Toast Tom Hawkins To Retire

[Geelong_Sicko]

rename the selwood stand the hawkins and selwood stand. Hawkins and selwood were just as big for the club as each other.

Hellwood!!!!

 

[BlakeyNoFlakey]

Bomber Thompson has spoken....

 

[Strange Cat]

Bomber Thompson has spoken....

Yep at the end of the day that’s all you can wish for with the players drafted into the system ..to turn out to be quality people with a loving family

Pity my life didn’t turn out the same way but I’m glad Joel and Hawkins path was different

 

[Commando]

Has anyone put together a better body of work post 30 than Hawkins?
Senior?

 

[STPer18]

Has anyone put together a better body of work post 30 than Hawkins?
Senior?

 

[cats_09]

You found it quicker than me

 

[Gunf]

Hawkins has some good company in first place

 

[sauron256]

Enjoy

 

[kickazz]

Always looking to start a fight aren’t you. Tom is not and has never been an endurance runner, the way defensive structures have changed if forwards are “stay at home” the way Tom is, then they are going to be a liability as much as an asset. Prior to his injury, Tom’s lack of aerobic capacity was becoming evident in the way defenders could peel off and block his space. Notice that with Neale playing, the goal output might not be there but he is keeping a defender more accountable because he can move around in opposition to the defensive structure. It’s why Cameron’s output in the forward 50 has increased again, because he’s not running so much into congested zone defences.

YEah I dunno, to be fair I think the zones/running started ages ago - it is what brought Mooney's end perhaps prematurely. Hawk managed to get through it fine when fit, played many good games up the ground at the MCG in particular.

 

[Seeds]

Has anyone put together a better body of work post 30 than Hawkins?
Senior?

Well you answered your own question. Ablett won 3 colemans with 100 plus goal seasons after 30 including the greatest individual season of all time in 1993. Even in his last season where he was fading and missed 5 games through suspension he still kicked 69 goals. His 1992 season as a flanker, winger at the age of 30 was also not bad either.

 

[goyoucatters]

I'd imagine Tom being as unselfish as he is will want to get the win first and do the team thing.
He would be happy with Jez or Tyson kicking a bag and getting the W over his own stats.

I think it's fair to say that there are plenty of us here who care way more about the 800 milestone than the man himself. If he's out there against the Weagles, he'll simply be doing what he's always done - giving absolutely everything for the team to see a 'W' for his beloved hoops.

There's not that many footballers who I would be delighted to catch up with for a chat, simply to talk about everything apart from football. Says a stack about Toma that he definitely fits that category. Brilliant footballer, no doubt. But a better human being you would genuinely struggle to find.

Would love to see him run around (at least) once more, and have the faithful give him all the adulation they can muster. In the end, though, even that won't even remotely approximate the debt our club owes this remarkable man.

Dead. Set. Legend.

 

[Vdubs]

Has anyone put together a better body of work post 30 than Hawkins?
Senior?

Senior, yes.
Pendlebury?

 

[Cataholic]

Why can't we accept Tommy's contribution for what it is - legendary for the GFC - and not erode it with comparisons?

The man has been a significant player for the GFC and his record is etched into the club's folklore. Even better, he's always been a quality human being and a fantastic representative of the GFC.

Lets be content, and extremely grateful, for that.

 

[Vdubs]

Why can't we accept Tommy's contribution for what it is - legendary for the GFC - and not erode it with comparisons?

The man has been a significant player for the GFC and his record is etched into the club's folklore. Even better, he's always been a quality human being and a fantastic representative of the GFC.

Lets be content, and extremely grateful, for that.

Both are possible, without eroding his stature as a Cats legend. Unfortunately, life is full of comparisons; almost human nature now.

 

[Commando]

Senior, yes.
Pendlebury?

Also recall Craig Bradley was very good
He also played into his late 30s

 

[geelong_crazy26]

Odd to say about a player who kicked 800 goals 5AA’s and sits second on the all time contested mark board, but I feel like he underachieved with how talented he is.

Was the victim of being born in the wrong playing era. Colossal key forward, but also very athletic with an incredible vertical leap ( lost it after his lower back injuries).

If he was to play in the 80’s-90’s I feel he would be 1,000 + goals and a centurion on several occasions and talked up alongside dunstall Coventry Lockett.

Incredible testament to his talent that he was able to reinvent himself to adapt to modern football

 

[cats_09]

 

[cats_09]

FYI

 

[Geelong_Sicko]

Odd to say about a player who kicked 800 goals 5AA’s and sits second on the all time contested mark board, but I feel like he underachieved with how talented he is.

Was the victim of being born in the wrong playing era. Colossal key forward, but also very athletic with an incredible vertical leap ( lost it after his lower back injuries).

If he was to play in the 80’s-90’s I feel he would be 1,000 + goals and a centurion on several occasions and talked up alongside dunstall Coventry Lockett.

Incredible testament to his talent that he was able to reinvent himself to adapt to modern football

He was 'cursed' with unselfishness. All those goal assists - he would have had 1000+ goals on his statsheet by retirement otherwise.

 

[supahoops]

Agree with all the Kudos coming his way.

Disagree with all the chat about send off games and getting to 800. Too much at stake. If he’s good to go let’s get a crowd to the Bankers and get some fitness and form into him, reality is he’s an emergency unless Neale or Cameron go down.

 

[Tony Barber]

Agree with all the Kudos coming his way.

Disagree with all the chat about send off games and getting to 800. Too much at stake. If he’s good to go let’s get a crowd to the Bankers and get some fitness and form into him, reality is he’s an emergency unless Neale or Cameron go down.

I'm with you.
You know they'll play him out of respect. But he was only expected to run on grass for the first time on Friday.
And let's not forget that he hasn't exactly been in form this year. Would be a massive gamble to play him against WC.

 

[Lunchtime]

I'm with you.
You know they'll play him out of respect. But he was only expected to run on grass for the first time on Friday.
And let's not forget that he hasn't exactly been in form this year. Would be a massive gamble to play him against WC.

Maybe Geelong think that he will be available for finals also or is that a bridge too far for Tom?

 

[Hinkley29]

I'm with you.
You know they'll play him out of respect. But he was only expected to run on grass for the first time on Friday.
And let's not forget that he hasn't exactly been in form this year. Would be a massive gamble to play him against WC.

I think it all depends on whether Geelong wants to have Tom as a contingency in case of injury to Neale or Cameron.

If the plan is for Tom to be the backup forward in case of injury, then he has to play against WC just to give him a run before finals.

If the plan would be to go small and play Henry and Rohan in conjunction with a key forward (if Neale or Cameron get hurt), then there is no reason to play him against WC.

 

[Gunf]

I think it all depends on whether Geelong wants to have Tom as a contingency in case of injury to Neale or Cameron.

If the plan is for Tom to be the backup forward in case of injury, then he has to play against WC just to give him a run before finals.

If the plan would be to go small and play Henry and Rohan in conjunction with a key forward (if Neale or Cameron get hurt), then there is no reason to play him against WC.

If need be we could even give Hawkins a VFL game if he needs game conditioning for finals in case we need him.

I think the first week of VFL finals is the pre finals bye for the AFL

 

[Hinkley29]

If need be we could even give Hawkins a VFL game if he needs game conditioning for finals in case we need him.

I think the first week of VFL finals is the pre finals bye for the AFL

Would he be eligible to play vfl finals?