Nice stuff everyone. Today choked me up a bit. Been following the Hawks since Glenferrie days standing in the outer initially on some pretty cold miserable days but watched those great early champs, Brendan Edwards, Graham Arthur, Gary Young…great to see he’s still going strong, John Peck, Colin Youren, Des Meagher, Parko and a few tough nuts Neil Ferguson Delicate Des Dickson and Norm Bussell. I could go on but it’s been a privilege to support this club and in grain it into my kids and grandkids.
Thanks for sharing, boys. Everyone's story is uniquely interesting.
Scary for me to think that I am older (1961) than Mick, he seems like such a codger 😁😁
So many memories.
My grandfather had a shop at Kew Junction in the 1920s and would head down with his sons to Glenferrie after he closed up on Saturdays. They started going in 1925.
Two of my Dad's brothers - defected to the Magpies in the 1930s. They and my turncoat cousins did their best to tempt us to the dark side. It was very awesome for the Hawthorn side of the fam to witness the angst of the Colliwobbles in the 70s and 80s.
My Dad started taking me as soon as I could walk and was out of nappies - so he told me - but the first game I can actually say that I can recall was in 1965 at Windy Hill on a sunny April day.
1971 Grand Final is my favorite memory. Being 10 and the excitement of being there. The last quarter comeback. 1983 and 2008 are close. But in all honesty there have been so many...😁.
We always stood on the railway side at Glenferrie. We were present the day Hudson went down against Melbourne in 1972. A tragedy. He was spellbinding. Uninjured he would have reached well over 1000 goals and the Hawks should have been playing off in '72 and '73.
I left Australia in 1994 but was able to get back for the 2008 GF with my Dad - he was in his 80s by then. It was very special to be there and is the last game we ever watched together.
I’m another Graeme who started following the Hawks in the 50s in my middle teens. I don’t remember my first game, but the early games were spent with an uncle and aunt and cousins on the old wooden benches along the railway side of Glenferrie Oval. My favourite game is the 2014 GF, because it was 4 quarters of top class football without ever wavering. I missed the 1st semi in 1957 while on holiday with a school friend - spent the afternoon glued to a radio. I’ve a,ways regretted not being there. Leigh Matthews gets my vote as the best Hawk, very closely followed by Peter Hudson and Jason Dunstall. Having grown up in West Hawthorn and lived there and in Canterbury all my life there was never any question about the team to follow. I love the club, but one of the reasons it is easy to do that is because of the influence of John Kennedy Senior. A passionate man, a huge competitor, but someone whose life was embedded in integrity and honour, which has permeated the club to this day. To see 62,000+ people at the MCG on Sunday for a match between 7th and 16th, and most in brown and gold, was such a contrast to those old, but warmly remembered, Glenferrie days. Thank you, Hawks.
One of your best yet HI team ... enjoyed reading it and even more, loved all the photos! Thank you so much for sharing and allowing us to get to know you all a bit better. The thing I love the most is no matter how old you are, where you come from or how you have come to barrack for the Hawks, we just love this Club so much and what it has meant to us throughout our life, is something that no doubt, we are all grateful for ... GO HAWKS!!!
I LOVE this piece of work which comes at the perfect time to remind us all why we are Hawks forever.
Dad came to Melbourne ~1953 from Wangaratta at 17 to study accountancy. Wang has 2 teams, the Rovers (hawks colours) & Magies (pies colours). Thank God he was a Rover.
Best GF for me, 1989, it had it all. Hawks have some of the toughest teams in my time but that team had it all and left nothing on the table. Literally prepared to die for the colours, couldn’t be more proud of that team & HFC on that great day.
The Hawks have been blessed with some of the greatest players in VFL/AFL history, but for me LETHAL who did it all. Would have several Brownlows if “fairest” wasn’t a requirement. I always knew we were a chance to win with him in the team. The oppo feared him, he copped plenty too but just went on with it. Not condemning violence, but Jacko & Bruns were both causing trouble on the infamous Big Hit day. Snipper Bruns shouldn’t have hit Tucky.
Saddest day, Peter Crimmin’s swamped by his mates and holding the 1976 premiership cup 2 days before his death & to a non-serious extent, Leigh Matthew’s wiping tears while being chaired off after losing the 1985 GF. I never wanted him to retire.
