Geelong and Hawthorn, it is a tale as old as time and it is ready for another new chapter to be written into the rivalry's storied history on Easter Monday. 

The Cats enter the game on a five game win streak over the Hawks, most notably defeating them in last year's Preliminary Final in front of a huge crowd at the MCG. 

But Hawthorn are a team on the rise, returning to September in the past two seasons after a five year hiatus prior to that, widely tipped to be a premiership contender in 2026. 

Under the leadership of Sam Mitchell, they play a very distinct brand of football and one that is very suited to the wide expanses of the MCG. 

Take a look at a full breakdown of Hawthorn's strengths ahead of Easter Monday with Geelong's Opposition Analysis, proudly presented by Deakin University. 

2026 Ladder 

Hawthorn: 5th (2-1)
Geelong: 10th (2-1)

Recent Games

2025 Preliminary Final - Geelong 17.13 (115) def Hawthorn 13.7 (85)
2025 Round 6 - Geelong 12.14 (86) def Hawthorn 11.13 (79)
2024 Round 17 - Geelong 16.14 (110) def Hawthorn 9.5 (59)

Deakin Performance Stat of the Week 

Halting Hawthorn's Kick-Mark Style

Remember kicking the football around the playground at school during lunchtime and playing keepings off?

In a nutshell, that is a similar formula to what Hawthorn implements in their style under Sam Mitchell. 

Of course, it is a little bit more complicated than that, but the Hawks rank second in the AFL for total disposals, first for time in possession and second for total marks in 2026. 

Despite their high possession brand, Hawthorn also commit the third least turnovers of any team and sit second for kick efficiency, showing that they can be very clean by foot. 

Interestingly, they also rank 14th in the AFL for contested possession percentage, which is based off how many of their total possessions are contested possessions, identifying a more uncontested style of play. 

On the wide dimensions of the MCG, this will be something that Geelong need to be aware of on Easter Monday. 

2026 Stats

Locking Down Jack Gunston

He has been featuring on Easter Monday since the third instalment of the traditional clash, but Jack Gunston has shown no signs of slowing down in his 17th season at the top level. 

Finishing third in last year's Coleman Medal, Gunston kicked a career-high 62 goals in 2025 and was rewarded with a second All-Australian blazer, helping lead the Hawks to a Preliminary Final berth. 

Across his career, Gunston has featured in 26 games against the Cats which is the most times he has faced a single opponent, kicking 44 goals which includes six majors in the two meetings throughout 2025. 

He has started the new campaign in similar fashion kicking 13 goals from his first three matches, giving Geelong plenty to think about heading into another big clash. 

Hawthorn's Potent Defensive Structure

While Hawthorn get a lot of credit for their ability to possess the football and score heavily, they perhaps do not get enough recognition for just how sturdy they are in defence. 

Through the early portion of the season, the Hawks rank fourth in the AFL for intercept possessions per game (73.0), while also ranking second in the competition for intercept marks per game (17.3). 

This intercept marking prowess is led by Tom Barrass (2nd in the AFL) and James Sicily (6th), who rightfully received plenty of praise for their performance against Sydney prior to Hawthorn's bye. 

As a team, they also rank second in the AFL for scores from turnover (73.7), which means the Cats will need to find more effective avenues to goal this week.