# 2012 Hawthorn Football Club season

The 2012 season was the Hawthorn Football Club's 88th season in the Australian Football League and 111th overall.
The season would prove to be Hawthorn's most dominant season in the 2012-2015 run of consecutive successful years, only to be denied the ultimate success in the 2012 AFL Grand Final due to inaccurate kicking.

## Playing list changes

The following lists all player changes between the conclusion of the 2011 season and the beginning of the 2012 season.

### Trades

| 12 October 2011 | To HawthornJack Gunston Pick 52, 2011 AFL draft Pick 71, 2011 AFL draft | To AdelaidePick 24, 2011 AFL draft Pick 46, 2011 AFL draft Pick 64, 2011 AFL draft |
| 14 October 2011 | To HawthornPick 58, 2011 AFL draft | To North MelbourneWill Sierakowski |
| 14 October 2011 | To HawthornPick 33, 2011 AFL draft | To Port AdelaideBrent Renouf |
| 17 October 2011 | To HawthornPick 29, 2011 AFL draft | To Brisbane LionsJordan Lisle |
| 17 October 2011 | To HawthornPick 38, 2011 AFL draft Pick 56, 2011 AFL draft | To FremantlePick 29, 2011 AFL draft Pick 58, 2011 AFL draft Pick 71, 2011 AFL draft |
| 17 October 2011 | To HawthornJarrad Boumann | To Greater Western SydneyPick 56, 2011 AFL draft |

### Draft
#### AFL draft

| Round | Overall pick | Player | Recruited from |
| 2 | 33 | Bradley Hill | West Perth |
| 2 | 38 | Jordan Kelly | Dandenong Stingrays |
| 3 | 53 | Alex Woodward | Sandringham Dragons |
| 4 | 77 | Luke Breust (Rookie promotion) | |

#### Rookie draft

| Round | Overall pick | Player | Recruited from |
| 1 | 16 | Broc McCauley | Brisbane Lions |
| 2 | 34 | Amos Frank | Woodville-West Torrens |
| 3 | 52 | Andrew Boseley | Geelong Falcons |
| 4 | 69 | Adam Pattison | Box Hill Hawks |

### Retirements and delistings

| Date | Player | 2012 team | Reason |
| 20 October 2011 | Rick Ladson | — | Delisted |
| 20 October 2011 | Jack Mahony | — | Delisted |
| 20 October 2011 | Sam Menegola | Fremantle | Delisted |
| 20 October 2011 | Riley Milne | — | Delisted |
| 20 October 2011 | Jordan Williams | — | Delisted |

## Fixture
### NAB Cup

| 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 |
| Rd | Date and local time | Opponent | Home | Away | Result | Venue | Attendance |
| 1 | Friday, 17 February (7:50 pm) | North Melbourne | 0.4.4 (28) | 1.6.8 (53) | Won by 25 points | Etihad Stadium | 28,228 |
| 1 | Friday, 17 February (8:55 pm) | Richmond | 0.5.7 (37) | 0.6.4 (40) | Lost by 3 points | Etihad Stadium | – |
| 2 | Saturday, 3 March (3:40 pm) | Greater Western Sydney | 2.12.18 (108) | 0.4.10 (34) | Won by 74 points | Aurora Stadium (H) | 5,100 |
| 3 | Saturday, 10 March (5:40 pm) | Melbourne | 0.6.8 (44) | 1.17.12 (123) | Won by 79 points | Etihad Stadium (A) | 10,611 |

