300 games beckons as Tom Hawkins agrees to two-year contract extension with Geelong
One of the champions of the Geelong Football Club is set to break through the 300 game mark and play into a 16th season after Tom Hawkins locked himself in as a Cat.
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TOM Hawkins is set to join Geelong’s exclusive 300 game club after he locked in a two-year extension with the club.
Off the back of a stunning 2020 campaign in which he won his first Coleman Medal and claimed a third All-Australian blazer, Hawkins has likely made himself a Cat for life.
He and the club agreed to terms in the days after Geelong’s heartbreaking grand final loss.
The contract extension had been heavily speculated and will mean Hawkins will play past his 34th birthday and into his 16th season.
Currently sitting on 277 games, the durable forward – who hasn’t played less than 18 matches since 2008 – could cross the triple century barrier next season depending on how many games the AFL schedules.
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Should he reach the mark, he will join Cats Sam Newman, Ian Nankervis, Corey Enright, Jimmy Bartel and Joel Selwood.
The Cats are hopeful Hawkins will create a mouth-watering combination with Jeremy Cameron in his final years, as the club continues to pursue the Giants goalkicker.
Geelong list manager Stephen Wells confirmed to the Geelong Advertiser that Hawkins was tied to the club until the 2022 season.
A highly touted draft pick in the footsteps of his father Jack way back in 2006, Hawkins is already a champion of the club and sits third on the all-time goalkicking list behind Gary Ablett Sr and Doug Wade.
“Tom has been an outstanding performer for us, we think we have been good for him too and that family association makes it even better,” Wells said.
One of the rare players who didn’t miss a match this season despite the truncated schedule, Hawkins polled more Brownlow Medal votes this season than in any of his 14 years in the AFL.
While he has spoken publicly about being prepared for life beyond the game, Hawkins said this year he had plenty of football left.
“There’s no plans to retire at the end of the year (or in) 2021, who knows (even after 2022),” he said in July.
“I’m optimistic of how long I can play. As long as I’m still playing my role in the team and I still feel physically good and mentally good, I’ll keep playing and putting my hand up to play.”
Geelong coach Chris Scott said in August he believed Hawkins has only improved his fitness as he has aged.
“In the last year or so, I think he’s in the best shape that I’ve seen him in,” Scott said.
“He’s laboured with certain injuries in different times through his career but he’s worked his way through it to become a true pro.”
Originally published as 300 games beckons as Tom Hawkins agrees to two-year contract extension with Geelong