Hawthorn (VFL)

Introduction
Team Name and Jumpers
Team Photos
Photos by Unknown/Other Photographers
Player Photos
Lists
Results during Charles Boyles Work Period 1925-63
Home Grounds
External Links

Introduction

1950 Argus Badges

Hawthorn is an affluent leafy suburb six kilometres east of Melbourne’s CBD, past Richmond, with a shopping centre centred on Glenferrie Road. With Melbourne’s expansion post WW2, Hawthorn became a gateway into Melbourne’s quickly expanding eastern suburbs.

The Glenferrie Road shopping strip is serviced by a train station and for most of the century has been flanked on the east by Eastern Suburbs Technical College (established in 1908), which quickly became known as Swinburne Technical College (Swinburne University in 1992) and on the station’s Western flank, Hawthorn’s home ground of Glenferrie Oval
Various teams existed at Hawthorn as far back as the 1870’s a consolidated Hawthorn team formed in 1902 is a good startting point. The team played in the Metropolitan Junior Football Association where it grew and merged with a number of other teams. By 1914 the VFA needed a team, Preston had left the competition (later to return) and Preston’s replacement, called Melbourne City, was winless in two seasons.

Hawthorn started gradually in the VFA competition, but between 1914-24, only made the finals once (1923). In 1924 the VFL decided to expand their 9 team competition to 12 teams, and Hawthorn, though not the strongest VFA team, got the nod.

Hawthorn’s first thirty years of VFL football were tough. The club joined the VFL in 1925 but did not play it’s first finals games until 1957. Between 1925 and 1956, Hawthorns best performance had been 5th during WW2 when things had been difficult for many teams. Apart from that the next best was 7th in 1956 and 8th in 1937 and 1956. During the period Hawthorn won ten wooden spoons.

Hawthorn broke through for their first premiership in 1961 under coach John Kennedy. Another premiership in 1971 was again coached by Kennedy and included familiar names such as Peter Hudson, Leigh Matthews, Don Scott, Kelvin Moore among others.

By the 1970’s Glenferrie Oval could no longer cater for the growing crowds and Hawthorn has since played home games at a number of other grounds including Carlton’s Princes Park (1974-1991) on the other side of the city, then Waverly park (1992-1999) before joining other teams at the MCG and developing a presence in Launceston (Tas).

Since their move from Glenferrie Oval, the Hawks have continued to win premierships (1976, 1978, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 2008) and build an impressive record

Team Name and Jumpers

1943 Change from Mayblooms to Hawks

1925 A gold V on both sides of a brown guernsey with the Club initials on the left breast
1933 Initials dropped and colours reversed to a gold Guernsey with a brown V. (Only One year)
1934 - 1936, 1938 - 1942, 1949 Revert to 1925 Style without Logo, with Brown collar
1937, 1943 - 1948 same as 1925 Style without logo but with Gold Collar
1950 Change to the brown and gold vertical stripes.
1951 Stripes Reversed
1952 Return to 1950 style
1953-67 Pin Stripes Added
1976 VFL logo was added to the guernsey
1977 Sponsor’s logo added