I hope our current boys toughen up, get their Mojo back and write their own history so the kids of today can reminisce. #GoHawks
Nice stuff everyone. Today choked me up a bit. Been following the Hawks since Glenferrie days standing in the outer initially on some pretty cold miserable days but watched those great early champs, Brendan Edwards, Graham Arthur, Gary Young…great to see he’s still going strong, John Peck, Colin Youren, Des Meagher, Parko and a few tough nuts Neil Ferguson Delicate Des Dickson and Norm Bussell. I could go on but it’s been a privilege to support this club and in grain it into my kids and grandkids.
Absolutely loved this boys ... brought a tear to the eye 🤎💛
Thanks for sharing, boys. Everyone's story is uniquely interesting.
Scary for me to think that I am older (1961) than Mick, he seems like such a codger 😁😁
So many memories.
My grandfather had a shop at Kew Junction in the 1920s and would head down with his sons to Glenferrie after he closed up on Saturdays. They started going in 1925.
Two of my Dad's brothers - defected to the Magpies in the 1930s. They and my turncoat cousins did their best to tempt us to the dark side. It was very awesome for the Hawthorn side of the fam to witness the angst of the Colliwobbles in the 70s and 80s.
My Dad started taking me as soon as I could walk and was out of nappies - so he told me - but the first game I can actually say that I can recall was in 1965 at Windy Hill on a sunny April day.
1971 Grand Final is my favorite memory. Being 10 and the excitement of being there. The last quarter comeback. 1983 and 2008 are close. But in all honesty there have been so many...😁.
We always stood on the railway side at Glenferrie. We were present the day Hudson went down against Melbourne in 1972. A tragedy. He was spellbinding. Uninjured he would have reached well over 1000 goals and the Hawks should have been playing off in '72 and '73.
I left Australia in 1994 but was able to get back for the 2008 GF with my Dad - he was in his 80s by then. It was very special to be there and is the last game we ever watched together.
Was also there that day..reckon he had 8 on the board and it wasn’t even half time.
I’m another Graeme who started following the Hawks in the 50s in my middle teens. I don’t remember my first game, but the early games were spent with an uncle and aunt and cousins on the old wooden benches along the railway side of Glenferrie Oval. My favourite game is the 2014 GF, because it was 4 quarters of top class football without ever wavering. I missed the 1st semi in 1957 while on holiday with a school friend - spent the afternoon glued to a radio. I’ve a,ways regretted not being there. Leigh Matthews gets my vote as the best Hawk, very closely followed by Peter Hudson and Jason Dunstall. Having grown up in West Hawthorn and lived there and in Canterbury all my life there was never any question about the team to follow. I love the club, but one of the reasons it is easy to do that is because of the influence of John Kennedy Senior. A passionate man, a huge competitor, but someone whose life was embedded in integrity and honour, which has permeated the club to this day. To see 62,000+ people at the MCG on Sunday for a match between 7th and 16th, and most in brown and gold, was such a contrast to those old, but warmly remembered, Glenferrie days. Thank you, Hawks.
One of your best yet HI team ... enjoyed reading it and even more, loved all the photos! Thank you so much for sharing and allowing us to get to know you all a bit better. The thing I love the most is no matter how old you are, where you come from or how you have come to barrack for the Hawks, we just love this Club so much and what it has meant to us throughout our life, is something that no doubt, we are all grateful for ... GO HAWKS!!!
I LOVE this piece of work which comes at the perfect time to remind us all why we are Hawks forever.
Dad came to Melbourne ~1953 from Wangaratta at 17 to study accountancy. Wang has 2 teams, the Rovers (hawks colours) & Magies (pies colours). Thank God he was a Rover.
Best GF for me, 1989, it had it all. Hawks have some of the toughest teams in my time but that team had it all and left nothing on the table. Literally prepared to die for the colours, couldn’t be more proud of that team & HFC on that great day.
The Hawks have been blessed with some of the greatest players in VFL/AFL history, but for me LETHAL who did it all. Would have several Brownlows if “fairest” wasn’t a requirement. I always knew we were a chance to win with him in the team. The oppo feared him, he copped plenty too but just went on with it. Not condemning violence, but Jacko & Bruns were both causing trouble on the infamous Big Hit day. Snipper Bruns shouldn’t have hit Tucky.
Saddest day, Peter Crimmin’s swamped by his mates and holding the 1976 premiership cup 2 days before his death & to a non-serious extent, Leigh Matthew’s wiping tears while being chaired off after losing the 1985 GF. I never wanted him to retire.
I hope our current boys toughen up, get their Mojo back and write their own history so the kids of today can reminisce. #GoHawks