# 1997 Hawthorn Football Club season

The 1997 season was the Hawthorn Football Club's season 73rd season in the Australian Football League and 96th overall.

## Fixture
### Premiership season

| Rd | Date and local time | Opponent | Scores (Hawthorn's scores indicated in bold) | Scores (Hawthorn's scores indicated in bold) | Scores (Hawthorn's scores indicated in bold) | Venue | Attendance | Record |
| Rd | Date and local time | Opponent | Home | Away | Result | Venue | Attendance | Record |
| 1 | Saturday, 29 March (7:40 pm) | St Kilda | 10.11 (71) | 11.11 (77) | Won by 6 points | Waverley Park (A) | 35,732 | 1–0 |
| 2 | Sunday, 6 April (2:10 pm) | Fremantle | 13.9 (87) | 10.13 (73) | Lost by 14 points | Subiaco Oval (A) | 19,057 | 1–1 |
| 3 | Sunday, 13 April (2:10 pm) | Brisbane Lions | 12.15 (87) | 11.9 (75) | Won by 12 points | Waverley Park (H) | 27,947 | 2–1 |
| 4 | Saturday, 19 April (6:40 pm) | West Coast | 17.10 (112) | 13.10 (88) | Lost by 24 points | Subiaco Oval (A) | 38,222 | 2–2 |
| 5 | Saturday, 26 April (7:40 pm) | Sydney | 15.9 (99) | 11.8 (74) | Won by 25 points | Waverley Park (H) | 37,576 | 3–2 |
| 6 | Saturday, 3 May (7:40 pm) | North Melbourne | 14.9 (93) | 16.7 (103) | Lost by 10 points | Waverley Park (H) | 38,953 | 3–3 |
| 7 | Saturday, 10 May (2:10 pm) | Western Bulldogs | 19.19 (133) | 13.10 (88) | Lost by 45 points | Optus Oval (A) | 18,860 | 3–4 |
| 8 | Sunday, 18 May (2:10 pm) | Carlton | 15.16 (106) | 12.9 (81) | Lost by 25 points | Optus Oval (A) | 29,783 | 3–5 |
| 9 | Saturday, 24 May (2:10 pm) | Adelaide | 13.10 (88) | 14.18 (102) | Lost by 14 points | Waverley Park (H) | 23,463 | 3–6 |
| 10 | Saturday, 31 May (2:10 pm) | Collingwood | 16.12 (108) | 8.7 (55) | Won by 53 points | Waverley Park (H) | 51,494 | 4–6 |
| 11 | Saturday, 7 June (2:10 pm) | Essendon | 13.13 (91) | 17.22 (124) | Won by 33 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (A) | 60,594 | 5–6 |
| 12 | Saturday, 14 June (2:10 pm) | Geelong | 12.10 (82) | 13.10 (88) | Won by 6 points | Kardinia Park (A) | 22,871 | 6–6 |
| 13 | Sunday, 29 June (2:10 pm) | Melbourne | 17.16 (118) | 7.13 (55) | Won by 63 points | Waverley Park (H) | 31,517 | 7–6 |
| 14 | Sunday, 6 July (2:10 pm) | Port Adelaide | 18.16 (124) | 13.14 (92) | Won by 32 points | Waverley Park (H) | 29,886 | 8–6 |
| 15 | Sunday, 13 July (2:10 pm) | Richmond | 22.13 (145) | 10.9 (69) | Lost by 76 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (A) | 49,217 | 8–7 |
| 16 | Saturday, 19 July (2:10 pm) | St Kilda | 9.8 (62) | 20.21 (141) | Lost by 79 points | Waverley Park (H) | 43,181 | 8–8 |
| 17 | Saturday, 26 July (2:10 pm) | Fremantle | 9.8 (62) | 10.11 (71) | Lost by 9 points | Waverley Park (H) | 15,939 | 8–9 |
| 18 | Saturday, 2 August (7:40 pm) | Brisbane Lions | 21.15 (141) | 11.5 (71) | Lost by 70 points | The Gabba (A) | 19,635 | 8–10 |
| 19 | Saturday, 9 August (2:10 pm) | West Coast | 10.6 (66) | 13.9 (87) | Lost by 21 points | Waverley Park (H) | 20,517 | 8–11 |
| 20 | Sunday, 17 August (2:45 pm) | Sydney | 20.15 (135) | 11.11 (77) | Lost by 58 points | Sydney Cricket Ground (A) | 34,111 | 8–12 |
| 21 | Saturday, 23 August (2:10 pm) | North Melbourne | 10.21 (81) | 6.7 (43) | Lost by 38 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (A) | 26,393 | 8–13 |
| 22 | Saturday, 30 August (2:10 pm) | Western Bulldogs | 13.9 (87) | 15.15 (105) | Lost by 18 points | Waverley Park (H) | 35,706 | 8–14 |

## Ladder

| (P) | Premiers |
| | Qualified for finals |
| # | Team | P | W | L | D | PF | PA | % | Pts |
| 1 | St Kilda | 22 | 15 | 7 | 0 | 2294 | 1918 | 119.6 | 60 |
| 2 | Geelong | 22 | 15 | 7 | 0 | 2111 | 1791 | 117.9 | 60 |
| 3 | Western Bulldogs | 22 | 14 | 8 | 0 | 2100 | 2062 | 101.8 | 56 |
| 4 | Adelaide (P) | 22 | 13 | 9 | 0 | 2151 | 1769 | 121.6 | 52 |
| 5 | West Coast | 22 | 13 | 9 | 0 | 1969 | 1770 | 111.2 | 52 |
| 6 | Sydney | 22 | 12 | 10 | 0 | 2093 | 1801 | 116.2 | 48 |
| 7 | North Melbourne | 22 | 12 | 10 | 0 | 2051 | 1835 | 111.8 | 48 |
| 8 | Brisbane Lions | 22 | 10 | 11 | 1 | 2076 | 1973 | 105.2 | 42 |
| 9 | Port Adelaide | 22 | 10 | 11 | 1 | 1852 | 2017 | 91.8 | 42 |
| 10 | Collingwood | 22 | 10 | 12 | 0 | 2138 | 1919 | 111.4 | 40 |
| 11 | Carlton | 22 | 10 | 12 | 0 | 1978 | 2045 | 96.7 | 40 |
| 12 | Fremantle | 22 | 10 | 12 | 0 | 1748 | 1902 | 91.9 | 40 |
| 13 | Richmond | 22 | 10 | 12 | 0 | 1883 | 2253 | 83.6 | 40 |
| 14 | Essendon | 22 | 9 | 13 | 0 | 2004 | 2170 | 92.4 | 36 |
| 15 | Hawthorn | 22 | 8 | 14 | 0 | 1873 | 2144 | 87.4 | 32 |
| 16 | Melbourne | 22 | 4 | 18 | 0 | 1477 | 2429 | 60.8 | 16 |
Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points for Average score: 90.3 Source: AFL Tables