1978 Hawthorn Football Club season

Hawthorn Football Club
1978 season
PresidentPhil J. Ryan
CoachDavid Parkin
Captain(s)Don Scott
Home groundPrinces Park
VFL season16–6 (2nd)
Finals seriesPremiers
(Defeated North Melbourne 121–103)
Best and FairestPeter Knights
Leigh Matthews
Leading goalkickerMichael Moncrieff (90)
Highest home attendance100,704 (Grand Final vs. North Melbourne)
Lowest home attendance9,198 (Round 7 vs. Footscray)
Average home attendance30,329

The 1978 season was the Hawthorn Football Club's 54th season in the Victorian Football League and 77th overall. Hawthorn qualified for finals for the fifth consecutive season. Hawthorn qualified for their sixth Grand Final and first since 1976. Hawthorn won their fourth VFL premiership defeating North Melbourne in the Grand Final 121–103. This was their first premiership since 1976.

Fixture

Premiership season

Rd Date and local time Opponent Scores (Hawthorn's scores indicated in bold) Venue Attendance Record
Home Away Result
1 Saturday, 1 April (2:10 pm) Melbourne 22.15 (147) 9.14 (68) Won by 79 points Princes Park (H) 11,986 1–0
2 Saturday, 8 April (2:10 pm) South Melbourne 16.8 (104) 18.24 (132) Won by 28 points Lake Oval (A) 15,072 2–0
3 Saturday, 15 April (2:10 pm) North Melbourne 16.15 (111) 12.14 (86) Lost by 25 points VFL Park (A) 39,097 2–1
4 Saturday, 22 April (2:10 pm) Collingwood 14.19 (103) 15.15 (105) Won by 2 points Victoria Park (A) 29,577 3–1
5 Saturday, 29 April (2:10 pm) Fitzroy 14.17 (101) 15.12 (102) Lost by 1 point Princes Park (H) 13,788 3–2
6 Saturday, 6 May (2:10 pm) Carlton 19.12 (126) 24.13 (157) Won by 31 points Princes Park (A) 19,649 4–2
7 Saturday, 13 May (2:10 pm) Footscray 27.15 (177) 13.13 (91) Won by 86 points Princes Park (H) 9,198 5–2
8 Saturday, 20 May (2:10 pm) Richmond 9.16 (70) 14.15 (99) Won by 29 points VFL Park (A) 27,224 6–2
9 Saturday, 27 May (2:10 pm) St Kilda 8.9 (57) 13.19 (97) Won by 40 points Moorabbin Oval (A) 25,293 7–2
10 Saturday, 3 June (2:10 pm) Geelong 12.24 (96) 8.13 (61) Won by 35 points Princes Park (H) 11,203 8–2
11 Saturday, 17 June (2:10 pm) Essendon 16.8 (104) 19.19 (133) Won by 29 points Windy Hill (A) 24,217 9–2
12 Saturday, 24 June (2:10 pm) Melbourne 15.18 (108) 18.20 (128) Won by 20 points Melbourne Cricket Ground (A) 14,652 10–2
13 Saturday, 1 July (2:10 pm) South Melbourne 21.14 (140) 18.11 (119) Won by 21 points Princes Park (H) 13,853 11–2
14 Saturday, 8 July (2:10 pm) Collingwood 10.14 (74) 13.6 (84) Lost by 10 points VFL Park (H) 46,086 11–3
15 Saturday, 15 July (2:10 pm) North Melbourne 10.14 (74) 7.13 (55) Won by 19 points Princes Park (H) 16,214 12–3
16 Saturday, 22 July (2:10 pm) Fitzroy 18.14 (122) 17.19 (121) Lost by 1 point Junction Oval (A) 12,299 12–4
17 Saturday, 29 July (2:10 pm) Carlton 13.17 (95) 18.11 (119) Lost by 24 points Princes Park (H) 28,118 12–5
18 Saturday, 5 August (2:10 pm) Footscray 17.10 (112) 17.16 (118) Won by 6 points Western Oval (A) 17,255 13–5
19 Saturday, 12 August (2:10 pm) Richmond 18.19 (127) 10.10 (70) Won by 57 points Princes Park (H) 15,979 14–5
20 Saturday, 19 August (2:10 pm) St Kilda 12.11 (83) 21.13 (139) Lost by 56 points VFL Park (H) 31,677 14–6
21 Saturday, 26 August (2:10 pm) Geelong 13.8 (86) 13.10 (88) Won by 2 points Kardinia Park (A) 21,663 15–6
22 Saturday, 2 September (2:10 pm) Essendon 17.16 (118) 16.13 (109) Won by 9 points Princes Park (H) 14,534 16–6
[1]

Finals Series

Rd Date and local time Opponent Scores (Hawthorn's scores indicated in bold) Venue Attendance
Home Away Result
Qualifying Final Saturday, 9 September (2:30 pm) Collingwood 23.16 (154) 14.14 (98) Won by 56 points Melbourne Cricket Ground (H) 79,931
Second semi-final Saturday, 16 September (2:30 pm) North Melbourne 10.13 (73) 12.15 (87) Won by 14 points VFL Park (A) 48,716
Grand Final Saturday, 30 September (2:50 pm) North Melbourne 18.13 (121) 15.13 (103) Won by 18 points Melbourne Cricket Ground (H) 101,704
[1]

Ladder

(P) Premiers
Qualified for finals
# Team P W L D PF PA % Pts
1 North Melbourne 22 16 6 0 2407 1991 120.9 64
2 Hawthorn (P) 22 16 6 0 2496 2120 117.7 64
3 Collingwood 22 15 7 0 2347 2072 113.3 60
4 Carlton 22 14 8 0 2329 1994 116.8 56
5 Geelong 22 12 10 0 2153 2104 102.3 48
6 St Kilda 22 11 10 1 2330 2503 93.1 46
7 Richmond 22 10 11 1 2459 2389 102.9 42
8 South Melbourne 22 9 13 0 2390 2383 100.3 36
9 Fitzroy 22 8 14 0 2258 2339 96.5 32
10 Essendon 22 8 14 0 2203 2337 94.3 32
11 Footscray 22 7 15 0 2272 2508 90.6 28
12 Melbourne 22 5 17 0 2025 2929 69.1 20

Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points for
Average score: 104.8
Source: AFL Tables

References

  1. ^ a b "AFL Tables - 1978 Scores". afltables.com. Retrieved 14 September 2016.