A Boy Becomes a Man

[bringbackdaspinks]

WHEN Tom Hawkins first appeared on the AFL stage on April 7, 2007, he was depicted as an amalgam of Tony Lockett, Wayne Carey and Jonathan Brown.


]It was, of course, way over the top. But that is what a famous name, huge build-up, a couple of pack marks and three goals will do for an 18-year-old on debut.
More than two years on, Hawkins is steadily making his way as Geelong's next long-term key forward.
He has played 26 games for the modest return of 37 goals, but the graph is moving in the right direction.
Seven games in a row this year for 45 kicks and 12 goals.
The puppy fat has gone, the audacious nature of his early games has become a more rounded, team-oriented style of play, the realisation that rewards come with hard work has hit home.
That is what sport at the elite level does. It can extract its pound of flesh in more ways than one.
It is, though, worth remembering the boy nicknamed "Tomahawk" is 20. The early rave reviews weren't of his making. Not directly, anyway.
He still seems a little unnerved by the lavish praise he earned for his first appearance. But that's history.
Tonight at Etihad Stadium, the boy is the man for Geelong.

There's no Cam Mooney this time - suspended for failing to curb his desire to whack North Melbourne's Scott Thompson.
The Geelong goalfront belongs to Hawkins tonight. With it will come the Western Bulldogs' best defender, Brian Lake.
It will be his biggest test.
Hawkins is ready for the task. He's loving playing week after week, and is driven by events of the past two Septembers.
He watched enviously as his Geelong teammates celebrated a premiership in 2007; he was envious again last year when close friend, Melbourne Grammar schoolmate and Hawthorn midfielder Xavier Ellis, got to live the dream.
Hawkins decided it was time to ramp up his efforts.
"In my first year our team won. Last year the Hawks won and 'Zave' is a good mate of mine. I saw in those two years how big premierships are and what they mean," he said.
"It made me think, made me decide that's what I want to do, made me more determined.
"If the chance comes in the next couple of years, hopefully I'll be there to take it.
"I think in my first two years, I just wasted the opportunities. I suppose I didn't commit myself to football as much as I should have.
"Pretty disappointed with myself in the first couple of years. Felt they've been a little bit wasted."
That's a blunt self-assessment, but the youngster dearly wants to be part of team success, and to earn the respect of his teammates.
In his own words, he didn't turn up ready for work after being drafted by the Cats under the father-son rule in 2006.
"When I got down here, I was a bit over 105 (kg). Too heavy to be running round in league football," he said.
"The shape I came down in, I don't think I would have had the respect of any of the players. Very unacceptable, but . . .
"I think I always knew it would be (tough), but I just didn't really prepare myself very well for it. If I had my time again I would have done some stuff (training). Prepared myself better.
"At the time, finishing school, everyone was pretty happy to be finishing up, and I think I just enjoyed that time like everyone else. I'm still trying to get respect."
He is winning the battle. Everyone notices the definition in the young body, remembers how hard he worked in the rehab group during the summer.
Hawkins, who had to be nursed through a fracture in the notorious navicular bone in a foot, spent the summer working with Mooney, Tom Harley and David Wojcinski, and he wasn't going to drag the chain in that group.
When he joined Geelong he weighed a minimum 105kg and as much as 108, with a reputation for being on first-name terms with Ronald McDonald.
"There's a bit of fiction in that, but, coming from Finley . . . there was no Maccas at home," he said.
"The boarding-school food was good, but . . .
"The weight's always been a bit of an issue in the three years I've been down here. I'm just trying to get on top of that.
"Still got a lot of things to work on, still got to earn respect. That'll come, hopefully, by playing consistently."
Oddly, his father Jack was slim, almost lean. He is listed in The Encyclopedia Of AFL Footballers as having played for Geelong at 79.5kg, and a high-class player he was, too.
The difference in father and son, though, is not in any way intended to suggest there is a weight issue on the Le Deux side of the family.
Hawkins' parents drive from the family farm in Finley for most games.
"Dad doesn't say much. Both mum and dad are very supportive," Hawkins said.
"He doesn't tell me to do this or do that, just a couple of little things that might improve me as a player."
It has been a frustrating 12 months for the family, in football and on the farm, for obvious reasons.
Tom was diagnosed with a hot spot in a foot at Round 15 last year.
Post-season scans revealed a crack in the navicular, the bone that has put Matthew Egan's career on hold for two years.
The Cats went ultra-cautious with him, ordering him to wear a moon boot and use crutches for five to six weeks.
Now it's all systems go in what promises to be a big year for him in more ways than one.
He turns 21 in July. Like teammate Joel Selwood, it will come and go quietly.
"It's not high on my agenda, but I don't think I'll have it (a party) during the season. Just too hard to organise," he said.
He will content himself attending the 21sts of as many of his mates from school and home as football commitments allow.
"Tough sort of year to be 21," he said with a smile.
Early in the week he went to dinner with a few mates. They had a couple of beers, he didn't.
"You've got to be disciplined. you can't do that," he said.
"In a way, you and your mates end up being jealous of each other. (But) I'm very happy doing what I'm doing."

