1987 Hawthorn Football Club season
# 1987 Hawthorn Football Club season

The 1987 season was the Hawthorn Football Club's 63rd season in the Victorian Football League and 86th overall. Hawthorn entered the season as the defending VFL Premiers.

## 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, 28 March (2:10 pm) | Carlton | 15.14 (104) | 22.17 (149) | Won by 45 points | Princes Park (A) | 19,967 | 1–0 |
| 2 | Saturday, 4 April (2:10 pm) | Richmond | 13.15 (93) | 23.17 (155) | Won by 62 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (A) | 17,824 | 2–0 |
| 3 | Saturday, 11 April (2:10 pm) | Collingwood | 20.25 (145) | 10.8 (68) | Won by 77 points | Princes Park (H) | 14,058 | 3–0 |
| 4 | Monday, 20 April (2:10 pm) | Footscray | 14.12 (96) | 7.13 (55) | Lost by 41 points | Western Oval (A) | 10,425 | 3–1 |
| 5 | Saturday, 25 April (2:10 pm) | West Coast | 13.14 (92) | 15.14 (104) | Lost by 12 points | Princes Park (H) | 10,588 | 3–2 |
| 6 | Sunday, 3 May (2:10 pm) | Fitzroy | 15.14 (104) | 16.17 (113) | Won by 9 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (A) | 18,694 | 4–2 |
| 7 | Sunday, 10 May (2:10 pm) | Sydney | 18.14 (122) | 17.12 (114) | Lost by 8 points | Sydney Cricket Ground (A) | 22,273 | 4–3 |
| 8 | Saturday, 16 May (2:10 pm) | Geelong | 17.10 (112) | 10.5 (65) | Won by 47 points | Princes Park (H) | 9,382 | 5–3 |
| 9 | Saturday, 23 May (2:10 pm) | Essendon | 25.15 (165) | 7.9 (51) | Won by 114 points | VFL Park (H) | 32,634 | 6–3 |
| 10 | Saturday, 30 May (2:10 pm) | St Kilda | 23.16 (154) | 15.8 (98) | Won by 56 points | VFL Park (H) | 15,535 | 7–3 |
| 11 | Saturday, 6 June (2:10 pm) | North Melbourne | 14.7 (91) | 17.11 (113) | Won by 22 points | VFL Park (A) | 23,606 | 8–3 |
| 12 | Sunday, 14 June (2:10 pm) | Brisbane Bears | 11.4 (70) | 24.21 (165) | Won by 95 points | Carrara Stadium (A) | 7,284 | 9–3 |
| 13 | Saturday, 20 June (2:10 pm) | Melbourne | 6.8 (44) | 8.9 (57) | Lost by 13 points | Princes Park (H) | 7,631 | 9–4 |
| 14 | Saturday, 27 June (2:10 pm) | Carlton | 12.8 (80) | 12.7 (79) | Won by 1 point | VFL Park (H) | 44,385 | 10–4 |
| 15 | Saturday, 4 July (2:10 pm) | Richmond | 19.20 (134) | 11.11 (77) | Won by 57 points | Princes Park (H) | 9,708 | 11–4 |
| 16 | Saturday, 18 July (2:10 pm) | Collingwood | 5.13 (43) | 25.18 (168) | Won by 125 points | Victoria Park (A) | 17,370 | 12–4 |
| 17 | Saturday, 11 July (2:10 pm) | Footscray | 25.12 (162) | 9.11 (65) | Won by 97 points | Princes Park (H) | 13,971 | 13–4 |
| 18 | Sunday, 2 August (12:10 pm) | West Coast | 17.13 (115) | 17.12 (114) | Lost by 1 point | Subiaco Oval (A) | 24,502 | 13–5 |
| 19 | Saturday, 8 August (2:10 pm) | Fitzroy | 26.9 (165) | 16.9 (105) | Won by 60 points | VFL Park (H) | 14,692 | 14–5 |
| 20 | Saturday, 15 August (2:10 pm) | Sydney | 20.22 (142) | 15.7 (97) | Won by 45 points | Princes Park (H) | 20,522 | 15–5 |
| 21 | Saturday, 22 August (2:10 pm) | Essendon | 9.10 (64) | 17.12 (114) | Won by 50 points | VFL Park (A) | 27,046 | 16–5 |
| 22 | Saturday, 29 August (2:10 pm) | Geelong | 17.21 (123) | 19.12 (126) | Won by 3 points | Kardinia Park (A) | 27,030 | 17–5 |

### 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 | Attendance |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Rd | Date and local time | Opponent | Home | Away | Result | Venue | Attendance |
| Qualifying final | Saturday, 5 September (2:30 pm) | Sydney | 23.18 (156) | 8.9 (57) | Won by 99 points | VFL Park (H) | 47,752 |
| 2nd semi-final | Saturday, 12 September (2:30 pm) | Carlton | 11.14 (80) | 10.5 (65) | Lost by 15 points | VFL Park (A) | 64,333 |
| Preliminary final | Saturday, 19 September (2:10 pm) | Melbourne | 11.14 (80) | 10.18 (78) | Won by 2 points | VFL Park (H) | 71,298 |
| Grand Final | Saturday, 26 September (2:50 pm) | Carlton | 15.14 (104) | 9.17 (71) | Lost by 33 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (A) | 92,754 |

## Ladder

| (P) | Premiers |
| - | - |
| | Qualified for finals |
| # | Team | P | W | L | D | PF | PA | % | Pts |
| 1 | Carlton (P) | 22 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 2599 | 1883 | 138.0 | 72 |
| 2 | Hawthorn | 22 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 2781 | 1891 | 147.1 | 68 |
| 3 | Sydney | 22 | 15 | 7 | 0 | 2846 | 2197 | 129.5 | 60 |
| 4 | North Melbourne | 22 | 13 | 8 | 1 | 2402 | 2417 | 99.4 | 54 |
| 5 | Melbourne | 22 | 12 | 10 | 0 | 2189 | 2026 | 108.0 | 48 |
| 6 | Geelong | 22 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 2355 | 2348 | 100.3 | 46 |
| 7 | Footscray | 22 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 1959 | 2046 | 95.7 | 46 |
| 8 | West Coast | 22 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 2386 | 2438 | 97.9 | 44 |
| 9 | Essendon | 22 | 9 | 12 | 1 | 2075 | 2318 | 89.5 | 38 |
| 10 | St Kilda | 22 | 9 | 13 | 0 | 2150 | 2369 | 90.8 | 36 |
| 11 | Fitzroy | 22 | 8 | 14 | 0 | 2328 | 2544 | 91.5 | 32 |
| 12 | Collingwood | 22 | 7 | 15 | 0 | 1853 | 2425 | 76.4 | 28 |
| 13 | Brisbane Bears | 22 | 6 | 16 | 0 | 2113 | 2666 | 79.3 | 24 |
| 14 | Richmond | 22 | 5 | 17 | 0 | 2199 | 2667 | 82.5 | 20 |

Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points for Average score: 104.7 Source: AFL Tables

