he finished the night – and the season - stranded on 99. A magical night at the footy.
Ashley Browne is a Hawks Insiders contributor, the author of A Season Like No Other: AFL 2020, and a senior writer at the AFL Record and SEN. Follow him on Twitter @hashbrowne.
Awesome list!
I can remember as a 7 yo in 1969 turning on the radio and listening to the result of that game - even at that age I realised the enormity of the loss and its horror! The one thing Ashley didn't cite in his reasons for the rivalry was Carlton's arrogance. Admittedly, when they were successful they had virtually no respect for anyone they were so full of themselves. In the case of Hawthorn, they felt they could just blitz us in the 3rd quarter regardless of what happened in the first half. The 1986 GF rectified that with Jason kicking 6 from memory on Bruce Doull in his final game.