HERALD SUN 22/5/09

Great Read!! Love the Tommahawk, hope he bags a few tonight!

 

[Glassjaw]

Didn't realise there was a crack in his navicular.

Don't like that. Not one bit.

 

[thegerman]

Didn't realise there was a crack in his navicular.

Don't like that. Not one bit.

I don't think it was a crack, I think that is a bit of a furphy by the paper to sensationalise that hot spot. If it was a crack he would most likely be out longer.

The 'hot spot' is a pool of blood which surrounds the bone. Weakness in the bone itself can also cause this, just not a crack.

If it was a crack in the navicular or calcaneous, I'd highly doubt him only taking 4-5 weeks off.

 

[someday-somehow]

I don't think it was a crack, I think that is a bit of a furphy by the paper to sensationalise that hot spot. If it was a crack he would most likely be out longer.

The 'hot spot' is a pool of blood which surrounds the bone. Weakness in the bone itself can also cause this, just not a crack.

If it was a crack in the navicular or calcaneous, I'd highly doubt him only taking 4-5 weeks off.

Whatever it was the club medical staff did a top job in stopping it becomming a problem. They have obviously learned a lot from mathew egan

 

[HulkHawkins]

"Early in the week he went to dinner with a few mates. They had a couple of beers, he didn't."

Just leave the beer drinking to me i'll have enough for both of us at tonight's game

The lads focused and on a mission, only gonna get better and better week by week.

 

[uncle chop chop]

All Tom needs to do is continue presenting, leading and holding his ground in contests and he will always take at least the second defender and quite often the third as well (or first and second when Mooney is on stress leave).

Even if he doesn't snag a goal, in my opinion he's already done more than enough by allowing space and crumbs for our small forwards and guys in the middle to run through and score.

 

[Shmoses]

All my mates have been scoffing at me lately when I've said that he's still on track to be a gun. Mark my words, he'll get there.

 

[Knife Wrench]

All my mates have been scoffing at me lately when I've said that he's still on track to be a gun. Mark my words, he'll get there.

Yep, same here...cant wait till i can shove it back in their faces. And with the steps Hawkins has taken so far, it shouldnt be too far away.

 

[Ricketts]

Thought this thread was going to be about Mackie.... silly me.

 

[BigBadCam]

He's not looking much like a man tonight.

 

[magic_johnson!]

Thought this thread was going to be about Mackie.... silly me.

not yet

 

[Skerret]

You're shit.

 

[Knife Wrench]

Hawkins is shit.

Coming from a richmond supporter...
Hes been very good the past month, does one bad game where he has the number 1 defender of a top 4 side make him a spud?

 

[roooo]

I imagine it would be very frustrating to watch him as a cats supporter.

 

[BigBadCam]

I imagine it would be very frustrating to watch him as a cats supporter.

Fortunately, we're so ****ing good and so far ahead of the pack that we can afford to leave him in the forward line to find himself. Remember, he's doing better than both Roughy and Buddy at the same stage of their career.

 

[barmy44]

I imagine it would be very frustrating to watch him as a cats supporter.

a bit like watching the entire adelaide side? and their insipid coach?