When Hawthorn steps onto Engie Stadium next Saturday afternoon for their Elimination Final against the GWS Giants, the Hawks will need to buck a significant trend from the past two years if they wish to keep their 2025 premiership hopes alive.
The Hawks, who finished the home and away season with a record of 15-8, have struggled to win on the road this year and will need to break this hoodoo at a ground where they have yet to taste victory.
Hawthorn have played eight games at Engie Stadium and are yet to record a single win there, and will no doubt be looking at ways to overcome their struggles at the Giants' home ground to remain in the hunt for a 14th flag.
While the Hawks have a superb record at their home away from home in Launceston, registering victories at UTAS Stadium for two straight years, the same cannot be said of their interstate record away from home, especially against top eight teams.
Over the past two seasons, the Hawks' interstate win-loss record stands at three wins and 10 losses.
Their wins in 2024 came against West Coast and Adelaide, who both missed the finals, while their sole win this year was against last year's runners-up, the Sydney Swans.
Despite their poor interstate ledger, the Hawks will be buoyed by the fact that they have been competitive against top eight contenders Adelaide, Gold Coast, Fremantle and Brisbane, losing those clashes by less than three goals.
Having played in an Elimination Final last year as the away team against the Western Bulldogs, the Hawks are familiar with entering a big game as the visiting team and will need to draw on this experience to break their five-game losing streak as the away team interstate against the Giants on Saturday.
If Hawthorn defeats the Giants, there is a possibility that unfavourable results elsewhere could see them potentially travel interstate for both a Semi-Final and Preliminary Final, which would present a massive hurdle for the Hawks to overcome.
However, finishing the regular season with a solid 15-8 record demonstrates that the Hawks are still a quality team that can challenge for a flag if they can overcome their inability to secure victories interstate.
Coach Sam Mitchell will be drawing on their competitive performances against fellow top eight teams and their previous elimination final experience to prepare the Hawks for what is essentially a do-or-die mission to finally break their Engie Stadium drought.
The timing is crucial; there's no better motivation for Mitchell's Hawks to overcome a venue hoodoo than when their season hangs in the balance.
