The club's first match in the Victorian Football League were against the Richmond at the Glenferrie Oval on the 2 May 1925. The club finished 3–14 in their first season which placed them 12th and last on the ladder, receiving the wooden spoon.
Hawthorn began their 1925 season on the 2 May against Richmond at Glenferrie Oval as one of the three new teams competing (the others being North Melbourne and Footscray.[1] In the opening game, they scored the first VFL goal, from Hec Yeomans, although they would lose by 39 points.[2] The following week they suffered a 54 point loss to St Kilda.[3] It would not be until Round 5, that Hawthorn would record their first victory in the VFL as Les Woodford scored three goals in a sixteen point victory over fellow newcomers Footscray who was missing seven players from the previous week.[4] The following week would see Hawthorn give up a seventeen point lead at the half time break to lose by four points at Arden Street Oval to North Melbourne.[5]
That loss to North Melbourne, would see the start of a seven-game losing streak which included losses to the defending VFL champions Essendon (31 points),[6]South Melbourne (67 points)[7] and Fitzroy (84 points).[8] The streak of losses would be broken on the 10 August with a three point win over St Kilda at home in Round 13 with Bert Hyde getting three goals for Hawthorn in the victory.[9] They evently finish with the wooden-spoon with a third win in the final match of the season against North Melbourne at home in what was their biggest win of the season (25 points).[10]