Finley’s best football product Tom Hawkins has celebrated his 350th AFL game with a four-goal effort in Geelong’s 36-point victory over arch-rival Hawthorn on Easter Monday.
The 35-year-old star finished the match with 12 disposals, four marks and four goals, playing a pivotal role for the Cats on a stormy Melbourne afternoon.
Hawkins grew up at Finley before he was selected in the 2006 AFL Draft by Geelong under the father-son rule.
After a difficult start to his career marred by form slumps, goal inaccuracy and the heavy weight of expectation, Hawkins emerged as one of the best key forwards in the competition in 2012 — kicking 62 goals for the season — and never looked back.
Speaking to Geelong’s media team after the match, Hawkins acknowledged that while he doesn’t usually enjoy the media spotlight, the past week’s focus on his career had been special to him and his family.
“It was a huge occasion for myself and family and friends,” he said.
“It was a wonderful day.
“There has been a lot spoken about me and my journey and, look, I don’t often love it, but I have really tried to enjoy the week as much as possible.
“It’s been great.”
Across his long and glittering career, Hawkins has established himself — in no hyperbolic terms — as one of the best key forwards in the modern era.
In a long list of achievements, Hawkins has earned one best-and-fairest award (2012), five All-Australian jackets (including one as captain), one Coleman Medal (2020), three premierships and has been the leading goal-kicker 11 times.
All for his beloved Cats.
The veteran key forward has started his 18th season in fine form, with four-goal hauls against Adelaide and Hawthorn in consecutive weeks to sit on nine goals for the season.
Hawkins currently sits 13th on the all-time AFL-VFL goal-kickers list with 790, 10 goals behind 12th-placed Richmond great Matthew Richardson, who sits on 800.
If injury troubles evade him, Hawkins will break close friend Joel Selwood’s record for most games played in a Cats guernsey (355) in round nine when Geelong hosts Port Adelaide at GMHBA Stadium in what promises to be a special night for the club and the Hawkins family.