### 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 | TV | Attendance | Record | Report |
| Rd | Date and local time | Opponent | Home | Away | Result | Venue | TV | Attendance | Record | Report |
| 1 | Friday, 30 March (7:50 pm) | Collingwood | 20.17 (137) | 16.19 (115) | Won by 22 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (H) | Seven | 78,466 | 1–0 | Report |
| 2 | Monday, 9 April (3:10 pm) | Geelong | 14.8 (92) | 13.12 (90) | Lost by 2 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (A) | Seven | 69,231 | 1–1 | Report |
| 3 | Sunday, 15 April (3:15 pm) | Adelaide | 21.14 (140) | 12.12 (84) | Won by 56 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (H) | Seven | 33,524 | 2–1 | Report |
| 4 | Saturday, 21 April (5:40 pm) | West Coast | 5.21 (51) | 5.16 (46) | Lost by 5 points | Patersons Stadium (A) | Seven | 40,080 | 2–2 | Report |
| 5 | Sunday, 29 April (1:10 pm) | Sydney | 10.9 (69) | 16.10 (106) | Lost by 37 points | Aurora Stadium (H) | Fox Footy | 19,217 | 2–3 | Report |
| 6 | Saturday, 5 May (7:40 pm) | St Kilda | 13.10 (88) | 18.15 (123) | Won by 35 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (A) | Seven | 42,290 | 3–3 | Report |
| 7 | Friday, 11 May (7:50 pm) | Melbourne | 6.13 (49) | 15.25 (115) | Won by 66 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (A) | Seven | 36,430 | 4–3 | Report |
| 8 | Saturday, 19 May (2:10 pm) | Fremantle | 17.17 (119) | 9.9 (63) | Won by 56 points | Aurora Stadium (H) | Fox Footy | 12,959 | 5–3 | Report |
| 9 | Saturday, 26 May (1:45 pm) | Richmond | 21.11 (137) | 10.15 (75) | Lost by 62 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (A) | Seven | 51,617 | 5–4 | Report |
| 10 | Saturday, 2 June (2:10 pm) | North Melbourne | 27.12 (174) | 9.5 (59) | Won by 115 points | Aurora Stadium (H) | Fox Footy | 16,143 | 6–4 | Report |
| 11 | Sunday, 10 June (4:10 pm) | Port Adelaide | 9.8 (62) | 16.12 (108) | Won by 46 points | AAMI Stadium (A) | Fox Footy | 26,638 | 7–4 | Report |
| 12 | Sunday, 17 June (1:10 pm) | Brisbane Lions | 19.21 (135) | 11.4 (70) | Won by 65 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (H) | Fox Footy | 35,492 | 8–4 | Report |
| 13 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 14 | Friday, 29 June (7:50 pm) | Carlton | 10.10 (70) | 18.12 (120) | Won by 50 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (A) | Seven | 65,047 | 9–4 | Report |
| 15 | Sunday, 8 July (1:10 pm) | Greater Western Sydney | 28.25 (193) | 4.7 (31) | Won by 162 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (H) | Fox Footy | 26,518 | 10–4 | Report |
| 16 | Sunday, 15 July (3:15 pm) | Western Bulldogs | 6.8 (44) | 17.14 (116) | Won by 72 points | Etihad Stadium (A) | Seven | 24,754 | 11–4 | Report |
| 17 | Saturday, 21 July (1:45 pm) | Collingwood | 13.13 (91) | 21.12 (138) | Won by 47 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (A) | Seven | 83,714 | 12–4 | Report |
| 18 | Friday, 27 July (7:50 pm) | Essendon | 12.14 (86) | 27.18 (180) | Won by 94 points | Etihad Stadium (A) | Seven | 44,899 | 13–4 | Report |
| 19 | Friday, 3 August (7:50 pm) | Geelong | 17.14 (116) | 18.10 (118) | Lost by 2 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (H) | Seven | 65,287 | 13–5 | Report |
| 20 | Sunday, 12 August (1:10 pm) | Port Adelaide | 24.15 (159) | 13.9 (87) | Won by 72 points | Aurora Stadium (H) | Fox Footy | 14,431 | 14–5 | Report |
| 21 | Sunday, 19 August (4:40 pm) | Gold Coast | 19.15 (129) | 10.5 (65) | Won by 64 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (H) | Fox Footy | 23,098 | 15–5 | Report |
| 22 | Saturday, 25 August (4:40 pm) | Sydney | 14.11 (95) | 15.12 (102) | Won by 7 points | Sydney Cricket Ground (A) | Fox Footy | 31,167 | 16–5 | Report |
| 23 | Friday, 31 August (7:50 pm) | West Coast | 14.11 (95) | 10.10 (70) | Won by 25 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (H) | Seven | 50,023 | 17–5 | Report |

### Ladder

2012 AFL ladder :
| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | L | D | PF | PA | PP | Pts | |
| 1 | Hawthorn | 22 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 2679 | 1733 | 154.6 | 68 | Finals series |
| 2 | Adelaide | 22 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 2428 | 1833 | 132.5 | 68 | Finals series |
| 3 | Sydney (P) | 22 | 16 | 6 | 0 | 2290 | 1629 | 140.6 | 64 | Finals series |
| 4 | Collingwood | 22 | 16 | 6 | 0 | 2123 | 1823 | 116.5 | 64 | Finals series |
| 5 | West Coast | 22 | 15 | 7 | 0 | 2244 | 1807 | 124.2 | 60 | Finals series |
| 6 | Geelong | 22 | 15 | 7 | 0 | 2209 | 1886 | 117.1 | 60 | Finals series |
| 7 | Fremantle | 22 | 14 | 8 | 0 | 1956 | 1691 | 115.7 | 56 | Finals series |
| 8 | North Melbourne | 22 | 14 | 8 | 0 | 2359 | 2097 | 112.5 | 56 | Finals series |
| 9 | St Kilda | 22 | 12 | 10 | 0 | 2347 | 1903 | 123.3 | 48 | |
| 10 | Carlton | 22 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 2079 | 1925 | 108.0 | 44 | |
| 11 | Essendon | 22 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 2091 | 2090 | 100.0 | 44 | |
| 12 | Richmond | 22 | 10 | 11 | 1 | 2169 | 1943 | 111.6 | 42 | |
| 13 | Brisbane Lions | 22 | 10 | 12 | 0 | 1904 | 2092 | 91.0 | 40 | |
| 14 | Port Adelaide | 22 | 5 | 16 | 1 | 1691 | 2144 | 78.9 | 22 | |
| 15 | Western Bulldogs | 22 | 5 | 17 | 0 | 1542 | 2301 | 67.0 | 20 | |
| 16 | Melbourne | 22 | 4 | 18 | 0 | 1580 | 2341 | 67.5 | 16 | |
| 17 | Gold Coast | 22 | 3 | 19 | 0 | 1509 | 2481 | 60.8 | 12 | |
| 18 | Greater Western Sydney | 22 | 2 | 20 | 0 | 1270 | 2751 | 46.2 | 8 | |

### Finals series

| 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 | TV | Attendance | Report |
| Rd | Date and local time | Opponent | Home | Away | Result | Venue | TV | Attendance | Report |
| Qualifying final | Friday, 7 September (7:50 pm) | Collingwood | 20.15 (135) | 15.7 (97) | Won by 38 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (H) | Seven | 85,639 | Report |
| Semi-final | Advanced to Preliminary final | Advanced to Preliminary final | Advanced to Preliminary final | Advanced to Preliminary final | Advanced to Preliminary final | Advanced to Preliminary final | Advanced to Preliminary final | Advanced to Preliminary final | Advanced to Preliminary final |
| Preliminary final | Saturday, 22 September (5:15 pm) | Adelaide | 13.19 (97) | 14.8 (92) | Won by 5 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (H) | Seven | 69,146 | Report |
| Grand final | Saturday, 29 September (2:30 pm) | Sydney | 11.15 (81) | 14.7 (91) | Lost by 10 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (H) | Seven | 99,683 | Report |